We often get asked often about recommended resources to help make #startuplife a tad easier, so we keep this page updated with our go-to articles, books, videos, and podcasts.

See anything that should be added/removed? Hit us up at hello@startuprocket.com. Thanks!


To start, if you have not yet read Ycombinator's Startup Playbook, you should (~15min read).

Especially take note of this quote from the opening:

"One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we get from YC founders [re: startup life] is it’s harder than they could have ever imagined, because they didn’t have a framework for the sort of work and intensity a startup entails."

As for books, if you haven't read The Lean Startup and Zero to One, you should.

On the podcast front, check out StartUp, a16z, This Week in Startups, and this fantastic list of 20 startup podcasts on Product Hunt.

As for the below resources, we've outlined them within our recommended idea-to-funding operations framework for new founders.

Ideate

The Idea

(vision, problem to solve, product details, value & growth hypotheses, etc...)

Overview Statement

(boiling down vision, problem, and solution)

The Market

(competition, “why now”, addressable market)

Customer Personas

(segments / profiles / personas)

Validate

The Team

  • How to compose a co-founder team - landing a team that will join you is a critical validation step. Also, are you the CEO? What talent do you need? What makes a good co-founder?
  • Team and Execution - Relevant YC startup class video.
  • How to find a co-founder - notable advice from Guy Kawasaki on the topic.
  • What a CEO Does - "A CEO does only three things. Sets the overall vision and strategy of the company and communicates it to all stakeholders. Recruits, hires, and retains the very best talent for the company. Makes sure there is always enough cash in the bank."

Surveys & Interviews

Advisors

Experiments

Create

The Roadmap

Overview Story

Funnel Stages & KPIs

UI Spec

Tech Stack Decisions

Data Architecture

UX Flow Chart

Brand Foundations

Name

Logo

Financial Stuff

Legal Stuff

Style Tiles

Wireframes

Mockups

Prototype

Grow

Private Alpha & Coming Soon Page

We recommend that your "private alpha" just be on your staging server for your internal team and advisors to test. This can happen while you have a coming soon page up to let your friends (and potentially a ton of people) know about what you're going to launch.

Private & Public Beta

Product & Growth Iterations

Exploring Product-Market Fit

Fund

When/if to raise money

The Pitch

Closing Your First Round

Communicating with Investors