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. A second summary of the 2024 charging guidelines from the power sector's trade journal, useful for the connection timelines and... powerline.net.in Article · Article Ministry of Power releases guidelines for EV charging infrastructure 2024 Power Line
  2. The government's May 2026 update on charging subsidies: PM E-DRIVE has Rs 10,900 crore in all, with Rs 2,000 crore earmarked... heavyindustries.gov.in Article · Press release PDF National conference on EV charging infrastructure under PM E-DRIVE (May 2026) Ministry of Heavy Industries
  3. The Ministry of Heavy Industries' portal for the PM E-DRIVE scheme, which funds EV demand incentives and public charging stations. heavyindustries.gov.in Tool · Official portal PM E-DRIVE scheme portal Ministry of Heavy Industries
  4. The Ministry of Tourism's voluntary star classification scheme, with the full list of licences an operating hotel must show:... nidhi.tourism.gov.in Article · PDF guidelines Hotel and resort star classification guidelines Ministry of Tourism
  5. The business lesson of NIOS's vocational course in mushroom production: where loans and subsidy come from (the National... nios.ac.in Course · Course lesson PDF Entrepreneurial skills and economics for a small mushroom enterprise (NIOS) National Institute of Open Schooling
  6. The RBI's 2012 guidelines that let non-bank companies, authorised by the RBI, set up and run ATMs. Only these white label... rbi.org.in Article · Regulation White Label ATMs in India: guidelines (RBI) Reserve Bank of India
  7. An authorised white label ATM operator's own site, with its franchise partner and rent-your-space programmes, and a standing... india1payments.in Article · Company site India1 Payments (white label ATM operator) India1 Payments
  8. Report of the interchange increase from 1 May 2025: Rs 19 per cash withdrawal (previously Rs 17) and Rs 7 per non-financial... business-standard.com Article · News RBI hikes ATM withdrawal fees; higher charges from May 1 Business Standard
  9. A December 2025 analysis of why ATMs are a squeezed business even after the hike to Rs 19: smaller notes and recyclers have... business-standard.com Article · Analysis The ATM interchange conundrum: how to make the channel viable again Business Standard
  10. NDDB's guidance on feeding dairy animals, including ration balancing, bypass protein and quality-marked cattle feed, which... nddb.coop Article · Official page Animal nutrition (NDDB) National Dairy Development Board
  11. A scheme run through NDDB for larger dairy entrepreneurs: 50% capital subsidy limited to Rs 2 crore for sheds, equipment and... nddb.coop Article · Scheme page Establishment of breed multiplication farms (NDDB) National Dairy Development Board
  12. The online application for the government's fund that gives interest subvention on loans for dairy processing and... ahidf.udyamimitra.in Tool · Official portal Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
  13. India's largest B2B listing marketplace, with free registration for suppliers, where wholesalers and manufacturers get buyer... indiamart.com Tool · Seller portal Sell on IndiaMART IndiaMART
  14. SUGAM, the drug regulator's e-governance system for applications to CDSCO, which also links to the national drug licensing... cdscoonline.gov.in Tool · Official portal CDSCO online licensing (SUGAM and ONDLS) CDSCO
  15. December 2025 report that the revised Schedule M good manufacturing practice deadline for MSME drug makers (turnover of Rs 250... business-standard.com Article · News Health ministry unlikely to extend Schedule M GMP deadline for MSME pharma Business Standard
  16. The January 2025 report of the one-year extension for drug makers under Rs 250 crore turnover, and the conditions attached: a... medicaldialogues.in Article · News Health Ministry grants additional one year relief to MSME pharma companies to upgrade facilities under Schedule M Medical Dialogues
  17. The government investment agency's overview of India's textile sector and its schemes: PM MITRA parks (Rs 4,445 crore for seven... investindia.gov.in Article · Sector page Textiles and apparel sector (Invest India) Invest India
  18. The statutory body under the Architects Act 1972, which restricts the title 'architect' to people registered with it and acts... coa.gov.in Article · Official site Council of Architecture Council of Architecture
  19. India's professional body for interior designers, with chapters across cities, events and membership that clients and builders... iiid.in Article · Official site Indian Institute of Interior Designers (IIID) IIID
  20. PPL India's licence for playing recorded music in a business, with tariffs that list gymnasiums among the venue types, so a gym... pplindia.org Tool · Tariff page PPL India music licence tariffs Phonographic Performance Limited
  21. The NHB's public list of plant nurseries rated under its Nursery Rating System, which shows what a recognised nursery looks... nhb.gov.in Tool · Official list Find a star nursery (NHB nursery rating) National Horticulture Board
  22. A law firm's summary of the January 2023 'Endorsement Know-hows' for influencers, issued under the Consumer Protection Act 2019... ksandk.com Article · Article Endorsement Know-hows: guidelines released by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs King Stubb & Kasiva
  23. The government knowledge portal's plain explanation of the disclosure rules for creators and influencers on social media. vikaspedia.in Article · Explainer Endorsements know-hows (Vikaspedia) Vikaspedia
  24. The authority under the Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act 2007 that registers warehouses so they can issue... wdra.gov.in Tool · Official site Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) WDRA

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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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