TL;DR: Quick Takeaways
- •A startup with basic hygiene can reach SOC 2 Type 1 readiness in 30 days.
- •Week 1: scope lock + CPA selection. Week 2: policy pack + integrations.
- •Week 3: evidence + auditor kickoff. Week 4: audit + bridge letter + trust-centre publish.
- •Pair Type 1 with a bridge letter to keep the enterprise deal moving while Type 2 observation runs.
An enterprise deal just put “SOC 2 report” on their procurement checklist. You have 30 days before legal signs. Type 2 is impossible — it needs a 3-month observation window — but Type 1 is doable, and most procurement teams accept it as a bridge.
This playbook is the exact sequence we run with startups under 50 people who already have basic hygiene (MFA, prod logging, laptop encryption). From zero on those three, add 2–4 weeks.
Why Type 1 First
SOC 2 Type 1
Point-in-time attestation. Proves controls exist and are designed correctly. Deliverable in time to unblock a Q-this-quarter deal.
SOC 2 Type 2
Operating-effectiveness attestation over a window. Requires at least 3 months observation. What the buyer eventually wants.
💡 The Bridge-Letter Strategy
Deliver Type 1 in 30 days. Request a bridge letter from your auditor confirming no material changes to controls between the Type 1 period and the current date. Pair it with a committed Type 2 observation window. Most enterprise procurement teams let the deal close on that package.
The 30-Day Sequence
Four weeks, four non-negotiable milestones. Here is what has to happen in each.
1
Readiness assessment and scope lock
Confirm the TSC in scope (Security, usually). Pick your audit firm. Lock scope boundaries. Set up a shared evidence folder.
2
Policies, integrations and remediation
Deploy the policy pack. Connect the top 10 integrations (AWS, Okta, GitHub, Snyk, email, HRIS, etc.). Fix the obvious failures: MFA on everyone, logging in prod, encryption at rest.
3
Evidence collection and audit kickoff
Collect missing evidence (vendor DPAs, access reviews, incident response runbook). Kick off the Type 1 audit. Open the auditor Slack.
4
Audit, bridge letter and trust centre
Complete the audit. Receive the Type 1 report. Request a bridge letter if the deal cycle needs continuity to Type 2. Publish on the trust centre.
The 30-Day Checklist
Every item below is a line a buyer, auditor or your dedicated advisor will eventually ask about. Working through it in sequence is how you get to day 30 without a surprise.
Scope and vendor
- ✓Confirm the Trust Services Criteria in scope (Security only is standard for first Type 1)
- ✓Pick an AICPA-licensed CPA firm. Request a Letter of Engagement
- ✓Define scope boundaries: which product, which cloud account, which teams
- ✓Set up a shared evidence folder; every file lives here or in the platform
- ✓Nominate one accountable owner on the LowerPlane side
Policies and quick wins
- ✓Deploy the policy pack (15 core policies). Executive approval + employee acknowledgement
- ✓Connect the top 10 integrations: AWS, Okta, Google Workspace, GitHub, Snyk, HRIS, email, laptop MDM, Slack, PagerDuty
- ✓Enable MFA on every account that doesn’t have it. No exceptions
- ✓Confirm production logging and encryption at rest (AWS: CloudTrail + default KMS)
- ✓Record every subprocessor and sign DPAs where missing
Evidence and audit kickoff
- ✓Access reviews on every production and admin system (quarterly cadence from here)
- ✓Document the incident response runbook; run one tabletop with the on-call team
- ✓Vendor risk assessment: SOC 2 reports from critical vendors on file
- ✓Open the auditor Slack / shared channel. Expect their initial evidence request list within 48 hours
- ✓Walk the auditor through the LowerPlane evidence dashboard
Audit and bridge letter
- ✓Deliver remaining evidence items on the auditor’s list (typically 20–40 items)
- ✓Receive the Type 1 report (usually within days of final evidence)
- ✓Request a bridge letter if your Type 2 observation window will overlap the deal cycle
- ✓Publish the report + bridge letter on your trust centre (gated behind NDA / questionnaire)
- ✓Send the report to the buyer’s procurement team with a 1-page summary
What the Trust Centre Publish Looks Like
Minimum artefacts on your trust centre once Type 1 lands:
- 1.The attestation itself, gated behind an NDA or questionnaire.
- 2.The bridge letter when you have one.
- 3.Policy pack summary (one page).
- 4.Security questionnaire autofill (CAIQ-lite or SIG-lite extract).
Buyers download, their security team signs off, deal closes. Nothing fancy — the attestation itself is the product.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 30 days really realistic?
Yes, for Type 1 (point-in-time), with a startup under 50 people that already has basic hygiene (MFA, prod logging, laptop encryption). Starting from zero on all three, 6–8 weeks is more honest.
Does Type 1 unblock the deal?
Most enterprise security teams will accept a Type 1 report plus a bridge letter to let the deal close while you complete your 3-month Type 2 observation window. Confirm with the specific procurement team before you commit.
What is a bridge letter?
A short letter from your auditor confirming that no material changes to controls have occurred between the Type 1 period and the current date. Standard practice when a Type 1 holder is in the middle of a Type 2 window.
Starting a 30-day SOC 2 push?
Book a 20-minute demo. Your dedicated advisor walks the plan with you and introduces you to an AICPA-licensed CPA from our shortlist.
Book a Demo