Book / course Free
Startup School
A free course for turning a rough idea into something people want. You can start before you feel ready.
www.startupschool.orgFor the thing you keep thinking about
You don’t need a team.
You need a beginning.
An idea, a little AI, and the right places to turn.
Free resources for building something of your own.
01 / A good first step
Start here.
No rabbit holes. Just a few things
we’d send a friend who’s starting out.
Website Free
Y Combinator Library
Clear, practical advice on the questions every new builder runs into. Pick the problem you have today.
www.ycombinator.com Free
One Useful Thing
Ethan Mollick makes AI feel less mysterious and more useful. A thoughtful starting point for working alongside it.
www.oneusefulthing.orgTool Free 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.aiBook / course Free
freeCodeCamp
Learn by making real things, at your own pace. A generous free path from your first webpage to more ambitious projects.
www.freecodecamp.orgWebsite Free
Marketing Examples
Real examples of good copy and clever distribution, with the useful bits explained. Bring one idea back to your own project.
marketingexamples.comCommunity Free
Indie Hackers
Meet people building independent businesses and sharing what actually happened. Read the stories, then join the conversation if it helps.
www.indiehackers.com02 / Follow your curiosity
A little help, every step.
From “what if” to “it’s out there.”
Find what you need for where you are.
01Getting started
You don’t need all the answers. Just a good place to begin.
Book / course Free
Startup School
A free course for turning a rough idea into something people want. You can start before you feel ready.
www.startupschool.orgWebsite Free
Y Combinator Library
Clear, practical advice on the questions every new builder runs into. Pick the problem you have today.
www.ycombinator.com Free
One Useful Thing
Ethan Mollick makes AI feel less mysterious and more useful. A thoughtful starting point for working alongside it.
www.oneusefulthing.org02Finding ideas
Notice the problems around you. There might be something in that.
Website Free
Paul Graham’s essays
Thoughtful prompts for spotting real problems and thinking independently. Start with “How to Get Startup Ideas.”
paulgraham.comPodcast Free
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.
www.lennyspodcast.comWebsite Free
The Lab
Small, open experiments that show what builders are trying right now. Browse for a spark, not a finished business plan.
scalpels.app03Building
Turn the thing in your head into something you can try.
Tool Free 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.aiBook / course Free
freeCodeCamp
Learn by making real things, at your own pace. A generous free path from your first webpage to more ambitious projects.
www.freecodecamp.orgTool Free tier
Figma
Sketch the idea before you build it. The free starter plan is enough to explore a first screen or share a prototype.
www.figma.comWebsite Free
Scalpels open-source apps
A catalog of focused, MIT-licensed apps you can fork and adapt for free. The managed installer is paid; self-hosting has its own costs.
scalpels.appBook / course Free
GitHub Skills
Friendly, hands-on lessons in the place where many software projects live. Useful when you’re ready to work with code.
skills.github.comYouTube Free
Fireship
Quick explanations of tools and programming ideas. Helpful for getting your bearings without committing to a long course.
www.youtube.com04Marketing & distribution
Make something useful. Help the right people find it.
Website Free
Marketing Examples
Real examples of good copy and clever distribution, with the useful bits explained. Bring one idea back to your own project.
marketingexamples.comBook / course Free
Ahrefs Academy
Free lessons on helping people find your work through search. The courses are free; the company’s research tools are paid.
ahrefs.comWebsite Free
Really Good Emails
An inspiration shelf for writing clearer, more useful emails. Browse the examples without buying anything.
reallygoodemails.com05Pricing & sales
Get comfortable talking about value, and asking for the sale.
YouTube Free
MicroConf
Practical talks about selling and running small software businesses. Lots of hard-earned lessons without the conference ticket.
www.youtube.comPodcast Free
Startups for the Rest of Us
Honest conversations about pricing, customers and sustainable small businesses. Particularly good company for solo builders.
www.startupsfortherestofus.comBook / course Free
HubSpot Academy
Free courses that make selling feel more like helping. Start with the basics of understanding a customer’s problem.
academy.hubspot.com06Money/legal/admin
The practical bits that let you get back to the interesting bits.
Website Free
SBA Business Guide
A plain-language checklist for the unglamorous parts of starting a business. US-specific rules, so check your local equivalents.
www.sba.govWebsite Free
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.comWebsite Free
Choose a License
A straightforward guide to sharing code with clear permissions. Helps you understand the tradeoffs before picking a license.
choosealicense.com07Staying sane
Build a thing. Keep a life. You’re in this for the long run.
Website Free
Zen Habits
A calmer voice on focus, habits and doing less. A useful counterweight to the pressure to do everything at once.
zenhabits.netPodcast Free
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 Free
Ness Labs
Thoughtful, practical writing on curiosity, learning and mindful work. The articles and newsletter are free; membership is optional.
nesslabs.com08Communities
Doing it yourself doesn’t have to mean doing it alone.
Community Free
Indie Hackers
Meet people building independent businesses and sharing what actually happened. Read the stories, then join the conversation if it helps.
www.indiehackers.comCommunity Free
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.toCommunity Free
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