Co-founders, team & legal

Find a co-founder, split equity, hire your first people, and set up cleanly.

What founders use for co-founders, team & legal, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. Our advice about protecting yourself with clean renewal and termination terms only works if the paper is right, and Indian... Bhavya Sharma and Associates Article · 15 min read SaaS Customer Contract Checklist for Indian Founders: MSA, Payment Terms, Renewal and Termination Bhavya Sharma and Associates
  2. This is the plain-English India explainer that maps exactly to your problem: it walks through Section 17(c) (employees vest in... Khurana & Khurana Article · 10 min read Copyright Ownership in Employment and Freelance Contracts: Key Legal Insights Khurana & Khurana, Advocates and IP Attorneys
  3. This is the single piece that walks the exact leverage ladder our answer describes, in order: cease-and-desist notice first,... SCC Times Article · 12 min read How to Enforce Your Trade Mark Rights: Cease and Desist, Litigation and More SCC Online (SCC Times editorial)
  4. This is the practical takedown playbook: enroll in Amazon Brand Registry (you need your registered trademark, though India also... Lex Protector Article · 10 min read How to Handle Trademark Infringement on Amazon and Social Media Lex Protector (IP law firm)
  5. This nails why registering matters before trouble starts: infringement needs only a valid registration and works as prima facie... Bar & Bench Article · 8 min read Trademark infringement vs. Passing off: What is the difference and why it matters Divyang Chandan
  6. DSCI is India's industry body on data security (a NASSCOM initiative), so this is about as close to a canonical plain-language... Data Security Council of India Article · 10 min read The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: DSCI Summary Data Security Council of India (DSCI)
  7. This is the founder-facing counterpart to the DSCI summary: instead of restating the law, it turns it into an 8-step... Corrida Legal Article · 15 min read Compliance under the DPDP Act for startups collecting customer data Corrida Legal
  8. This is the exact question, answered in Indian law. It draws the line most founders get wrong: a Privacy Policy is mandatory... Growth Gurukul Article · 12 min read Terms of Service and Privacy Policy: Do You Really Need Them? Growth Gurukul editorial
  9. This is the government's own comparison, and it leads with the exact filter you need: if you are raising funding, the decision... Startup India Article · 12 min read Types of Businesses (Sole Proprietorship, LLP, Private Limited, OPC) Startup India (DPIIT)
  10. This walks the full SPICe+ (INC-32) flow the way you will actually do it on the MCA portal: DSC for each director, DIN folded... ClearTax Article · 15 min read Private Limited Company Registration Online in India, Step by Step Process ClearTax
  11. This is the plain-language answer to "do I have to register yet." It lays out the 40 lakh goods / 20 lakh services limits, the... ClearTax Article · 12 min read GST Registration Threshold Limits: Goods, Services and Special Category States ClearTax Editorial Team
  12. This explains the single biggest reason to register on day one: input tax credit lets you reclaim the GST you pay on your own... ClearTax Article · 15 min read Input Tax Credit (ITC) under GST: Meaning, Conditions and How to Claim ClearTax Editorial Team
  13. A tighter second read that makes the "register early" case concrete: it lists 12 scenarios that force registration regardless... Razorpay Article · 10 min read GST Registration Limits: Thresholds, Mandatory Triggers and Voluntary Registration Razorpay Learn
  14. This is the one guide that ties each cosmetic license (CDSCO manufacturing or import registration, LMPC label certificate, BIS... CosmeticsRegulatory.com Article · 12 min read Licenses You Need to Sell Your Own Cosmetic Brand on E-Commerce Platforms (CDSCO, LMPC, BIS) CosmeticsRegulatory.com editorial team
  15. Supplements and wellness founders get burned by the same trap: assuming a product sits under FSSAI when a dosage or a claim... PharmaNow Article · 15 min read Nutraceuticals in India: FSSAI vs CDSCO, Complete Regulatory Guide PharmaNow editorial team
  16. Once you know cosmetics fall under CDSCO, this is the step-by-step of actually getting the license: the two routes... PharmaRegulatory.in Article · 18 min read Indian Cosmetics Regulatory Framework Explained: CDSCO Rules, Licensing, and Compliance PharmaRegulatory.in editorial team
  17. The India-specific mechanics WIPO glosses over: you file Form MM2 through India's Trade Marks Registry, your international mark... Intepat Article · 14 min read Madrid Protocol India: International Trademark Guide (2026) Intepat IP Services
  18. This nails the exact cost trade-off in your answer: file the PCT within 12 months of your first Indian patent filing, then you... S.S. Rana & Co. Article · 12 min read PCT National Phase Application in India S.S. Rana & Co.
  19. This is the India-context checklist you negotiate from: it lays out exclusive vs sole vs non-exclusive, how royalty and... iPleaders Article · 20 min read IP Licensing Agreements (with a sample agreement template) iPleaders (Blog)
  20. A clean, plain-language breakdown of the ten terms that make up any license deal, so you can read the scope, exclusivity,... McInnes Cooper Article · 12 min read 10 Key Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing Agreement Terms Michael J. Melvin and Patrick Kerr
  21. This is the exact calendar of the boring recurring filings that quietly strike off companies: AOC-4 (annual accounts, Oct 30),... ClearTax Article · 12 min read ROC Compliance Calendar 2025-2026 (Private Limited Company) ClearTax
  22. Written by a founder-side sales veteran, this walks the exact traps in a big-company paper: net 90-120 payment terms you should... AWS Startups Blog Article · 12 min read Contract and Legal Traps to Avoid (Startup Founder Sales Series, Part 11) Mark Birch
  23. A startup lawyer's clause-by-clause breakdown from the vendor side: it explains that a liability cap does not erase risk, it... Startup Lawyer Article · 25 min read The Startup Commercial Contracts Guide Ryan Roberts

