Starting Up

The resources founders actually use.

Every essay, video, podcast, book and tool behind 1,327 answered founder questions, in one place, each with a note on why it is here.

What founders use most, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. Google's keyword research tool inside Google Ads: search volumes, trends and bid ranges for the phrases people type. ads.google.com Tool · Product page Keyword Planner (Google Ads) Google
  2. How Google Ads budgets work: an average daily budget, a monthly figure of daily budget times 30.4, and overdelivery on busy days. support.google.com Article · Help page Choose your bid and budget (Google Ads Help) Google
  3. How negative keywords stop ads showing for searches you do not want, such as 'free', 'jobs' or 'course'. support.google.com Article · Help page About negative keywords (Google Ads Help) Google
  4. The report that shows the actual searches your ads appeared for, the source of new keywords and negatives. support.google.com Article · Help page About the search terms report (Google Ads Help) Google
  5. Google's description of AI Max, which widens search term matching beyond your keywords, rewrites ad text and expands landing... support.google.com Article · Help page About AI Max for Search campaigns Google
  6. Video · Video Google Ads Beginners Tutorial for 2026 (Step By Step) Grow My Ads
  7. Apple's enrolment help, which states that in India enrolment is only available through the Apple Developer app, and the 99 US... developer.apple.com Article · Help page Enrollment: Apple Developer account help Apple
  8. How to create the app record in App Store Connect with its name, primary language, bundle ID and SKU. developer.apple.com Article · Help page Add a new app (App Store Connect Help) Apple
  9. Apple's steps to choose a build, complete the app information, age rating and privacy details, and send it to App Review. developer.apple.com Article · Help page Submit an app (App Store Connect Help) Apple
  10. The rules Apple reviews every app against. Guideline 4.2 on minimum functionality rejects apps that are mostly marketing, web... developer.apple.com Article · Guidelines App Review Guidelines Apple
  11. Apple's page on review times and common rejections: at least 50% of submissions reviewed within 24 hours and 90% within 48... developer.apple.com Article · Program page App Review (Apple Developer) Apple
  12. Apple's beta testing service for inviting testers to try builds before release. developer.apple.com Tool · Product page TestFlight Apple
  13. Expo's docs for building and uploading an iOS app with eas build and eas submit, the route for React Native apps and many... docs.expo.dev Article · Docs Submit to the Apple App Store with Expo Submit Expo
  14. Video · 20 min How to Publish Your App to the App Store (Step by Step, 2026) Code with Beto
  15. The difference between personal and organisation accounts. An organisation account needs a D-U-N-S number, which Dun and... support.google.com Article · Help page Choose a developer account type (Play Console Help) Google
  16. The rule for personal accounts created after 13 November 2023: run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days... support.google.com Article · Help page App testing requirements for new personal developer accounts Google
  17. How to create an app in Play Console, complete the dashboard tasks and set up the store listing and app bundles. support.google.com Article · Help page Create and set up your app (Play Console Help) Google
  18. How to send an app for review and publish it, including the note that some accounts face reviews of up to seven days or longer. support.google.com Article · Help page Publish your app (Play Console Help) Google
  19. The current rule that new apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36) to be submitted, with the next deadline on 31... developer.android.com Article · Docs Meet Google Play's target API level requirement Android Developers
  20. Expo's docs for uploading an Android build to Play with eas submit. docs.expo.dev Article · Docs Submit to the Google Play Store with Expo Submit Expo
  21. Video · 25 min How to Publish Your App to the Play Store (Step by Step, 2026) Code with Beto
  22. A chaptered beginner's guide to email marketing: building a list, writing campaigns, automation and deliverability. mailerlite.com Article · Guide Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing MailerLite
  23. Microsoft's India pricing for business plans, GST extra: Business Basic ₹170 a user a month paid yearly with web and mobile... microsoft.com Tool · Pricing page Compare Microsoft 365 business plans (India) Microsoft
  24. A July 2026 hands-on comparison of the two suites on pricing, apps, collaboration, AI, storage and admin, with who each suits. fitsmallbusiness.com Article · Comparison Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: Which Is Better in 2026? Fit Small Business

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Playbooks

A goal, and the route through it a step at a time.

Find an idea worth pursuing Spot problems worth solving and find the one that actually fits you. 4 steps Validate before you build Get real evidence people want it before you write a line of code. 4 steps Understand your customers Talk to real users, define who you're for, and read the market clearly. 4 steps From idea to first customers The idea-stage spine: find a problem, prove it, talk to customers, and land the first ten. 4 steps Build an MVP without code Ship a first version with no-code tools before you hire anyone. 4 steps Build and launch your first product Turn a validated idea into something real people can use. 6 steps Find and work with developers Hire, brief, and work with builders without getting burned. 4 steps Name and brand your startup Name it, design an identity, and say what it does in a line. 3 steps Build a landing page that converts A page that loads fast, earns trust, and turns visitors into signups. 4 steps Get your first customers The scrappy, unscalable work of going from zero to your first paying users. 5 steps Sell it yourself, founder-led Reach out, run the conversation, and close before you have a sales team. 4 steps Grow with content and SEO Compound reach with content, search, and a founder audience. 3 steps Grow with paid ads Spend that returns: the channels, metrics, and loops behind it. 4 steps Price and package your product Charge for value, package it right, and check the numbers work. 3 steps Bootstrap instead of raising Fund growth from revenue, and keep control of your company. 4 steps Raise your first round Understand the game before you pitch: whether to raise, from whom, and on what terms. 5 steps Find a co-founder, split equity Find the right partner and split equity without regret. 3 steps Set up the company right Incorporate, split equity, protect your IP, and make your first hires. 4 steps Survive founder life Mindset, burnout, the leap, and the parts nobody warns you about. 5 steps Build in India The India-specific playbook: schemes, government, enterprise, and the local market. 5 steps

The questions founders start with

What are good startup ideas in India right now? The ideas Indian investors are backing in 2026 sit in a few places: AI built into one industry's daily work (vertical AI for B2B, where software fu... Beginner 5 resources → How do I find product-market fit? Narrow until a small group cannot do without you, then widen. Pick the segment where usage is strongest, talk to those people every week, and chang... Intermediate 9 resources → Do I actually need a co-founder, or can I go solo? You don't strictly need one, but the data says teams outlast solos: complementary skills, shared load, and someone to argue you out of bad calls al... Beginner 3 resources → How do I build an MVP for my startup, step by step? Write down the one assumption that kills the idea if it is wrong, then build the cheapest thing that tests it and get it to real users within weeks... Beginner 9 resources → Which tool should I use to analyse qualitative data like interview notes? For a founder with a dozen interviews, Gemini Notebook, which is free, or Claude, free or $20 a month on Pro: load the transcripts, ask for the rec... Beginner 6 resources → How do I get my first client as a freelancer? Your first client is most likely someone who already knows you or someone they know, so start there before marketplaces. 1) Pick one service for on... Beginner 6 resources → How do I decide how much to charge for my product? Stop guessing and stop pricing off your costs, price off the value the customer gets and their willingness to pay. Talk to customers about pricing,... Beginner 3 resources → Should I raise venture capital or bootstrap my startup? Raise VC only if your business needs a big pile of cash to reach escape velocity before someone else does, and if a 10x-in-a-few-years outcome is g... Beginner 3 resources →

Questions for your situation

The Aspiring Founder The Idea-Stage Founder The Builder The Launcher The Grower The Student Founder The Indie Hacker The Technical Solo Founder The Non-Technical Founder The Domain Expert The Women Founder The Anywhere Founder The Corporate Switcher The Repeat Founder
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