Startup Recipes - the missing how-to guide for entrepreneurs

Every startup idea makes perfect sense to its creator, but the only way to know if it's viable is to test it with users. This Recipe gives you a way to test your concept with the right audience and get unbiased feedback.

February 28, 2021

Research

One way to assess the market size for your startup idea is by measuring the level of searches for the problem you are trying to solve. In this Recipe you'll use the free Google Ads Keyword Planner to validate the interest in your product.

December 17, 2021

Research

One way to determine customer demand before building product is to build a pre-launch website with an email signup form. In this Recipe we'll use Carrd and Mailchimp to launch a landing page and test market demand.

August 18, 2021

Research

Getting quality customer feedback is a critical part of finding product-market fit. In this Recipe you'll use Typeform to design an embeddable feedback form.

August 25, 2021

Research

Knowing what alternatives your potential customers have and how you compare against them is critical. In this Recipe you'll use Crunchbase, Pitchbook, and Product Hunt to identify existing competitors and understand how they compare to you.

May 18, 2021

Research

While you don't need a domain name at the concept stage, you'll need one for your startup eventually. In this Recipe we'll review the factors you should consider in a domain name and register one with Namecheap.

March 25, 2021

Research

In this Recipe you'll build a brand positioning statement to help you effectively communicate your unique value proposition to customers, investors, and other stakeholders.

March 23, 2021

Research

User personas can be an extremely helpful tool in helping you as a founder understand who your customers are. In this Recipe we'll use the free Make My Persona tool from Hubspot to help you generate personas for your startup.

March 16, 2021

Research

Having a unique logo that reflects your brand can make a huge impact in how potential customers perceive you. In this Recipe we'll use the freelance marketplace Fiverr to source a logo for your startup.

March 25, 2021

Create

Many entrepreneurs can express the content of their pitch deck effectively, but struggle with the visual design. In this Recipe you'll make your deck's visuals match your vision.

March 17, 2021

Create

Seeing your product in the real world helps potential customers connect with it, and it'll make it more real for you. In this Recipe we'll use PlaceIt to generate images that feature your product.

April 7, 2021

Create

A product overview video is a key tool in your product kit. In this Recipe we'll use Biteable to generate a product overview video that you can use on your website or to enter pitch competitions.

July 20, 2021

Create

In this Recipe you'll use the free tier of Pixlr to do some basic cropping and editing of images, and you'll use Squoosh to reduce the file size of the images to improve SEO scores.

June 2, 2021

Create

Periodic communication with your startup's supporters is an excellent way to both keep them engaged and invested in your success. In this Recipe we'll use Mailchimp to set up and send a newsletter to your supporters.

April 19, 2021

Create

Instagram's focus on photo and video content make it an ideal platform for businesses that sell physical products. In this Recipe you'll set up an Instagram Page for your startup.

November 7, 2021

Create

As one of the largest social media networks, Twitter can provide a powerful platform for outreach for your business. In this Recipe we'll walk through setting up an account so you can leverage Twitter's global reach.

November 4, 2021

Create

As a business-focused network, LinkedIn should be part of your startup's social media strategy. In this Recipe we'll walk through registering a company page on LinkedIn for your startup and show how to list it on your profile.

November 5, 2021

Launch

In this Recipe we'll walk through factors that influence pricing for B2C companies, including value-based pricing, competitive positioning, customer segmenting, psychological factors, tiering, and discounting.

November 18, 2021

Launch

With a user base in the billions, Facebook is a potentially powerful channel for your startup to leverage as it grows. In this Recipe we'll walk through setting up a Facebook Page for your startup.

November 6, 2021

Launch

In this Recipe you’ll register a Google Analytics account and connect it to your website so you can better understand your customers and prospects, and measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.

March 20, 2022

Launch

In this Recipe you'll learn how to implement the DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) email security protocol for your startup to reduce the risk that your emails will be caught in spam filters or outright rejected.

August 10, 2021

Launch

Along with centralized password management and whole-disk encryption, implementing two-factor authentication is one of the best ways you can protect your business from online threats. In this Recipe we'll use Google Authenticator to enable two-factor authentication for an organization and walk through using it as part of the Google Login process.

October 28, 2021

Launch

Using a password manager is one of the best cybersecurity practices your business can undertake. In this Recipe we'll use Bitwarden to set up a password vault and store passwords.

October 26, 2021

Launch

Secure management of user personally-identifiable information (PII) is one of the most pressing topics in cybersecurity today. In this Recipe you'll set up whole-disk encryption to better protect yourself from unintended disclosure of PII.

October 26, 2021

Launch

All entrepreneurs hope for organic, viral growth but the reality is online advertising is a key tool for getting early traction. In this Recipe you’ll create and launch a paid search campaign on the Google Ads platform.

February 26, 2023

Launch

If your startup plans to raise money from investors you’ll want to manage that process like a sales funnel. In this Recipe you’ll combine several lists of Angel and VC investors to build a list for outreach, and use a Google Sheet to keep track of your progress.

May 13, 2022

Scale

If you need to augment your current team or are interested in exploring leveraging offshore software development talent, this Recipe will show you how to build a shortlist of qualified firms to save time in your selection process.

September 2, 2021

Scale

Selling to enterprise customers is a unique process that has significant impact on how you price your product. In this Recipe we'll review strategies for optimizing price for this customer segment.

December 15, 2021

Scale

Ensuring your pricing is competitive in enterprise sales situations is critical for larger businesses. In this Recipe you'll use the GSA Schedule to benchmark your competitors' prices and product offerings.

December 9, 2021

Scale

Venture-backed startups compete for fundraising attention from a relatively small pool of investors. In this Recipe you’ll learn how to leverage introduction emails to stand out from the crowd.

August 29, 2022

Scale

Since its launch on November 30 2022, ChatGPT has amazed users with its versatility and the quality of the questions and scenarios it can handle. In this Recipe you’ll use ChatGPT to generate a list of search keywords relevant to your business or product. These can be used to build SEO or paid search campaigns to build a customer acquisition funnel.

February 3, 2023

Scale

Generating quality traffic to your website is critical for a startup. Content marketing is a great strategy but the effort can overwhelm a small team. In this Recipe we’ll use copy.ai to generate blog posts that you can put to work in your marketing strategy immediately.

November 2, 2022

Scale

If your startup uses search engine marketing you can use the new generation of AI-powered marketing tools to generate high quality ad copy. In this Recipe we’ll use Copy.ai to generate Google Ads copy for targeted keywords.

October 20, 2022

Scale