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. The free, open-source WordPress software you install on your own hosting, so you own the blog, the domain and the data. The... wordpress.org Tool · Download page Download WordPress WordPress.org
  2. Google's free blogging platform, hosted by Google and connected to AdSense as a host partner, the cheapest way to start writing... blogger.com Tool · Product page Blogger Google
  3. Google's own conditions for showing AdSense ads on a blog: your own original content that meets AdSense programme policies, and... support.google.com Article · Help article AdSense eligibility requirements Google AdSense Help
  4. A July 2026 guide to licensing a packaged water plant: the 1 April 2026 FSSAI slabs, packaged water's high-risk classification... blogs.seyecs.com Article · 12 min read FSSAI registration for packaged drinking water: 2026 guide Silvereye Certifications
  5. A July 2026 licence stack for a packaged water plant: FSSAI as a high-risk category, the CGWA groundwater NOC at any capacity,... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Mineral water plant in India 2026: licences and real cost CalcGuru
  6. The RBI's own FAQ on NBFCs, updated September 2026: no company may carry on NBFC business without a Certificate of Registration... rbi.org.in Article · FAQ (updated 15 September 2026) RBI FAQs on Non-Banking Financial Companies Reserve Bank of India
  7. The RBI's online portal for licence and registration applications, including an NBFC's Certificate of Registration. pravaah.rbi.org.in Tool · Official portal PRAVAAH: RBI's portal for applications and approvals Reserve Bank of India
  8. A July 2026 guide to becoming an NBFC: Rs 10 crore of net owned funds for a new lender, no RBI fee, PRAVAAH filing, a realistic... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read NBFC registration in India 2026: the Rs 10 crore truth CalcGuru
  9. A July 2026 guide to starting a travel agency: no licence is required, Ministry of Tourism recognition is voluntary and IATA... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Travel agency in India 2026: TCS and the GST choice CalcGuru
  10. IATA's page for agencies that want to issue tickets for participating airlines directly and settle through IATA, with three... iata.org Tool · Official page IATA Travel Agent Accreditation IATA
  11. An August 2026 guide to the restaurant licence stack: FSSAI on the new turnover slabs, a trade or health licence, fire... calcguru.in Article · 20 min read How to start a restaurant in India: licences, GST and tax CalcGuru
  12. A July 2026 guide showing a laundry is licence-light (trade licence, Shops and Establishment, a stamped scale for per-kg... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Laundry business in India 2026: licences and boilers CalcGuru
  13. An August 2026 guide to quarrying and crushing: a quarry lease under the MMDR Act and state minor mineral rules, environmental... calcguru.in Article · 15 min read Stone crusher in India 2026: three gates, not one CalcGuru
  14. The Environment Ministry's single-window portal for environmental, forest and wildlife clearances, where a quarry's... parivesh.nic.in Tool · Official portal PARIVESH: environmental clearances portal Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  15. A July 2026 guide to agarbatti manufacturing: no product licence, White or Green pollution category, 5% GST on agarbatti... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Agarbatti making business in India 2026: licences and GST CalcGuru
  16. An August 2026 guide to opening a hardware store: Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh to open on lender estimates, margins of 2 to 5% on... calcguru.in Article · 15 min read Hardware shop in India 2026: licences, margins and the BIS trap CalcGuru
  17. A July 2026 guide to corrugated boxes: boxes fell to 5% GST under GST 2.0 while kraft paper rose to 18%, making refunds of... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Corrugated box manufacturing in India 2026: licences and cost CalcGuru
  18. A September 2026 guide to plastic pouches and laminates: multilayer packaging is not banned, a converter is a Producer with EPR... calcguru.in Article · 15 min read Flexible packaging business in India 2026: EPR and approvals CalcGuru
  19. CPCB's portal for registration and annual filings under Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging, used by... eprplastic.cpcb.gov.in Tool · Official portal EPR portal for plastic packaging (CPCB) Central Pollution Control Board
  20. The regulator's own page on cosmetics: manufacture is licensed by State Licensing Authorities, every imported cosmetic must be... cdsco.gov.in Article · Official page CDSCO: cosmetics Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation
  21. IFRA's library of standards that restrict, limit or prohibit specific fragrance ingredients, the safety reference perfumers and... ifrafragrance.org Tool · Reference library IFRA Standards library International Fragrance Association
  22. The Ministry's 13 March 2026 letter to states noting that organising an event needs 10 to 15 clearances from separate agencies... mib.gov.in Article · Letter and annexure Model order for streamlining live event permissions (MIB, March 2026) Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
  23. A July 2026 guide to the events trade: the planner needs no licence but each event needs police, loudspeaker (10 pm line),... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Wedding planning business in India 2026: permissions, GST and TDS CalcGuru
  24. A July 2026 guide for photographers: no licence beyond Shops and Establishment and a trade licence, GST at Rs 20 lakh, why the... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Photography studio in India 2026: drones and copyright CalcGuru

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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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