Startup
building from
zero to one
honest writing on the hard parts of starting up — co-founders, product, hiring, and finding your footing.
Featured Series
The Startup Building Series
11-part guide from idea to funding — read in order or jump in anywhere.
How to Pick a Startup Idea (That's Actually Worth Building)
Finding and Choosing a Co-founder: The Decision That Shapes Everything
How to Build an MVP That Actually Tests What You Think It Tests
Your First GTM Plan: How to Get to Your First Paying Customers
How to Acquire Your First 100 Customers
Product Roadmap for Early-Stage Startups: What to Build and When
Market Positioning: How to Own a Category Before You're Ready to Own It
The Metrics That Actually Matter: Retention, PMF Signals, and Monetisation
Product-Market Fit: What It Actually Feels Like — and How to Find It
Fundraising for First-Time Founders: The Complete, Honest Guide
How to Name Your Startup: A Founder's Guide to Brand and Identity
Field Notes
Co-founder Breakups: The Legal Playbook No One Shares
Co-founder splits happen in 65% of startups. The legal and emotional damage is almost always preventable — if you set things up right on day one.
The Quiet Period: What Founders Get Wrong After Closing a Round
The 90 days after a fundraise close is when most of the compounding mistakes happen. Here's the operational trap that takes down good startups.
Board Meeting Theater: What VCs Actually Want From Your Updates
Most founder board updates are performance, not information. Here's what a good board meeting actually looks like — and how to run one.
The Anti-Portfolio: Why What You Don't Build Is Your Actual Strategy
The most important strategic decisions in a startup's early life are about subtraction, not addition. Here's how to build a no-list that compounds.
Hiring Your First 10: The Invisible Culture You're Already Writing
Your first 10 employees don't just execute your vision — they become the template for everyone who comes after. Here's the culture debt most founders don't realize they're taking on.
The Co-founder Agreement: Everything You Need to Cover Before You Build
Most co-founding teams skip the agreement or sign a generic template they don't understand. Here's everything that actually needs to be in a co-founder agreement — and why.
How to Incorporate Your Startup in India: Entity Types, Costs, and Common Mistakes
Choosing the wrong entity type or delaying incorporation creates expensive problems down the line. Here's how to think about startup legal structure in India — and what to do first.
ESOPs for Startups: How to Structure, Grant, and Use Equity to Retain Talent
Employee stock options are your most powerful hiring and retention tool — but only if you use them correctly. Here's the complete framework for ESOPs at Indian startups.
Startup Finance for Founders: Burn Rate, Runway, and Your Financial Model
You don't need an MBA to run your company's finances. But you do need to understand burn rate, runway, unit economics, and how to build a financial model that actually helps you make decisions.
Building Your Founding Team: The First 5 Hires That Define Your Company
Your first five hires will shape your culture, your execution speed, and your ability to raise your next round. Here's how to recruit for the founding team — and the mistakes that haunt founders for years.