IT

The startup journal

What we learn building and growing digital products, written for people who are building one.

Featured

A small lilac glass core inside the faint outline of a larger transparent structure still to be builtMVPWhat is an MVP? A founder's guide to building one that teaches you somethingNot a cheaper version of your product: the fastest honest way to find out whether you are right.Read

MVP

What an MVP is, how to decide what goes in, what it costs and how long it takes: from the idea to the first product in customers' hands.

All articles · 7 articles
  1. MVP vs prototype vs proof of concept: what each one tests and when to use it6 min read
  2. MVP development cost: what drives the price and how to read a quote7 min read
  3. How long does it take to build an MVP? Phases, delays and app store timelines7 min read
  4. Types of MVP: concierge, Wizard of Oz, landing pages and when to use each7 min read
  5. How to validate a startup idea before you spend money building it7 min read
  6. How to build an MVP with AI: what vibe coding gets right and what production needs8 min read

SaaS and web apps

How to design and build a SaaS: architecture, stack, pricing, development costs and the technical choices to get right early.

All articles · 6 articles
  1. How to build a SaaS product: from a real problem to paying customers8 min read
  2. SaaS development cost: what you pay to build it and to keep it running8 min read
  3. Best tech stack for a startup MVP: how to choose it in 20267 min read
  4. Multi-tenant SaaS architecture: the models, the risks and how to choose7 min read
  5. SaaS pricing models: which one to choose and how to set your first price7 min read
  6. Web app vs native app vs PWA: which one should your product be?7 min read

Mobile apps

Building an app for iOS and Android: technologies, costs, store release and what you only learn once you ship.

All articles · 4 articles
  1. How to build a mobile app: a founder's guide from idea to the app stores7 min read
  2. How much does it cost to build an app? What drives the price, and what comes after launch6 min read
  3. React Native vs Flutter vs Capacitor: choosing a cross-platform framework for your startup6 min read
  4. How to publish an app on the App Store and Google Play: steps, review and lessons learned7 min read

Website

A startup's website: structure, validation landing pages, costs and what you really need at launch.

All articles · 4 articles
  1. Startup website structure: the pages you need at each stage7 min read
  2. Website requirements for Italian innovative startups: a guide for foreign founders7 min read
  3. How to use a landing page to validate a startup idea, and what to measure7 min read
  4. Startup website cost: what you pay up front and what you pay every year6 min read

AI and automation

AI in the product and in operations: agents, RAG, API costs, the EU AI Act and GDPR, without empty promises.

All articles · 7 articles
  1. How startups can use AI: where it pays off and how to pick your first use case7 min read
  2. What are AI agents? How they work and when a business actually needs one8 min read
  3. How to build an AI agent for your business: eight steps from process to launch9 min read
  4. AI agent development cost: build budget, monthly running costs and what drives the price7 min read
  5. The EU AI Act for startups: what it requires, when it applies and what to do now9 min read
  6. GDPR and LLM apps: what founders must get right before shipping AI features8 min read
  7. LLM application development: architecture, API costs and evaluation, a practical guide8 min read

SEO, GEO and AEO

Getting found on Google and cited by ChatGPT and AI Overviews: technical SEO, content, SaaS and Next.js.

All articles · 5 articles
  1. SEO for startups: how to get found before anyone knows your name7 min read
  2. SaaS SEO: the pages that bring trial sign-ups, not just traffic7 min read
  3. How to get cited by ChatGPT and AI Overviews: what the engines actually say8 min read
  4. When should a startup start SEO? Before launch, at MVP or after product-market fit7 min read
  5. Next.js SEO guide: metadata, sitemaps, hreflang and JSON-LD in the App Router7 min read

Ads and growth

Go-to-market, growth marketing, Google Ads and Meta Ads: how a startup finds its first customers and multiplies them.

All articles · 5 articles
  1. Growth marketing for startups: a working method, not a bag of tricks8 min read
  2. Google Ads for startups: budget, setup and the credits that actually exist8 min read
  3. Meta ads for startups: budget, tracking and a first campaign that can actually learn7 min read
  4. Go-to-market strategy for startups: from finished product to the right first customers8 min read
  5. Product-led growth: what it is and when a product can sell itself7 min read

Metrics and product-market fit

MRR, ARR, churn, CAC, LTV and product-market fit: the numbers that tell you whether a startup is working.

All articles · 5 articles
  1. SaaS metrics that matter: the short list, and when each one starts to count7 min read
  2. MRR vs ARR: what each one measures, how to calculate them and which to report6 min read
  3. SaaS churn rate: what good looks like, how to calculate it and why your tools disagree6 min read
  4. LTV:CAC ratio: what a good ratio looks like and how to calculate it honestly7 min read
  5. Product-market fit: what it means, how to measure it, and what to do when you are not there6 min read

Startups in Italy and funding

Italy's innovative startup status, incentives, investors, pitch decks, GDPR: the rules and the routes to funding, with sources.

All articles · 9 articles
  1. Italian innovative startup requirements: a 2026 guide for foreign founders9 min read
  2. Innovative startup vs innovative SME in Italy: which status fits your company6 min read
  3. What it costs to set up an innovative startup in Italy in 20267 min read
  4. Startup funding in Italy: a 2026 map for founders, including those from abroad7 min read
  5. Smart&Start Italia explained: Italy's interest-free loan for innovative startups7 min read
  6. Paying developers with equity: how to structure the deal7 min read
  7. GDPR for startups: what you actually need to do, and when7 min read
  8. Startup pitch deck structure: the slides investors expect, and what to show before revenue7 min read
  9. Seed round explained: how it works, who invests and what you give up7 min read

Choosing a tech partner

Software house, freelancer or in-house team, no-code or code, fractional CTO, technical cofounder, code ownership: how to choose well.

All articles · 8 articles
  1. How to choose a software development company for your startup: criteria, questions, red flags7 min read
  2. Agency vs freelancer vs in-house team: which suits an early-stage startup?6 min read
  3. No-code vs custom development: which is right for your startup's product?6 min read
  4. What is a fractional CTO, what do they do and when does a startup need one?6 min read
  5. How to find a technical co-founder: where to look, how to assess, how to test the fit6 min read
  6. Equity split with a technical co-founder: how much to give and how to protect it6 min read
  7. Who owns the code in a software development contract? EU, UK, US and Italian rules7 min read
  8. Startup studio vs incubator vs agency: what each offers and what it costs you in equity6 min read