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. Eventbrite's own fee page (US prices): no fees for free events, and paid tickets carry a 3.7% plus $1.79 service fee per ticket... eventbrite.com Tool Eventbrite organizer pricing Eventbrite
  2. District by Zomato's organiser page for listing an event in the app Indians use to find shows, concerts and comedy; the page... district.in Tool List your event on District District by Zomato
  3. Townscript's own site, which now says the Townscript and Townhall services are no longer operational, so older guides that... townscript.com Article Townscript notice of closure Townscript
  4. Podia's own plans for courses, downloads, coaching and community: Mover at $42 a month billed annually with 5% fees and up to... podia.com Tool Podia pricing Podia
  5. Unsplash's own licence: every image can be downloaded and used free for commercial and non-commercial purposes without... unsplash.com Article Unsplash License Unsplash
  6. Pexels' own licence: all photos and videos are free, attribution is not required and you may modify them, but identifiable... pexels.com Article Pexels License Pexels
  7. Pixabay's own licence summary: use and adapt content free without attributing the author, but not on a standalone basis for... pixabay.com Article Pixabay Content License summary Pixabay
  8. Creative Commons' own explanation of its six licences: CC BY lets anyone reuse work commercially with credit, while anything... creativecommons.org Article About CC Licenses Creative Commons
  9. Apple India's page for the iPhone 17: 4K 60 fps video in Dolby Vision, simultaneous front and rear video capture, and a front... apple.com Tool iPhone 17 Apple
  10. DJI's own page for the Osmo Pocket 4, the pocket gimbal camera that replaced the Pocket 3: a 1-inch sensor, 4K at up to 240fps,... dji.com Tool DJI Osmo Pocket 4 DJI
  11. Sony India's own store listing for the ZV-E10 II body, a vlogging mirrorless camera with an APS-C sensor and 4K 60p 10-bit... shopatsc.com Tool Sony ZV-E10 II (body) Sony India
  12. A 2026 hands-on test of webcams, iPhones and mirrorless cameras for a weekly video podcast, concluding that for most beginners... riverside.com Article Best Podcast Cameras (2026): 6 I Tested + 1 to Skip Stephen Robles, Riverside
  13. Apple's own support page for using an iPhone as the webcam on a Mac with Continuity Camera, with no extra app. support.apple.com Article Continuity Camera: use iPhone as a webcam for Mac Apple
  14. DJI's own store page for the DJI Mic 3 wireless clip-on microphone: one transmitter and receiver at USD $169, two transmitters... store.dji.com Tool DJI Mic 3 DJI
  15. Sony India's own store listing for the ECM-LV1, a wired stereo clip-on microphone for cameras, at an MRP of ₹2,090. shopatsc.com Tool Sony ECM-LV1 lavalier microphone Sony India
  16. Logitech G's India store for its Yeti USB microphones (Yeti, Yeti 2, Yeti Nano, Yeti GX), which plug into a laptop with no... logitechg.com Tool Logitech G microphones (India) Logitech G
  17. A guide from The Podcast Host, updated April 2026, comparing USB and XLR microphones by budget and explaining that an XLR mic... thepodcasthost.com Article The Best Podcast Microphones for All Abilities and Budgets The Podcast Host
  18. Upwork's own help article on what it takes from freelancers: a service fee of 0% to 15% per contract, with worked examples of... support.upwork.com Article Learn about the Freelancer Service Fee Upwork
  19. Fiverr's own help article on setting up a gig, the packaged, priced service buyers order: prices are set in US dollars and the... help.fiverr.com Article Creating a Gig Fiverr
  20. Freelancer.com's own fee schedule: 10% or $5, whichever is greater, on fixed-price projects and 10% on hourly projects, charged... freelancer.com Article Freelancer.com fees and charges Freelancer
  21. LinkedIn's marketplace where clients find providers in design, marketing, law, accounting and coaching; a provider gets a free... linkedin.com Tool LinkedIn Services Marketplace LinkedIn
  22. SEBI's press release of 30 August 2016 warning that electronic platforms raising money for companies from the public are... sebi.gov.in Article SEBI cautions investors (PR No. 137/2016) Securities and Exchange Board of India
  23. SEBI's 2014 consultation paper setting out crowdfunding models (donation, reward, debt, equity) and a possible framework for... sebi.gov.in Article · 66 pages Consultation Paper on Crowdfunding in India Securities and Exchange Board of India
  24. Kickstarter's own eligibility page: creators must meet the requirements of one of its listed countries, which do not include... help.kickstarter.com Article Who can use Kickstarter? Kickstarter

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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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