Startups do not start with an idea, but with a problem worth solving. This guide lays out a 30-lesson roadmap in the right order — and why learning it in the wrong order kills most projects early.
Startups do not begin with an idea — they begin with a problem worth solving. Only then come: does anyone actually need this (customer validation), how do you make money (business model), how do you grow (growth & operations), who builds it with you (team), where does money come from (fundraising) and how are shares split (equity, legal).
Learning in the wrong order — starting with fundraising or a thick business plan — is why most projects die early.
Cluster A · Foundations
Cluster B · Customers & validation
Cluster C · Model & planning
Cluster D · Growth & operations
Cluster E · Team & Leadership
Cluster F · Fundraising
Cluster G · Legal & shareholders
Cluster H · Ethics & grit
Knowledge becomes skill only through decisions. Rùa Vàng includes the role-play game Founder Rùa Vàng: pick an idea, steer 5 stages, each decision shifting cash, customers and equity; at the end you get scored and advised. See also running a real startup project.