I made the ultimate list for your startup 0 → validation journey

I’m a startup mentor who helps technical founders make millions. This is my ultimate DIY bootstrap roadmap—startup 0 → validation journey—to help you build smart, move fast, and avoid burnout.

startup 0 → validation journey - Start here

• Paul Graham’s essays: https://www.paulgraham.com/articles.html

• Sam Altman’s blog: https://blog.samaltman.com/

• Y Combinator Startup School: https://www.startupschool.org/

• OpenAI for Startups: https://openai.com/startups/

💡 Idea (find problems worth solving)

• How to come up with startup ideas by Paul Graham: https://lnkd.in/eBEnVVXe

• How to get and evaluate startup ideas by YC: https://lnkd.in/egifk_i4

• How to come up with startup ideas by Founder Institute: https://lnkd.in/e5mSbwCF

• ‘Somebody Make This’ subreddit: https://lnkd.in/emdnsm_E

• YC requests for startups: https://lnkd.in/efxBmHj5

• Test your startup idea: https://lnkd.in/eygTFPKu

• The first principles method explained by Elon Musk: https://lnkd.in/ey2aAisd

• Idea validation tactics from Linear, Mercury and more: https://lnkd.in/eYd2WUQg

🏗️ Building MVP

• How to build an MVP: https://lnkd.in/eh2dGrzp

• Vibe Coding guide (Claude Code and Codex): https://lnkd.in/e2Nugbaa

• Lovable best practices: https://lnkd.in/etPG5uYB

• Prompt Engineering guide: https://lnkd.in/e8R-8U4f

• Collection of best UX practices: https://lawsofux.com/

• SaaS startup CTO checklist: https://lnkd.in/eJpXJmEF

• The best landing page builders on the market today: https://lnkd.in/egATS-ze

• Collection of free design tools and resources: https://lnkd.in/e5f3fbss

• Platform for product analytics, experiments & surveys: https://posthog.com/

• AI stack to build a startup: https://lnkd.in/egGCwBrs

• Framework for product success from Sequoia: https://lnkd.in/eUmdVUJy

• Superhuman’s framework to find Product Market Fit: https://lnkd.in/eCXQqa8k

• Value props: create a product people will actually buy: https://lnkd.in/eDEgX-hr

• Guide to building MicroSaaS businesses: https://lnkd.in/e4sxVQu3

• Website builder for startups: https://unicornplatform.com/

• MUI: react UI tools: https://mui.com/

• UX research & design testing platform: https://www.optimalworkshop.com/

• User feedback tool: https://www.featurebase.app/

💰 Fundraising

• How to raise money by Paul Graham: https://paulgraham.com/fr.html

• How to convince investors by Paul Graham: https://paulgraham.com/convince.html

• How to raise your first round of funding by FI: https://lnkd.in/eH4mzD86

• A guide to Seed fundraising from YC: https://lnkd.in/enkJQTaq

• Ultimate YC application guide: https://lnkd.in/ese8Pfhr

• 40 startup accelerators for early-stage founders: https://lnkd.in/exARwYV8

• 50 pitch decks from startups that raised $380M+: https://lnkd.in/er6QKUcp

• Investor update template by 500 Global: https://lnkd.in/ey2_qKXT

• Guide to cap table for founders: https://lnkd.in/e2zNMPjV

• Find investors to raise capital: https://lnkd.in/eqykRRuA

• One minute pitch to make investors say ‘yes’: https://lnkd.in/e6PAi5aH

• Interactive Index Ventures OptionPlan: https://lnkd.in/ef_5enkt

• Understanding SAFEs and priced equity rounds: https://lnkd.in/eRRJ_QQ2

• All the metrics that matter to investors: https://lnkd.in/ehz9XhGH

• Templates: financial model, pitch deck, one-pager: https://lnkd.in/eWm-b3zF

📈 Marketing & Growth

• Growth for startups by YC: https://lnkd.in/ewUGzuYq

• How to get your first customers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyYCn_kAngI

