Getting Started

Startup Owner's Manual

Silicon Valley expert Steve Blank's essential handbook for starting a business.

HBR's 10 must reads on entrepreneurship and startups

Collection of articles originally published in the Harvard Business Review focused on helping founders build companies for enduring success.  Featured contributors include Clayton Christensen, Marc Andreessen, and Reid Hoffman.

Entrepreneur's Guide to Law and Strategy

Walks readers through the various stages of starting a business--from start-up and growth to an initial public offering--while highlighting the legal issues that go along with them. 

HOLLIS

Discovery platform for materials and resources available in the Harvard University libraries.

Search the Harvard Library catalog, HOLLIS, for more books on the topic.  Tip: try adding handbook or playbook to either startup or entrepreneur when searching.

Understand the Market

Industry Reports

Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage

Detailed descriptions of companies, industries, and mutual funds.

Refinitiv Workspace

This database replaces ThomsonONE. Workspace features market quotes, earnings estimates, financial fundamentals, press releases, transaction data, corporate filings, ownership profiles and sell-side equity research.

Use Refinitiv Workspace to locate industry analyst reports relevant to your venture.

Market Research

BCC Research

Reports on major economic, scientific, and technological developments in industrial, pharmaceutical, and high technology worldwide.

Frost & Sullivan

Reports and market trends encompassing various technology-, energy-, and manufacturing-related fields.

IBISWorld

IBISWorld publishes reports on industries in the United States- including selected states, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and China.

Mintel Reports

U.S. consumer market studies and primary and secondary data analysis for topics including food, beverage, apparel, beauty, retail, and travel. Demographic specific reports are also available.   Also includes Global New Products Database (GNPD).

 

Passport

Market research reports on consumer products and industries worldwide from Euromonitor International.

 

Identify Funders and Competitors

Using the databases below, you can screen for venture capital firms based on a variety of criteria.  You can also identify competitors by seeing who these firms are funding that are working in a similar space.

 

Capital IQ

Data on public and private companies, investment firms, capital transactions, and people. 

Pitchbook

 Information on companies, deals, funds, investors and service providers across the private investment lifecycle.

CB Insights

Tracks global venture capital, angel investment, private equity, M&A, and IPO activity related to private companies. Individual account required. 

Preqin

Preqin provides access to information on private equity and venture capital companies, funds, and deals.

Harvard Business School Alumni Angel Association

Educational and networking forum for Harvard Alumni and other participants who are interested in researching and investing in early stage companies on an individual basis.

Pitch Your Idea

Resources for creating & refining pitch decks and business plans.

Get backed : the handbook for creating your pitch deck, raising money, and launching the venture of your dreams

Startup veterans Evan Baehr and Evan Loomis outline how to create a compelling pitch deck and how to plan and execute a fundraising road show that will win financial support for new businesses. 

Insider (formerly Business Insider)

Premium stories and market-moving news about technology, politics, global affairs, healthcare, business, energy and sustainability.

Our Insider premium subscription includes access to their library of over 750+ startup pitch decks.  To access the pitch deck library, after you have created your account, click on your name in the upper right hand corner (which contains shortcuts to all premium content).

Startup Secrets: Getting Behind the Perfect Pitch

Michael Skok presentation at the Harvard iLab.  Outlines how to put together the perfect pitch that gets your venture the attention and the funding it deserves. 

Startup Grind Pitch Deck Archive

Get inspired by this collection of pitch decks compiled by Startup Grind.

Templates and Forms

Go to Agreements and Model Docs to find templates for starting and running a business, such as articles of incorporation, business leases, employment contracts, etc.

National Venture Capital Association: Model Documents

Industry-embraced set of model legal documents that can be used as a starting point in venture capital financings.

UpCounsel Legal Documents

Free legal documents and templates drafted by UpCounsel Attorneys, including SAFE and other financing documents.

Business Plans Handbook

A collection of sample business plans and templates, as well as a listing of organizations, agencies, and consultants; a glossary of small business terms; and an updated bibliography.

Bplans

Guides and templates on how to write a business plan.

Blogs and News

A VC

VC Fred Wilson's blog.

a16z

Podcast from Adreessen Horowitz covering topics relating to technology and business & innovation.

Both Sides of the Table

Startup lessons from entrepreneur-turned-VC Mark Suster.

Benedict Evans

Newsletter, essays and presentations covering tech by consultant and long-time analyst Benedict Evans.

First Round Review

Tech startup advice from First Round Capital.

forEntrepreneurs

Startup advice from David Skok.

Rob Go

News and useful advice from NextView Ventures founder Rob Go.

Steve Blank

Blog from entrepreneurial expert Steve Blank.  His site also contains an excellent selection of practical resources & tools.