Task 01 · Book / courseFree
Startup School
A free course for turning a rough idea into something people want. You can start before you feel ready.
startupschool.org
Staff directory · est. the day you start
You don’t need a team. You are the team.
CEO, engineer, marketer, accountant, and the person who remembers to eat lunch. Every seat is filled — by you. Here are the free resources that help each of you do the job.
Hand-picked. Free to explore. Zero meetings.
HELLOmy name is
YouEngineering
HELLOmy name is
YouMarketing
HELLOmy name is
YouHead of Snacks
HELLOmy name is
YouFounder & CEO
01 / Onboarding packet
Your first week.
No rabbit holes, no 40-page handbook. Just the things we’d hand a friend on their first day at their own company.
Task 02 · WebsiteFree
Y Combinator Library
Clear, practical advice on the questions every new builder runs into. Pick the problem you have today.
ycombinator.com
Task 03 · NewsletterFree
One Useful Thing
Ethan Mollick makes AI feel less mysterious and more useful. A thoughtful starting point for working alongside it.
oneusefulthing.org
Task 04 · ToolFree tier
Claude
A thinking partner for untangling an idea, drafting a page or working through code. Start with the free plan and a specific question.
claude.ai
Task 05 · Book / courseFree
freeCodeCamp
Learn by making real things, at your own pace. A generous free path from your first webpage to more ambitious projects.
freecodecamp.org
Task 06 · WebsiteFree
Marketing Examples
Real examples of good copy and clever distribution, with the useful bits explained. Bring one idea back to your own project.
marketingexamples.com
Task 07 · CommunityFree
Indie Hackers
Meet people building independent businesses and sharing what actually happened. Read the stories, then join the conversation if it helps.
indiehackers.com
That’s it.
Seriously. Pick one, start today, and come back for the rest when you hit the wall it’s for.
02 / The org chart
Eight departments. One employee.
From “what if” to “it’s out there.” Jump to whichever version of you is clocking in today.
YouFounder · reports to nobody
Dept 01Getting started
Founder, day one
Held by you
You don’t need all the answers. Just a good place to begin.
Reports to: your curiosity.
See all 3Book / courseFree
Startup School
A free course for turning a rough idea into something people want. You can start before you feel ready.
startupschool.org
WebsiteFree
Y Combinator Library
Clear, practical advice on the questions every new builder runs into. Pick the problem you have today.
ycombinator.com
NewsletterFree
One Useful Thing
Ethan Mollick makes AI feel less mysterious and more useful. A thoughtful starting point for working alongside it.
oneusefulthing.org
Dept 02Finding ideas
Head of Ideas
Held by you
Notice the problems around you. There might be something in that.
Office hours: mostly in the shower.
See all 3WebsiteFree
Paul Graham’s essays
Thoughtful prompts for spotting real problems and thinking independently. Start with “How to Get Startup Ideas.”
paulgraham.com
PodcastFree
Lenny’s Podcast
Conversations with people who have built and grown useful products. The podcast is free, even though the newsletter has a paid tier.
lennyspodcast.com
WebsiteFree
The Lab
Small, open experiments that show what builders are trying right now. Browse for a spark, not a finished business plan.
scalpels.app
Dept 03Building
Chief Technology Officer
Held by you
Turn the thing in your head into something you can try.
On call: whoever’s awake. (You.)
See all 6ToolFree tier
Claude
A thinking partner for untangling an idea, drafting a page or working through code. Start with the free plan and a specific question.
claude.ai
Book / courseFree
freeCodeCamp
Learn by making real things, at your own pace. A generous free path from your first webpage to more ambitious projects.
freecodecamp.org
ToolFree tier
Figma
Sketch the idea before you build it. The free starter plan is enough to explore a first screen or share a prototype.
figma.com
Dept 04Marketing & distribution
Chief Marketing Officer
Held by you
Make something useful. Help the right people find it.
Audience so far: your mum. It’s a start.
See all 3WebsiteFree
Marketing Examples
Real examples of good copy and clever distribution, with the useful bits explained. Bring one idea back to your own project.
marketingexamples.com
Book / courseFree
Ahrefs Academy
Free lessons on helping people find your work through search. The courses are free; the company’s research tools are paid.
ahrefs.com
WebsiteFree
Really Good Emails
An inspiration shelf for writing clearer, more useful emails. Browse the examples without buying anything.
reallygoodemails.com
Dept 05Pricing & sales
Head of Sales
Held by you
Get comfortable talking about value, and asking for the sale.
Quota: one customer. Then two.
See all 3YouTubeFree
MicroConf
Practical talks about selling and running small software businesses. Lots of hard-earned lessons without the conference ticket.
youtube.com
PodcastFree
Startups for the Rest of Us
Honest conversations about pricing, customers and sustainable small businesses. Particularly good company for solo builders.
startupsfortherestofus.com
Book / courseFree
HubSpot Academy
Free courses that make selling feel more like helping. Start with the basics of understanding a customer’s problem.
academy.hubspot.com
Dept 06Money/legal/admin
CFO, General Counsel & Office Manager
Held by you
The practical bits that let you get back to the interesting bits.
Also in charge of ordering printer paper.
See all 3WebsiteFree
SBA Business Guide
A plain-language checklist for the unglamorous parts of starting a business. US-specific rules, so check your local equivalents.
sba.gov
WebsiteFree
Stripe Atlas guides
Useful reading on running an internet business, from a first invoice to company basics. The guides are free, not legal advice.
stripe.com
WebsiteFree
Choose a License
A straightforward guide to sharing code with clear permissions. Helps you understand the tradeoffs before picking a license.
choosealicense.com
Dept 07Staying sane
Chief Wellbeing Officer
Held by you
Build a thing. Keep a life. You’re in this for the long run.
Company policy: logging off is mandatory.
See all 3WebsiteFree
Zen Habits
A calmer voice on focus, habits and doing less. A useful counterweight to the pressure to do everything at once.
zenhabits.net
PodcastFree
Artisan Beer
Peter and Ed talk candidly about building software with AI and keeping things running. A reminder that everyone is figuring some of it out.
artisan.beer
NewsletterFree
Ness Labs
Thoughtful, practical writing on curiosity, learning and mindful work. The articles and newsletter are free; membership is optional.
nesslabs.com
Dept 08Communities
Head of Partnerships
Held by you
Doing it yourself doesn’t have to mean doing it alone.
Where your actual coworkers hang out.
See all 3CommunityFree
Indie Hackers
Meet people building independent businesses and sharing what actually happened. Read the stories, then join the conversation if it helps.
indiehackers.com
CommunityFree
DEV Community
A welcoming place to read, learn and talk about making software. There’s room for your first question as well as your next deep dive.
dev.to
CommunityFree
Hacker News
A busy window into what technical builders are making and thinking about. “Show HN” is a good place to explore small launches.
news.ycombinator.com
03 / Job posting
Someone started your favourite thing. Why not you?
You don’t have to know everything. You just have to show up for your first shift and take the next small step.
Clock inNow hiringUrgent
- Role
- Everything
- Team
- You, plus a little AI
- Requirements
- Curiosity. That’s the list.
- Benefits
- Every resource on this page, free
- Start
- Today works