Top 11 resources we used & would recommend to every early stage startups.
1) How to get your first 1,000 users (for consumer startups) - http://surl.li/ltcnrw
2) How to get started with a consumer startup - http://surl.li/yifihg
3) How startups die from their addiction to paid marketing by Andrew Chen- http://surl.li/wrbiis
4) Must-have document templates for every startup: pitch deck, financial model, one-pager, and advisor agreement - http://surl.li/tgjdmv
5) 95 Ways to find your first customers for customer development or your first sale - http://surl.li/bvxpxz
6) Discounts and credits for startups - https://www.f6s.com/deals
7) Find your co-founder- https://lnkd.in/d8SRPSgn or https://www.antler.co/ or attend eChai Ventures meetups
8) How Superhuman engineered product-market fit - http://surl.li/jdqckj
9)Wharton's Entrepreneurship Specialization on Coursera - http://surl.li/lgfqvi
10) Y Combinator Startup School - http://surl.li/rghpgi
11) Check balance sheet, revenues & expenses of your competitors for free - https://lnkd.in/dxMgm_ad
12) Bonus - if you wish to hire pre-vetted interns or freshers for your early team, use Beep - https://lnkd.in/de7NKVRx
1) How to get your first 1,000 users (for consumer startups) - http://surl.li/ltcnrw
2) How to get started with a consumer startup - http://surl.li/yifihg
3) How startups die from their addiction to paid marketing by Andrew Chen- http://surl.li/wrbiis
4) Must-have document templates for every startup: pitch deck, financial model, one-pager, and advisor agreement - http://surl.li/tgjdmv
5) 95 Ways to find your first customers for customer development or your first sale - http://surl.li/bvxpxz
6) Discounts and credits for startups - https://www.f6s.com/deals
7) Find your co-founder- https://lnkd.in/d8SRPSgn or https://www.antler.co/ or attend eChai Ventures meetups
8) How Superhuman engineered product-market fit - http://surl.li/jdqckj
9)Wharton's Entrepreneurship Specialization on Coursera - http://surl.li/lgfqvi
10) Y Combinator Startup School - http://surl.li/rghpgi
11) Check balance sheet, revenues & expenses of your competitors for free - https://lnkd.in/dxMgm_ad
12) Bonus - if you wish to hire pre-vetted interns or freshers for your early team, use Beep - https://lnkd.in/de7NKVRx
Considering every startup confronts this question at some point, I was surprised by how little has been written about it. Particularly anything actionable. So I decided to do my own digging. I spent the past month personally reaching out to founders, scouring interviews, and tapping the Twitterverse. Below, you’ll find first-hand accounts of how essentially every major consumer app acquired their earliest users, including Tinder, Uber, Superhuman, TikTok, Product Hunt, Yelp, and over a dozen more. Enjoy!
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"For me, eChai is a second home. I've been associated with it since the early days, when it was already setting a different tone for how startup communities could work. As a traditional business owner entering the new-age D2C space, eChai supported me in every direction. Over the years, it became my window to the startup world — and also gave me lifelong friends who continue to show up, for business and beyond."
Pankaj Bhimani
Founder, 58miles
"From late-night brainstorming over chai to early morning founder calls, eChai has been more than just a network for me; it’s been home base for ideas, impact, and inspiration. What started as a simple meetup years ago turned into a powerful movement, connecting founders, creators, and dreamers. I’ve had the privilege of seeing startups find product-market fit, marketers (like me) find unexpected collaborations, and most importantly, people finding their tribe. संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं – Let us move together, speak together. It’s not just a verse from the Rigveda — it’s how Jatin and the entire eChai community truly operate. We don’t just network, we grow together. Forever grateful to be a part of the eChai Effect.
Jaydip Parikh
Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
"I have evolved from role of Community Builder to Startup Consultant to Startup Ecosystem Enabler to Angel Investor and now launching a Venture Studio and eChai has been a catalyst in my overall journey as Startup Evangelist since 13 years."
Mehul Shah
Co-Founder at Counselvise & Ivy Growth
eChai Partner Brands
eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner - working together to explore new ideas, open doors, and build momentum across the startup ecosystem.
