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. Product Hunt's own explanation of launches: every launch goes live at 12:01 AM Pacific Time, featuring is an editorial... help.producthunt.com Article · Help page 1. How Product Hunt works (Launch Guide) Product Hunt
  2. How to pick a date and goals: a launch runs until midnight Pacific, can be scheduled from tomorrow up to 30 days ahead, and... help.producthunt.com Article · Help page 3. Set your goals and pick your launch date (Launch Guide) Product Hunt
  3. The rules for promotion: be active weeks before, tell your users and newsletter, ask for feedback and comments, and never ask... help.producthunt.com Article · Help page 5. How to promote your launch and what to avoid (Launch Guide) Product Hunt
  4. Microsoft's entry business plan: web and mobile Word, Excel and PowerPoint, email on your domain, cloud storage, Teams meetings... microsoft.com Tool · Product page Microsoft 365 Business Basic (India) Microsoft
  5. YouTube's list of countries and regions where creators can join the Partner Program; India is on it. support.google.com Article · Help page YouTube Partner Program availability YouTube
  6. The official page for Stand-Up India, which facilitates bank loans of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore (term loan plus working capital)... myscheme.gov.in Article · Scheme page Stand-Up India scheme Ministry of Finance, on myScheme
  7. Patrick McKenzie's classic account of turning a technical skill into a high-end consultancy: clients pay for value, not time,... training.kalzumeus.com Essay · 20 min read How I went from $100-an-hour programming to $X0,000-a-week consulting Patrick McKenzie (patio11)
  8. Zudio's own page for anyone who wants to run a Zudio store: a Retail Business Associate form, after which the company's... zudio.com Tool · Official form Zudio Retail Business Associate form Trent Ltd (Zudio)
  9. Zepto's own page for its Growth Partner programme, under which a partner runs a dark store with Zepto helping on location,... zepto.co.in Tool · Official page Zepto Growth Partner programme (dark stores) Zepto
  10. A July 2025 news report of a shop owner who found a fake Zudio helpline email, was sent official-looking letters and paid Rs 31... deshgujarat.com Article · 3 min read Surat man duped of Rs 31 lakh in fake Tata Zudio franchise scam DeshGujarat
  11. An independent 2026 walk-through of Amul's two main formats, the Preferred Outlet at about Rs 2 lakh and the Scooping Parlour... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Amul franchise in India 2026: real cost and margins CalcGuru
  12. NITI Aayog's portal where every non-profit, trust, society or Section 8 company, gets a Darpan unique ID on a self-declared... ngodarpan.gov.in Tool · Official portal NGO Darpan (NITI Aayog) NITI Aayog
  13. A 2026 guide to tax registration for non-profits under the Income-tax Act 2025, in force from 1 April 2026, where the old 12A... patronaccounting.com Article · 12 min read Charitable trust and NGO registration under the Income-tax Act 2025 Patron Accounting
  14. A law firm's 2026 comparison of the three forms an Indian non-profit can take, with the members each needs (a trust at least... bhattandjoshiassociates.com Article · 8 min read How to register an NGO in India: trust, society or Section 8 company (2026) Bhatt & Joshi Associates
  15. Spotify's free podcast host: unlimited hosting for audio and video shows, distribution to other podcast apps, analytics and... creators.spotify.com Tool · Product page Spotify for Creators: podcast hosting Spotify
  16. Apple's hub for podcasters: join Apple Podcasts Connect to list your show, design your artwork to spec, embed episodes, and... podcasters.apple.com Tool · Official site Apple Podcasts for Creators Apple
  17. YouTube's own instructions for audio-first podcasters: submit your RSS feed and YouTube creates a video for each episode from... support.google.com Article · Help article Deliver podcasts to YouTube using an RSS feed YouTube Help
  18. A detailed August 2026 guide to printing businesses, from a counter shop to an offset press: GST at the Rs 20 lakh services... calcguru.in Article · 15 min read Printing press in India 2026: registrations, costs and margins CalcGuru
  19. The official site of the CSC scheme, under which local operators (VLEs) deliver government e-services to citizens from their... csc.gov.in Tool · Official portal Common Services Centres (CSC) CSC e-Governance Services India
  20. An August 2026 guide to the asset-light logistics business (a 3PL that owns no fleet): GST registration in each state of... calcguru.in Article · 15 min read Logistics business in India 2026: what a 3PL needs CalcGuru
  21. A July 2026 guide for anyone starting a goods transport business: there is no transport company licence, only a permit per... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Transport company in India 2026: permits and the GST choice CalcGuru
  22. A worked 2026 model of owning heavy trucks: a truck costs roughly Rs 38 to 46 lakh on the road, diesel is half of total cost,... calcguru.in Article · 15 min read Truck transport business in India 2026: the real numbers CalcGuru
  23. A July 2026 guide to the compliance side of an agency: no licence, GST at Rs 20 lakh, a TAN once you pay freelancers, an LUT... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Digital marketing agency in India 2026: registrations and tax CalcGuru
  24. Substack's own fee page: publishing is free at any size, and if you turn on paid subscriptions Substack keeps 10% of... support.substack.com Article · Help article How much does Substack cost? Substack

Show the next 24

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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