Startup Basics5 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Startup?
A realistic, itemized breakdown of what it actually costs to start a startup — incorporation, tools, the MVP, and the runway that matters most.
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Anna Martin · Sep 6, 2026
Startup Basics
First-principles guides for the earliest stage: validating ideas, choosing what to build, legal setup and the decisions that compound for years.
16 articles
Startup Basics7 min read
How to Start a Startup While Working Full-Time
Start a startup while working full-time without blowing up your finances or your job: the contract landmines, what to validate first, and when to quit.
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Kai Lindemann · Sep 3, 2026
Startup Basics5 min read
Why Startups Fail: The Top Reasons to Avoid
Why do startups fail? CB Insights data names a few repeat killers — no market need, running out of cash, the wrong team — and how to avoid each.
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Anna Martin · Aug 31, 2026
Startup Basics4 min read
Startup Business Models Explained for Founders
The most common startup business models — SaaS, marketplace, transactional, freemium and more — how each makes money, what it takes to work, and how to choose yours.
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Anna Martin · Aug 25, 2026
Startup Basics4 min read
How to Write a Lean Startup Business Plan
Why startups don't need a 40-page business plan, the lean one-page alternative that works, what each section should contain, and how to keep it alive.
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Anna Martin · Aug 22, 2026
Product & Growth3 min read
How to Name Your Startup (A Practical Guide)
How to name your startup: what makes a name work, a step-by-step process, the .com and trademark checks that matter, and why the name matters less than founders think.
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Anna Martin · Jul 29, 2026
Hiring & Team4 min read
How to Hire Your First Startup Employee
When to make your first startup hire, who to hire first, how to attract talent without a big salary, and the offer and onboarding that set an early team up to win.
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Anna Martin · Jul 8, 2026
Product & Growth4 min read
How to Get Your First 100 Customers
Where the first customers really come from, why unscalable tactics win early, and a channel-by-channel playbook for getting a startup's first 100 customers.
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Anna Martin · Jun 29, 2026
Product & Growth4 min read
How to Find Product-Market Fit (and Know It)
What product-market fit really means, the signals that prove you have it, how to measure it, and what to do before you have it — a practical founder's guide.
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Kai Lindemann · Jun 23, 2026
Equity & Legal4 min read
How to Incorporate a Startup (and Pick a Structure)
When to incorporate a startup, how to choose between an LLC and a C-corp, why investors expect Delaware C-corps, and the founder paperwork to get right early.
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Anna Martin · Jun 20, 2026
Product & Growth4 min read
How to Build an MVP Without Overbuilding
How to build an MVP that actually tests your idea: scoping the one thing to validate, choosing the lightest build, and the trap of shipping too much too soon.
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Anna Martin · Jun 17, 2026
Startup Basics3 min read
Validate Your Startup Idea in 30 Days (Before You Build)
A 30-day validation sprint for startup ideas: problem interviews, a smoke test, and pre-sales — with clear kill criteria so you build the right thing.
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Anna Martin · Jun 3, 2026