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. Zoho, an Indian company, hosts business email on your domain. The page lists the Forever Free plan: one domain, up to 5 users,... zoho.com Tool Zoho Mail pricing (India) Zoho In 2 answers
  2. A free generator that makes logo options from your business name and style, useful for seeing many directions in a few minutes. shopify.com Tool Shopify free AI logo maker Shopify In 2 answers
  3. HDFC Bank's current account for startups, with the fees on the page: an average quarterly balance of Rs 50,000 waived for the... hdfc.bank.in Tool · Product page StartUp Current Account (HDFC Bank) HDFC Bank In 2 answers
  4. IDFC FIRST Bank's startup account: no minimum balance until 3 years from account opening, free IMPS, NEFT and RTGS, for a Pvt... idfcfirst.bank.in Tool · Product page Startup Current Account (IDFC FIRST Bank) IDFC FIRST Bank In 2 answers
  5. ICICI Bank's own checklist of what to bring for each kind of business: an individual, a sole proprietorship, a partnership, an... icici.bank.in Article · Checklist Documents required for a current account (ICICI Bank) ICICI Bank In 2 answers
  6. The RBI rule every bank follows when it opens a business account: the documents for a proprietary firm, a company, an LLP and a... rbi.org.in Article · Regulation (updated August 2025) Master Direction: Know Your Customer (KYC) Direction, 2016 Reserve Bank of India In 2 answers
  7. A side-by-side table of the memorandum and the articles under the Companies Act 2013, with the six clauses of the MOA and what... razorpay.com Article · Article Difference between MOA and AOA Razorpay Rize In 2 answers
  8. A founder-focused guide to authorised capital under Section 2(8) and how to raise it before a funding round: the resolution... treelife.in Article · Guide Increase Authorised Share Capital: Process, Form SH-7 and Stamp Duty Treelife In 2 answers
  9. The difference between the two capitals in plain words, and the point most founders miss: registration fees and stamp duty are... razorpay.com Article · Article Authorised vs Paid-Up Capital: Guide to Company Registration Razorpay Rize In 2 answers
  10. The e-stamping service many Indian states use to pay stamp duty on agreements such as NDAs online. shcilestamp.com Tool · Government-authorised portal SHCIL e-Stamping Stock Holding Corporation of India In 2 answers
  11. A CPA's step-by-step tutorial on fixed and variable expenses, contribution margin, and the break-even point in units and in sales. accountingcoach.com Article · Tutorial Break-even Point (explanation) AccountingCoach In 2 answers
  12. Google's own steps for creating a profile at business.google.com/add or claiming one that already shows on Maps. It confirms... support.google.com Article · Help page Add or claim your Business Profile (Google Business Profile Help) Google In 2 answers
  13. The official page on verification: phone or text, email, live video call, video recording or postcard, with Google choosing... support.google.com Article · Help page Verify your business on Google (Google Business Profile Help) Google In 2 answers
  14. The rules every Business Profile must follow on name, address, category and hours. Breaking them is the commonest reason... support.google.com Article · Help page Guidelines for representing your business on Google Google In 2 answers
  15. The policy Google judges reviews against: fake engagement, conflicts of interest such as competitors or former staff, off-topic... support.google.com Article · Policy page Prohibited and restricted content (Maps user-generated content policy) Google In 2 answers
  16. BrightLocal's annual survey of how consumers read local reviews. The 2026 edition finds 97% read reviews, 74% only care about... brightlocal.com Article · Research report Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 BrightLocal In 2 answers
  17. The long-running survey of local SEO experts on what ranks a business in Google's map pack. The 2026 top factors are primary... whitespark.ca Article · Research report Local Search Ranking Factors 2026 Whitespark In 2 answers
  18. A current walkthrough of local SEO beyond the profile: consistent name, address and phone across listings, local pages on your... backlinko.com Article · Guide Local SEO: The Definitive Guide for 2026 Backlinko In 2 answers
  19. YouTube's own page on joining the Partner Programme: 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million... support.google.com Article · Help page YouTube Partner Programme overview and eligibility YouTube In 2 answers
  20. The full list of ways to earn inside the Partner Program, ads, Shopping, Premium revenue, memberships, Super Chat and Super... support.google.com Article · Help page How to earn money on YouTube YouTube In 2 answers
  21. The policies a channel must meet to earn. Since July 2025 the repetitious content rule is called inauthentic content and covers... support.google.com Article · Policy page YouTube channel monetization policies YouTube In 2 answers
  22. Why a creator in India must submit US tax information in AdSense: without it Google may deduct up to 24% of total worldwide... support.google.com Article · Help page U.S. tax requirements for YouTube earnings YouTube In 2 answers
  23. YouTube's page on tagging other brands' products in videos and earning commission. India is one of the eligible countries, and... support.google.com Article · Help page YouTube Shopping affiliate program overview and eligibility YouTube In 2 answers
  24. Google's three-step setup for measuring leads and sales from your website with the Google tag, which bidding and reporting... support.google.com Article · Help page Set up your web conversions (Google Ads Help) Google In 2 answers

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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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