Practical guides on runway, burn, unit economics, dilution and investor updates, written for early-stage founders, India-first.
A profitable month can still hide a cash crunch. Here is how to think about a startup cash reserve, what to set aside, and the buffer that keeps you out of trouble.
ReadEquity is not the only way to fund growth. Here is how venture debt, revenue-based financing and grants work for Indian startups, and when each one makes sense.
ReadDiligence is where slow deals die. Here is exactly what investors ask for, the documents to have ready, and how to be diligence-ready before you start raising.
ReadSpraying 200 cold emails is not a strategy. Here is how Indian founders build a targeted investor list, earn warm intros, and run a raise that actually closes.
ReadFree cloud credits, discounted tools and startup programs can save an early-stage team lakhs a year. Here are the perks worth claiming, and how to qualify.
ReadHow employee stock options work for Indian startups — pool size, vesting, strike price, the taxation founders get wrong, and why ESOPs are worth the dilution.
ReadThe cofounder equity split is one of the earliest and most consequential decisions you will make. Here is how to think about it — and why vesting is non-negotiable.
ReadProfit and cash are not the same thing — and confusing them is how a "profitable" startup goes bankrupt. Here is the difference, and why founders should watch cash.
ReadMRR is a SaaS metric. If you sell products, not subscriptions, it quietly lies to you. Here is what transactional and D2C founders should track instead.
ReadGross margin decides how much each sale actually funds the rest of your business. Here are healthy benchmarks by model — SaaS, D2C, marketplace, services — and how to improve it.
ReadThe structure that turns a monthly update from a chore into your most reliable source of intros, hires and follow-on capital — with a copy-paste template.
ReadMRR and ARR are the headline metrics of any subscription business. Here is exactly what each means, how to calculate them, and the mistakes that inflate them.
ReadPre-money, post-money, ESOP, and exactly how much of your company you give up in a round — with a worked example every founder should run before signing.
ReadValuing a startup with little or no revenue is part art, part method. Here are the approaches investors actually use — and what really drives the number.
ReadThe LTV:CAC ratio every VC asks about — what counts as healthy, why CAC payback matters just as much, and the real levers to improve it.
ReadPre-seed, seed, Series A, B and C — what each stage means, what investors expect, how much founders typically raise and give up, and when you are ready for the next one.
ReadGross burn, net burn, and the burn multiple — what each one measures, which one VCs ask about, and how to read them without fooling yourself.
ReadSAFEs and convertible notes both let you raise before a priced round. Here is the difference, the terms that actually matter, and what Indian founders use instead.
ReadRunway is more than cash ÷ burn. Here is the formula founders actually need — including the GST credit and TDS receivable that Indian startups should count as cash.
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