13 lessons
Pick Your Business
The 5 lanes and 40 businesses you can start for $0 to $100.
For students, job seekers and first-time founders
Find the Business You Should Start and Get Your First Paying Customer in 30 Days
Starting with $0. A step-by-step playbook with 40 businesses, copy-paste scripts and a daily plan, built from what 29,000+ people asked us.
One-time payment · Instant access · 7-day refund
On Whop
The $0 Business Playbook
Up next
Lesson 1.1: The Five Lanes
- Start Here1 lesson
- 1Pick Your Business3 lessons
- 2Test It in 48 Hours2 lessons
- 3Get Your First Customer3 lessons
- 4Price It and Get Paid2 lessons
- 5Look Legit for $01 lesson
- 6Your 30-Day Plan2 lessons
- +Bonus: 50 AI prompts
40 businesses
20 scripts
30-day plan
PDF included
29,000+ people have used Startup.ai to explore business ideas
What people ask us every day
- Give me a business idea with zero investment
- I'm 17, what business can I start?
- How do I make my first $1,000 online?
- Business ideas I can start from home
- I have ₹10,000. What should I start?
- Low budget business for students
- How do I get my first customer?
- What can I sell on Instagram?
- Online business with no experience
- I want to start but don't know what
You Don't Need More Ideas. You Need a Plan.
Most people stall between “I want to start something” and the first yes from a real customer. The playbook is the path across that gap.
Before
- 40 YouTube tabs
- Saved reels · 212
- ChatGPT · 'give me an idea'
- Notes app · ideas v9
- No money
- No customers
- Ideas collected
- Too many
- Plan
- None
- First customer
- Not yet
After the playbook
- 01Pick your businessDay 1 to 3
- 02Test itDay 4 to 7
- 03Get customersDay 8 to 21
- 04Get paidDay 22 to 30
One short task per day. Most take 30 to 90 minutes, and each one ends with a simple “done when” test.
Pick the Business That Fits You.
5 business types and 40 specific businesses, each with the startup cost, what to charge and exactly how to find your first customer.
Playbook / 40 businesses
- Skill Service
- Local Hustle
- Online Store
- Digital Products
- AI-Powered Service
Business 1 of 40
Short-form video editing for creators
Startup cost
$0
Price
$5 to $25
- Who pays
- Small creators, coaches, restaurants, real estate agents, gyms
- First customer
- Find creators with 1,000 to 20,000 followers who post long, messy videos. DM them an edited 15-second sample of their own video.
Social media management for local shops
$0 to start · $20 to $100 / month
Know People Will Pay Before You Spend Anything.
A 48-hour test with $0 and 25 conversations. Clear numbers tell you whether to go ahead, adjust or switch, before you build a thing.
Module 2 / The 48-Hour Test
48
hours
25
people
$0
spent
Day 1
- Hour 1Competitor check: find 5 sellers like you
- Hour 2Make one small sample to show
- Hour 3Write your message, list 25 people
- Hour 4Send the first 15 messages
Your verdict after 48 hours
- Pass
1+ paid, or 3 firm commitments
- Almost
0 paid, 3+ asked about price
- Weak signal
1 to 2 asked questions
- Fail for now
0 interest from 25 people
Copy, Paste, Send. Get Your First Customer.
20 ready-to-send scripts for Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and walk-ins, plus follow-ups and answers to 'too expensive'.
Module 3 / Copy-Paste Scripts
- 1Instagram DM (cold, with a sample)
- 2Instagram DM (cold, no sample yet)
- 3WhatsApp to someone you know
- 4WhatsApp to a business owner
- 5WhatsApp Status post
- 6LinkedIn connection request
- + 14 more
Script 4 of 20Example conversation
Hello Maya, my name is Sam. I help cafes with short-form video. I saw Brew Lane on Instagram and thought your latte art would make great 15 second clips.
Would you like me to send a short sample, free, so you can see what I mean?
10:42
Sure, send it over
Note: send once. If no reply, follow up once, then stop.
Everything You Need to Start. In One Playbook.
40 businesses
From $0 to $100 to start. Each with who pays, what to charge and your first move.
- Short-form video editing$0 to start
- Home-cooked meal orders$5 to $30 to start
- Thrift-flipping clothes$5 to $50 to start
- Canva templates$0 to start
- AI content for local shops$0 to start
- + 35 more
20 copy-paste scripts
DMs, WhatsApp, walk-ins and follow-ups.
Hi! I came across your page and really liked your latest post. Want me to send a free sample?
Sure, send it over
Pricing formulas
Floor, market and ceiling, so you stop guessing.
