₹1 Lakh Store
⌘K
GETTING STARTED
FIND — Get an Idea
VALIDATE — Hit PMF (Phase 3)
UNIT ECONOMICS — First (Phase 4)
SCALE — Build to ₹1L/mo
    • Daily Ops Checklist
    • Order Processing SOP
    • Packing Station Setup
    • Dispatch Cut-Off Schedule
    • Reverse Logistics Flow
    • NDR Handling Playbook
    • Outsourcing Decision Matrix
    • Hiring First Team Member
    • Tools & Tech Stack
    • KPI Dashboard Setup
AI & AUTOMATION
ANALYTICS & DATA
FINANCE
TOOLS & CALCULATORS
RESOURCES
  1. SCALE — Build to ₹1L/mo
  3. Tools & Tech Stack

08 — Operations

Tools & Tech Stack

Don't over-invest in tools early. Start with essentials, upgrade as you scale. Here's the exact stack at every stage.

₹2-5K

Bootstrap Stack

Monthly cost at start

₹7-15K

Growth Stack

Monthly cost at scale

₹25-50K

Scale Stack

Monthly cost at growth

3

Core Tools

Day 1 must-haves

Essential Tools by Stage

CategoryBootstrap (0-20/day)Growth (20-100/day)Scale (100+/day)Must-Have
StorefrontShopify Starter ₹1.5-2KShopify Basic ₹3-4KShopify Standard ₹7.5-8.5KYes
ShippingShiprocket FreeShiprocket Pro3PL (WareIQ)Yes
WhatsAppWhatsApp Business FreeWati ₹2KInterakt ₹3K+Yes
AnalyticsShopify Reports FreeGoogle Analytics FreeTriple Whale ₹7KNo
InventoryGoogle Sheets FreeShopify InventoryZoho Inventory ₹2KNo
AccountingGoogle Sheets FreeZoho Books ₹1KTally/Zoho ₹3KNo
Customer SupportWhatsApp DirectWati/InteraktZendesk ₹5KNo
Email MarketingShopify Email Free / Mailchimp FreeMailmodo / PeppyautomationKlaviyo ₹5K+No

Core Stack: Day 1 Essentials

Shopify
Essential

Your Store + Orders

Storefront & checkout

Order management

Inventory tracking

Payment collection

Basic analytics

₹2,000/mo to start

Shiprocket
Essential

Shipping + Courier

Multi-courier comparison

AWB & label printing

NDR management

COD remittance

Tracking page

₹0/mo (pay per shipment)

WhatsApp Business
Essential

Customer Communication

Order confirmations

COD verification

Tracking updates

Customer support

NDR follow-up

₹0/mo (free)

Don't Over-Tool: 90% of D2C brands under 20 orders/day only need Shopify + Shiprocket + WhatsApp Business. Resist the urge to add tools before you have the volume to justify them. Every tool adds complexity and cost.