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 scheme document for CGTMSE's guarantee on collateral-free loans to micro and small enterprises by banks and other member... cgtmse.in Article · Scheme document (PDF) CGTMSE Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS-I): scheme document CGTMSE
The official portal of the Stand-Up India scheme, which facilitates bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore for women and... standupmitra.in Tool · Portal Stand-Up India (Stand-Up Mitra portal) SIDBI
The official page for CGSS, which guarantees loans, venture debt and working capital given to DPIIT-recognised startups by... startupindia.gov.in Article · Scheme page Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) Startup India
Works CTC down to in-hand pay before and after the Labour Codes for several CTC levels, showing basic moving to 50% of CTC, PF... upstox.com Article · ~8 min read In-hand salary calculation: how much you take home on Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh CTC under the new rules Upstox
A current table of the new and old regime slabs for FY 2026-27: under the new regime no tax is payable on income up to Rs 12... bankbazaar.com Article · ~10 min read Income tax slabs and rates for FY 2026-27 (AY 2027-28) BankBazaar
The Income Tax Department's own calculator for working out tax under the old and new regimes for a given income, which is how... incometax.gov.in Tool · Calculator Income tax calculator Income Tax Department
Inc42's read of the July to September 2026 quarter in India: $2.2 billion raised, fewer deals and fewer active investors, with... inc42.com Article · ~6 min read Startup funding crawls up 5% YoY to $2.2 Bn in Q3 2026 as investors get picky Inc42
The US venture industry's standard financing documents, including the model term sheet, which is the reference for what 'market... nvca.org Template · Templates NVCA Model Legal Documents National Venture Capital Association
The programme's own page: funding from QDB for tech startups setting up or expanding in Qatar, up to $1.1 million on START... startupqatar.qa Article · Programme page Startup Qatar Investment Program Invest Qatar and Qatar Development Bank
Answers who can apply (international founders included), how the investment, grant and incentive programmes differ, and how... startupqatar.qa Article · FAQ page Startup Qatar: FAQ Invest Qatar
Invest Qatar's single directory of Qatar's startup funding, grants and incentives, including QDB's equity programmes, Alchemist... startupqatar.qa Tool · Directory Startup Qatar: funding, incentives and programmes Invest Qatar
Startup Qatar's long-term, self-sponsored residency for founders and senior executives, granted with an endorsement from a... startupqatar.qa Article · Programme page Startup Qatar Residency Program Invest Qatar
The official ESIC site for employer registration and monthly contributions, covering employees earning up to Rs 21,000 a month... esic.gov.in Tool · Portal ESIC (Employees' State Insurance Corporation) ESIC
TechCrunch's competition at Disrupt: 200 companies selected to show, one winning a $100K equity-free prize, with press and... techcrunch.com Tool · Competition TechCrunch Startup Battlefield TechCrunch
The largest student startup competition, run through campuses worldwide, with $1 million in seed funding for the winning team. hultprize.org Tool · Competition Hult Prize Hult Prize Foundation
MIT Solve runs open global challenges for startups solving social problems; it has run over 110 challenges and mobilised over... solve.mit.edu Tool · Challenges MIT Solve MIT
DPIIT's national awards for startups and ecosystem enablers by sector, with past winners and the report on each edition. startupindia.gov.in Tool · Awards programme National Startup Awards DPIIT, Startup India
The SBA's own statement that it does not provide grants for starting and expanding a business, and where federal grant money... sba.gov Article · Guide page Grants (U.S. Small Business Administration) U.S. Small Business Administration
The official portal for the SBIR and STTR programmes, which award non-dilutive federal funding to small businesses developing... sbir.gov Tool · Portal SBIR and STTR: America's Seed Fund U.S. Small Business Administration
The National Science Foundation's SBIR/STTR programme for deep-tech startups: up to $2 million in seed funding and zero equity,... seedfund.nsf.gov Tool · Programme page NSF SBIR/STTR (America's Seed Fund at NSF) National Science Foundation
A law firm's summary of the April 2026 reauthorization: the programmes lapsed for six months, were restored on 13 April 2026,... crowell.com Article · ~6 min read SBIR/STTR programs reauthorized after six-month lapse Crowell and Moring
The single federal site to search and apply for every federal grant opportunity; most opportunities are for organisations and... grants.gov Tool · Portal Grants.gov U.S. Government
The federal government's guide to how grants and loans work, including a warning about 'free money from the government' scams... usa.gov Article · Guide page Government grants and loans (USA.gov) USA.gov
IIM Ahmedabad's incubator and early-stage investor, formerly IIMA-CIIE (renamed IIMA Ventures in 2024), recognised as a Centre... iimaventures.com Tool · Organisation page IIMA Ventures IIM Ahmedabad

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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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