Floor = (Costs for this job) + (Your hours x your minimum rate)
FloorMarketCeiling
Free ways to get paid
Set up in 20 minutes, in your country.
- UPI
- M-Pesa
- Pix
- PayPal
- Bank transfer
- Cash
Look legit for $0
Free tools for a page, logo and portfolio.
- Name and bio
- Logo and colors
- WhatsApp Business
- Portfolio link
- 3 samples
30-day daily plan
One task a day, each with a done-when test.
Week 1Week 4
50 AI prompts
Works in free ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude.
Prompt 1: Business shortlist
I live in [city, country]. I have [hours] a week and [budget]. Suggest 5 businesses I could start…
156-page PDF
The whole playbook, readable offline.
However You Want to Make Money, the Playbook Fits.
Sell a skill you already have.
Sell a skill you have, or can learn quickly, to people and businesses online.
- 01
Pick one skill and one buyer
Choose from 8 skill businesses with prices and first-customer steps
- 02
Make one sample
A 60-minute proof beats a perfect 5-hour portfolio
- 03
Send the scripts
Instagram DM and WhatsApp messages that offer a free sample first
- 04
Price it and get paid
Start at your floor, raise it as proof builds
Your lane / Skill Service
Three ways to start
- 1Short-form video editing for creators
- 2Social media management for local shops
- 3Online tutoring in a subject you're good at
Do this today
List 3 skills people have paid or thanked you for, pick one, and post a sample on your social profile today.
Not sure which one?
Six questions, 60 seconds. We match you to a lane and give you a first step.
Six Modules. One Plan. Zero Fluff.
22 lessons
Test It in 48 Hours
Free ways to check people will pay before you spend anything.
33 lessons
Get Your First Customer
Copy-paste DM, WhatsApp and walk-in scripts.
42 lessons
Price It and Get Paid
Pricing formulas and free ways to accept payment in your country.
51 lesson
Look Legit for $0
Free tools for a page, logo and portfolio, including Startup.ai.
62 lessons
Your 30-Day Plan
A daily checklist from idea to first paying customer.
Bonus
50 copy-paste AI prompts to run your business
Works in free ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude. Pick your business, write your offer, reply to customers and plan your week.
Not Sure Which Business Fits You?
Answer 6 quick questions. Get the business that fits your money, time and skills, plus your first step today.
Five paths. One fits you.
- 1
Skill Service
Sell a skill you have, or can learn quickly, to people and businesses online.
- 2
Local Hustle
Hands-on services for people in your own area, face to face.
- 3
Online Store & Reselling
Buy and sell products: thrift flipping, pre-orders, WhatsApp and Instagram shops.
- 4
Digital Products
Make something once, sell it many times: templates, guides, notes, presets.
- 5
AI-Powered Service
Use free AI tools to deliver content, sites and ads to small businesses.
Free · 60 seconds · No sign-up
One Price. Lifetime Access.
$14
one-time, lifetime access
- 40 businesses you can start for $0 to $100
- 20 copy-paste scripts for DMs, WhatsApp and walk-ins
- The 48-hour test to check people will pay
- Pricing formulas and free ways to get paid
- Free toolkit to look legit for $0
- A 30-day plan, one task per day
- 50 AI prompts to run your business
- 156-page PDF plus the Whop course
Instant access on Whop · No subscription · 18+ or with a parent's permission
7-Day Refund
If it's not useful, message us within 7 days for a full refund.
Good Questions.
What is it?
A step-by-step playbook with 40 businesses you can start for $0 to $100, 20 copy-paste scripts, a 30-day daily plan and 50 AI prompts. You get it as a short course on Whop plus a 156-page PDF of the same content.
Who is it for?
Students, job seekers and first-time founders with little or no money. No experience or tech skills needed. It is not for anyone looking for a get-rich-quick plan.
Do I need money or a laptop?
No. A phone is enough to start. Every tool and method in the playbook has a free option, and the plan is built around spending $0 until you have a paying customer.
How do I get access?
After checkout you get instant access on Whop. Open the course on your phone or computer, or download the PDF and read it offline.
Will this make me money?
We can't promise that, and nobody honest can. The playbook gives you the steps, the scripts and the daily plan. What you earn depends on your effort, your market and your offer.
What if it's not for me?
If it's not useful, message us within 7 days for a full refund.
Is it a subscription?
No. It is a one-time payment of $14 with lifetime access. Nothing renews.
Start Today. Your First Step Is Free.
Take the quiz to find your business and your first step. Get the playbook for the next 29 days.
One-time $14 · Instant access · 7-day refund