Start-up Guide
Welcome
This guide is for founders and early teams who need to make sensible technical decisions without becoming experts. It focuses on the choices that shape your company long after the first setup is done: domains, access, data ownership, and how you structure technology work as you grow.
What this guide is for
The goal is clarity. You should finish a page knowing why a decision matters, what trade-offs exist, and when to bring in help. The guide is designed to give you a mental model for good early decisions rather than a checklist of tools.
What this guide is not
This is not a tutorial series, a vendor comparison, or a legal or security hardening manual. Where professional advice is required, the guide will say so directly.
How the guide is organised
The guide is divided into three areas. Each area has a landing page with high-level guidance and links to more focused pages. You can read in any order. The introduction links to every page, and each page links back here.
Basic IT setup
Most companies, regardless of size, need a small set of foundational technology in place from day one. At a minimum this includes email and a website, but it often extends to internet connectivity, computers, accounts, and access management. This section focuses on those fundamentals and how to make deliberate choices that do not create problems later.
Governance
Technology introduces risk as well as opportunity. This section focuses on understanding those risks and managing them through sensible policies, procedures, and day-to-day practices. It aims to make governance feel practical and proportionate rather than heavy or theoretical.
Building software products
Many founders have strong product ideas but limited experience building software. This section introduces the basics of building software products, particularly for SaaS and technology-led start-ups. The goal is to help you make better decisions and work effectively with technical partners without needing to become an engineer.
How to use it
If you are just getting started, begin with Basic IT setup. If you already have systems in place, scan for the areas that feel fragile or unclear and start there. The guide does not aim for completeness; it aims to reduce avoidable mistakes and make future decisions easier.