⌘K
GETTING STARTED
FIND — Get an Idea
VALIDATE — Hit PMF (Phase 3)
UNIT ECONOMICS — First (Phase 4)
SCALE — Build to ₹1L/mo
AI & AUTOMATION
ANALYTICS & DATA
FINANCE
TOOLS & CALCULATORS
RESOURCES
Built for Indian D2C Founders
3
Stages
Find → Validate → Scale
₹15K
Minimum Start
Realistic launch budget
90
Days to ₹1L/mo
If you follow every phase
50+
SOPs
Detailed sub-processes
80%
of D2C founders skip validation
And 80% of those fail within 6 months. Don't be one of them.
Days 1-18
Generate ideas, pick a category, research demand. You don't need a product yet — you need a direction that has real demand.
• Idea Generator → pick 3 ideas
• Category Selection → enter a growing market
• Trend Analysis → verify demand with data
• Mindset + Product Research (Phase 1-2)
Days 19-35
Prove demand before you invest. Run ads, collect emails, get pre-orders, land 10 paying customers. If people won't pay, you pivot or kill — fast.
• Validation Framework → 3-stage test
• Pre-Launch Landing Page → test interest
• First 10 Customers → prove with money
• PMF Signals → go/no-go decision
Days 36-90
PMF confirmed? Now build the machine. Brand, legal, supply chain, store, marketing, CX — but only because you know people want what you're selling.
• Brand → Legal → Supply → Store
• Unit Economics → Ops → Pre-Launch
• Marketing → CX → Scale
• Phases 3-12 (only after PMF)
→ 70-80% drop-off — Add to Cart abandonment
→ 50-60% drop-off — Checkout friction
→ 30-40% drop-off — Payment / COD refusal
→ 25-35% RTO on COD orders in India
Before you pick a product, you need a direction. These pages help you generate ideas, pick a category with real demand, and verify with data.
Idea Generator
7 frameworks + scoring matrix
Generate 10+ ideas, score them, pick your top 3.
Explore →
Category Selection
8 categories + framework
Pick the right category before you pick a product.
Explore →
Trend Analysis
5 free tools + go/no-go matrix
Verify demand with Google Trends, Amazon, Meesho, Instagram.
Explore →
The stage most founders skip — and the reason most fail. Prove that real people will pay real money before you invest in brand, store, or inventory.
Validation Framework
3-stage test
Interest → Intent → Purchase. Prove demand with data.
Explore →
Pre-Launch Page
₹0 inventory
Test demand with a landing page before you build a store.
Explore →
First 10 Customers
₹3-8K ad budget
Get 10 strangers to pay you. The only validation that matters.
Explore →
WhatsApp Validation
₹0 ad budget
Use WhatsApp to validate demand without spending on ads.
Explore →
PMF confirmed. Now build the machine — in the right order. Unit Economics first, then brand, legal, supply chain, store, marketing, and CX.
Phase 4 — Unit Economics
Days 36-42 · Margins & Pricing
Know your numbers before any pricing-dependent decision.
Explore →
Phase 5 — Brand
Days 43-48 · Identity & Positioning
Build a brand that commands trust.
Explore →
Phase 6 — Legal
Days 49-53 · Compliance & Protection
Register your business, get GST sorted.
Explore →
Phase 7 — Supply Chain
Days 54-63 · Procurement & Fulfillment
Master suppliers, inventory, shipping.
Explore →
Phase 8 — Store
Days 64-70 · Shopify & Conversion
Build a conversion-optimized Shopify store.
Explore →
Phase 9 — Operations
Days 71-77 · Daily Ops
Daily ops that keep the machine running.
Explore →
Phase 10 — Pre-Launch
Days 78-85 · Validation & Hype
Build waitlist. Create buzz. Launch day war room.
Explore →
Phase 11 — Marketing
Days 86-95 · Meta, Google, WhatsApp
Turn ₹1 into ₹3+ consistently.
Explore →
Phase 12 — Customer Experience
Days 96-102 · Retention & CX
Retention is the most profitable growth channel.
Explore →
Phase 13 — Scale
Days 103-105 · Growth & Team
Scale only what works.
Explore →
₹50,000
Total recommended starting budget
₹2-8K — FIND (idea research, trend tools)
₹3-8K — VALIDATE (ad spend, landing page tests)
₹15K — Setup (GST, domain, Shopify, branding)
₹15K — Inventory (first 30-50 units)
₹12-20K — Marketing (Meta 65%, Google 20%, Influencer 15%)
| Budget | What You Can Do | Feasibility |
|---|---|---|
| ₹8K-15K | FIND + VALIDATE only. No inventory yet. | Start Here |
| ₹15K-25K | Validate + minimal inventory (20-30 units) | Doable |
| ₹25K-35K | Full validate + moderate ads (50-100 units) | Good |
| ₹50K+ | Aggressive marketing, scale fast | Best |
Gateway fee includes 2% + 18% GST. RTO loss = shipping both ways + product cost + packaging + gateway fee, averaged across all orders.
Why You Can Succeed
Indian e-commerce growing 25% YoY. D2C brands capturing market share from legacy brands. Social commerce exploding. WhatsApp + Instagram = free acquisition channels. The infrastructure (Shopify, Shiprocket, Razorpay) is better than ever.
The Winner Profile
Someone who validates before building. Who tracks every rupee. Who ships fast, responds faster, and learns from every order. Who pivots when data says so, and scales when customers prove it.
If any of these are true after your VALIDATE stage, stop and pivot:
Zero paid orders after 2 ad campaigns
Kill or pivot category
CTR below 0.8% on 5+ creatives
No one is clicking. Wrong product or category.
ROAS below break-even after ₹8,000 spend
Can't acquire customers profitably. Pivot or kill.
3+ pivots with no signal
Category doesn't have enough demand. Start over.
Full checklist: Kill Criteria →
Sources: RedSeer India D2C Report 2024, Shiprocket D2C Benchmark Study, Razorpay Payment Analytics Report