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.

The government's Rs 1 lakh crore financing facility for post-harvest infrastructure such as warehouses and cold stores, with 3%... agriinfra.dac.gov.in Tool · Official portal Agriculture Infrastructure Fund Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Microsoft's own gallery of free invoice templates (sales, service, freelance and simple business invoices) that calculate... microsoft.com Template · Template gallery Free invoice templates in Excel Microsoft
A plain guide to what a GST invoice must contain (invoice number and date, both GSTINs, place of supply, HSN or SAC code,... cleartax.in Article · ~15 min read GST Invoice: Format, Rules, Types and Mandatory Details ClearTax
DPIIT's own screen-by-screen guide to applying for startup recognition on the National Single Window System: sign up, set up... startupindia.gov.in Article · PDF guide Startup DPIIT Recognition Application on NSWS: A Guide Startup India (DPIIT)
The official FAQ on recognition, including that the certificate of recognition is typically issued within 2 working days of a... startupindia.gov.in Article · FAQ Startup India FAQs Startup India (DPIIT)
The single window where DPIIT startup recognition and many central and state business approvals are applied for. PAN... nsws.gov.in Tool · Government portal National Single Window System (NSWS) Invest India / DPIIT
Atlassian's guide to building a product roadmap: weigh ideas against customer feedback, company goals and effort, size the... atlassian.com Article · ~10 min read Product Roadmap Guide: What It Is and How to Create One Atlassian
Jira's plans: Free for up to 10 users, Standard at about $8.48 per user a month and Premium at about $15.56. Jira's timeline... atlassian.com Tool · Pricing page Jira pricing Atlassian
Karnataka's professional tax portal, with Employer Login for deducting PT from salaries, Enrolment for a business's own PT, new... ptax.karnataka.gov.in Tool · Government portal Karnataka Professional Tax portal (e-Prerana) Commercial Taxes Department, Government of Karnataka
Maharashtra's tax portal, where employers apply for the PTRC to deduct profession tax from staff and the PTEC for the entity's... mahagst.gov.in Tool · Government portal MahaGST portal (Maharashtra Profession Tax) Maharashtra Goods and Services Tax Department
In Ahmedabad, professional tax is paid to the municipal corporation; its portal carries professional tax payment, dues and... ahmedabadcity.gov.in Tool · Government portal Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation: professional tax payment Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
The constitutional provision that lets states levy professional tax and caps it at ₹2,500 per person a year, which is why every... constitutionofindia.net Article · Short read Article 276: Taxes on professions, trades, callings and employments Constitution of India
A 2026 state-by-state guide: Maharashtra's PTRC and PTEC on MahaGST and its slabs, Karnataka's ₹25,000 a month exemption from... bajajfinserv.in Article · ~10 min read Professional Tax Login: State-Wise Portal Steps for Employers (2026) Bajaj Finserv
Explains the two registrations (PTEC for the company's own tax, PTRC to deduct from employees), the documents to keep ready and... myndsolution.com Article · ~8 min read The Complete Guide to Professional Tax Registration for Employers MYND Integrated Solutions
EPFO's page on Shram Suvidha, the single portal for online registration and returns under labour laws, which assigns each... epfo.gov.in Article · Short read EPFO and the Shram Suvidha Portal EPFO
The Ministry of Labour's unified portal where an establishment registers under labour laws and files returns. shramsuvidha.gov.in Tool · Government portal Shram Suvidha: Unified Portal for Labour and Employment Ministry of Labour and Employment
EPFO's FAQ, including that an establishment with fewer than 20 employees can join EPF voluntarily if the employer and a... epfo.gov.in Article · FAQ EPFO FAQs EPFO
A service page that explains when PF registration becomes compulsory (20 or more employees, within 30 days of reaching the... indiafilings.com Article · ~10 min read PF Registration Online: EPF Registration for Employers IndiaFilings
Report of Eximius Ventures' March 2026 study with 1Lattice, which found pre-seed has grown nearly 3X since 2020 and was the... tribuneindia.com Article · ~4 min read Eximius Ventures launches India's Pre-seed Startup Landscape 2026 The Tribune / ANI
A 2026 guide that separates the free seller registration from the costs that come later (certifications, testing, documents and... tender18.com Article · ~10 min read GeM Registration Fees, Charges and Documents Required in 2026 Tender18
Keka's guide, updated August 2026, to what an Indian offer letter covers (role, location, CTC break-up, benefits, probation,... keka.com Template · ~16 min read Offer Letter Format: Elements and Free Sample Templates Keka HR
Six offer letter samples (standard, executive, internship, remote and more) and a note that an Indian offer letter should be in... razorpay.com Template · ~11 min read 6 Job Offer Letter Templates and Sample Formats RazorpayX
The current contribution rates: 3.25% of wages from the employer and 0.75% from the employee, with employees on a daily average... esic.gov.in Article · Short read ESIC Contribution ESIC
ESIC's step-by-step help file with screenshots: registration is fully online and real-time, generates the code number on... esic.gov.in Article · PDF guide ESIC Employer Registration Help File ESIC

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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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