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Business models · checked 11 November 2026
Copy the model that already works in your customers' world and improve one thing; recurring revenue is the most defensible where it fits.
SaaS rents software for recurring fees, a marketplace connects buyers and sellers and takes a cut, and a transactional business earns per unit sold and re-earns every customer. B2B usually means fewer customers paying more over longer sales cycles; B2C means larger markets and harder monetisation. Freemium works only when a clear slice of free users hits a wall they will pay to remove.
Every question on it 15 answers
- What business model should I choose for my startup? Starting Up
- What's the difference between SaaS, marketplace, and transactional business models? Starting Up
- How do I make money from a free product or freemium model? Starting Up
- How does a marketplace actually make money and solve the chicken-and-egg problem? Starting Up
- Should I sell to businesses (B2B) or consumers (B2C)? Starting Up
- How does Zerodha make money without charging brokerage on delivery trades? Starting Up
- My competitors give the product away and make money on something else. How do I find that hidden revenue layer? Starting Up
- Should I charge a subscription or charge per transaction for my product? Starting Up
- How does a lending or fintech startup actually make money in India, beyond just interest? Starting Up
- When does an ads-based model actually make sense versus just charging users money? Starting Up
- What business model can I realistically run solo as a bootstrapped indie founder in India? Starting Up
- How do I model a business that sells to enterprises with long sales cycles and few big deals? Starting Up
- What are the most common business model mistakes that quietly kill early startups? Starting Up
- How do I decide whether to add a services layer to my product business, and will investors hate it? Starting Up
- What does 'take rate' mean and how do I set the right one without scaring off my users? Starting Up
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