The questions

Finding a co-founder 18

Pick a partner as carefully as a spouse.

Do I actually need a co-founder, or can I go solo? 3 → Where do I actually find a co-founder if I don't already know one? 2 → What should I look for in a co-founder, and what are red flags? 3 → Should I co-found with a friend or family member? 2 → How do I 'date' a potential co-founder before committing? 3 → All 18 questions in Finding a co-founder →
Co-founder agreements & equity 18

Split fairly, vest always, write it down.

How should co-founders split equity fairly? 2 → What is vesting and why do I need a vesting schedule? 2 → Should I use a dynamic equity split like Slicing Pie instead of fixed percentages? 2 → What must go into a co-founder / founders' agreement in India? 2 → How much equity should I set aside for an ESOP pool for employees? 2 → All 18 questions in Co-founder agreements & equity →
Hiring your first employees 18

Your first ten hires are your culture.

When should I make my first hire? 2 → How do I hire my first engineer when nobody's heard of my startup? 2 → What kind of people should my first ten hires be? 3 → Should I hire full-time employees, contractors, or an agency first? 2 → How do I compensate early employees with salary and equity in India? 3 → All 18 questions in Hiring your first employees →
Culture, remote & operations 18

Build how you work before it breaks.

How do I build company culture intentionally from day one? 3 → Should my startup be remote, hybrid, or in-office? 2 → How do I run a remote team without endless meetings and burnout? 3 → What operating cadence and rituals should an early team have? 3 → How do I avoid burning out my small team while still moving fast? 3 → All 18 questions in Culture, remote & operations →
Incorporation & legal setup 18

Set up the entity right (US & India).

When should I actually incorporate my startup? 3 → Should I incorporate as a Delaware C-corp or an Indian Pvt Ltd? 3 → How do I incorporate a Delaware C-corp as a non-US or first-time founder? 2 → How do I register a Private Limited Company in India? 2 → What is DPIIT / Startup India recognition and is it worth getting? 2 → All 18 questions in Incorporation & legal setup →
IP, licenses & regulatory 22

Protect your idea, stay legal to sell.

How do I protect my idea when I have to share it to get it built? 3 → Can I protect my idea with a patent or an NDA before I launch? 3 → When is an NDA actually worth it, and when is it just theatre? 2 → Trademark vs patent vs copyright, which one do I actually need? 3 → How do I check if my brand name is free, and how do I trademark it in India? 2 → All 22 questions in IP, licenses & regulatory →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →