A startup rarely starts with a perfect business plan. It usually starts with a problem, a hypothesis and people willing to test something. This page explains the key steps, abbreviations and documents.
Problem: Which concrete pain are you solving? Target group: Who has that problem often, urgently and can be reached?
How to start: Write one sentence: “We help [target group] solve [problem] by offering [solution].” Then talk to 10–20 relevant people before building.
MVP means Minimum Viable Product: the smallest version that lets you test whether people understand, use or pay for the solution.
How to start: For software, a prototype, demo or no-code test may be enough. For hardware, a model, video, preorder page or lab setup can work. The goal is learning, not perfection.
TAM, SAM, SOM: TAM is the overall market, SAM the reachable market, SOM the realistic first share. Grants and investors want to see that you understand market size and entry.
How to start: List three alternatives your audience uses today and explain why your solution is faster, cheaper, better, safer or more sustainable.
IP means intellectual property: code, design, data, trademarks, patents, research results or usage rights.
How to start: Clarify early who owns code, drafts, data and research. School, university, employer or contract work can create rights and approval questions.
Grant: non-repayable funding with criteria and reporting. Loan: debt that must be repaid. Equity: capital in exchange for shares. Crowdfunding: financing through many supporters.
How to start: Very early ideas often fit student programmes, competitions, stipends or crowdfunding. Research and deep-tech ideas often fit grants. Scalable startups with a large market and traction can consider VC.
Pitch deck: a short presentation for grants, competitions, accelerators or investors. One-pager: one page with problem, solution, market, team, status and need.
How to start: First write a clear short profile: problem, target group, solution, status, team, next milestone and capital need. Then expand into detailed documents.
Shortlist: a small list of realistic options, not 100 unchecked links. Relevant filters are country, phase, sector, deadline, funding type, documents and effort.
How to start: Use the idea test, filter programmes and check VC or crowdfunding only if it fits your phase. Then open the original source and note deadline, criteria, contact path and to-dos.
GDPR is the EU General Data Protection Regulation. EU AI Act is the European legal framework for AI systems. GPAI means General-Purpose AI models.
How to start: If you touch personal data, AI, health, education, finance, recruiting or public administration, plan an early legal check. Document data sources, model use, transparency and human oversight.