• How to build your GTM strategy from scratch: https://lnkd.in/etMySwgF

• GTM Actions (12 proven ways from unicorn companies): https://lnkd.in/euduphcc

• How to rank high on AI engines: https://lnkd.in/ePUPxBtU

• How to get ChatGPT to recommend your product: https://lnkd.in/eKFigmhw

• Strategy I used to grow my app to $6M ARR: https://lnkd.in/eu-3aFZX

• Lazy SEO guide for startup founders: https://lnkd.in/eYPKZrrZ

• SEO for startups (grow on budget): https://lnkd.in/eUE74fzK

• How to go from 0 to $5M ARR profitably (step by step): https://lnkd.in/e5UDFkjf

• How to use Reddit to grow a $1M SaaS: https://lnkd.in/ejJ4RuT5

• Blueprint for hacking UGC growth on social media: https://lnkd.in/eV3TVMTd

• How to successfully launch on Product Hunt: https://lnkd.in/e6ebz5SP

• Email marketing platform built for SaaS: https://loops.so/

• ‘Social Growth Engineers’ newsletter: https://www.socialgrowthengineers.com/

• 100 ideas to get your startup's first 100 users: https://www.first100users.com/

• What is good retention? https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29

• Guide to growing your business: https://pioneer.app/codex/growth

📣 Places to post and promote your startup

• SaaSHub: https://www.saashub.com/

• Hacker News: https://news.ycombinator.com/

• There’s an AI for That: https://theresanaiforthat.com/

• Toolify AI: https://www.toolify.ai/

• ProductHunt: https://www.producthunt.com/

• TopAI.tools: https://www.topai.tools/

• Indie Hackers: https://www.indiehackers.com/

• Future Tools: https://www.futuretools.io/

• Read CV: https://read.cv/

• OpenAlternative: https://openalternative.to/

• SaaSworthy: https://www.saasworthy.com/

• Insidr AI Tools: https://insidr.ai/

• BetaList: https://betalist.com/

• Toolfolio: https://www.toolfolio.io/

• Dev Hunt: https://www.devhunt.io/

• Uneed.best: https://uneed.best/

• Startup Stash: https://startupstash.com/

• FiveTaco: https://www.fivetaco.com/

• MicroLaunch: https://micr0launch.com/

• Tinystartups: https://tinystartups.co/

• r/EntrepreneurRideAlong: https://www.reddit.com/r/EntrepreneurRideAlong/

📹 YouTube channels

• Y Combinator: https://www.youtube.com/@ycombinator

• a16z: https://www.youtube.com/@a16z

• Lenny Rachitsky's podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@LennysPodcast

• 20VC with Harry Stebbings: https://www.youtube.com/@20VC

• Greg Isenberg’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GregIsenberg

• Marc Lou’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@marc-lou

• Starter Story: https://www.youtube.com/@starterstory

• Masters of Scale by Reid Hoffman: https://www.youtube.com/@MastersofScale_

• Foundr: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundr

• EO Studio’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@eoglobal

• My First Million: https://www.youtube.com/@MyFirstMillionPod

• Peter Yang’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PeterYangYT

📚 Books for founders recommended by YC

• "Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World" by Rand Fishkin

• "The Startup Owner’s Manual" by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf

• "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick

• "High Output Management" by Andrew S. Grove

• "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement" by Eliyahu Goldratt, Jeff Cox

• "The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design" by Marty Neumeier

• "Zero to One" by Peter Thiel

• "Built to Last" by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras

• "The Power Law" by Sebastian Mallaby

• "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz

• "Traction" by Gabriel Weinberg

• "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr

• "Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey A. Moore

• "Creativity, Inc." by Ed Catmull

• "Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days" by Jessica Livingston

Ready to level up your startup journey? Join our upcoming events and retreats designed to help founders like you build, grow, and thrive.