r/startups

Community Overview
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About r/startups

Welcome to /r/startups, the place to discuss startup problems and solutions. Startups are companies that are designed to grow and scale rapidly. Be sure to read and follow all of our rules--we have specific places for common content and requests.

The community at a glance

r/startups is a Subreddit for Founders and startup builders with roughly 2.1M members. It uses a forum format for communication. It is the 4th largest community in the Entrepreneurship topic page.

Roughly 221K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Startup, Struggling, and Promote. Common discussion themes are Advice Requests and Solution Requests. Product recommendations often mention early-stage startups connection, marketing channels and programs, and med-tech startup path.

On Reddit
2.1M Members

Community Topics

Community Features

Forum

This community has a forum

Subreddit Analysis

via GummySearch
Yearly: +221K members
Growth: +11.9% / year

Member growth over time

All time (yearly)

  • 2013: 20K members
  • 2014: 29K members
  • 2015: 24K members
  • 2016: 31K members
  • 2017: 108K members
  • 2018: 70K members
  • 2019: 89K members
  • 2020: 154K members
  • 2021: 362K members
  • 2023: 636K members
  • 2024: 229K members
  • 2025: 191K members
  • 2026: 118K members

Past year (monthly)

  • Jul: 17K members
  • Aug: 16K members
  • Sep: 15K members
  • Oct: 14K members
  • Nov: 19K members
  • Dec: 18K members
  • Jan: 20K members
  • Feb: 18K members
  • Mar: 25K members
  • Apr: 20K members
  • May: 20K members
  • Jun: 15K members

Themes

  • Advice Requests
    9 posts in the past month
    1. Feedback Friday
    2. I will not promote. What options a founder has, if they are over 40?
    3. I am offered 25% equity for tech work BUT also expected to pay 25% of all expenses. Already built a (functional) prototype. Is this a fair deal? (i will not promote)
    #1
    Advice Requests
    Feedback Friday · I will not promote. What options a founder has, if they are over 40? · I am offered 25% equity for tech work BUT also expected to pay 25% of all expenses. Already built a (functional) prototype. Is this a fair deal? (i will not promote)
    9
  • Solution Requests
    6 posts in the past month
    1. How to promote a startup? (I will not promote)
    2. AI customer service tools/platforms that actually work for your company/startup? URGENT and I will not promote
    3. I will not promote: 3,080 users but only 2 trials, 1 lifetime sale. NEED HELP
    #2
    Solution Requests
    How to promote a startup? (I will not promote) · AI customer service tools/platforms that actually work for your company/startup? URGENT and I will not promote · I will not promote: 3,080 users but only 2 trials, 1 lifetime sale. NEED HELP
    6
  • Money Talk
    2 posts in the past month
    1. At what point do I give up and give my investors their money ($1.7m or so) back? If so, will I be punished? I will not promote
    2. Got term sheet for $1.5M CAD at $15M CAD valuation - have some questions - I will not promote
    #3
    Money Talk
    At what point do I give up and give my investors their money ($1.7m or so) back? If so, will I be punished? I will not promote · Got term sheet for $1.5M CAD at $15M CAD valuation - have some questions - I will not promote
    2
  • Pain & Anger
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Why are so many people looking for cofounders but no real success? (I will not promote)
    2. I spent 14 months building a product nobody wanted because I ignored one thing [i will not promote]
    #4
    Pain & Anger
    Why are so many people looking for cofounders but no real success? (I will not promote) · I spent 14 months building a product nobody wanted because I ignored one thing [i will not promote]
    2
  • Ideas
    1 post in the past month
    1. I want to build a free startup accelerator for founders. Talk me out of it. (i will not promote)
    #5
    Ideas
    I want to build a free startup accelerator for founders. Talk me out of it. (i will not promote)
    1

Topics

  • Startup
    150 posts in the past month
    1. Anyone given up on startups? What do you do? What do you think about? (I will not promote)
    2. How to promote a startup? (I will not promote)
    3. Is it possible to join a tech startup with felony? I will not promote
    #1
    Startup
    Anyone given up on startups? What do you do? What do you think about? (I will not promote) · How to promote a startup? (I will not promote) · Is it possible to join a tech startup with felony? I will not promote
    150
  • Struggling
    75 posts in the past month
    #2
    Struggling
    75
  • Promote
    67 posts in the past month
    1. At what point do I give up and give my investors their money ($1.7m or so) back? If so, will I be punished? I will not promote
    2. The best business idea is often to copy something that already exists. I will not promote.
    3. A competitor shows up in every ChatGPT answer for our category and we dont. How do I even diagnose this? I will not promote
    #3
    Promote
    At what point do I give up and give my investors their money ($1.7m or so) back? If so, will I be punished? I will not promote · The best business idea is often to copy something that already exists. I will not promote. · A competitor shows up in every ChatGPT answer for our category and we dont. How do I even diagnose this? I will not promote
    67
  • Looking For A Cofounder
    35 posts in the past month
    #4
    Looking For A Cofounder
    35
  • Looking For A Co Founder
    26 posts in the past month
    #5
    Looking For A Co Founder
    26

Flair

  • I will not promote
    134 posts in the past month
    1. At what point do I give up and give my investors their money ($1.7m or so) back? If so, will I be punished? I will not promote
    2. I will not promote - Founder with 2 exits in 6 years. Key learnings
    3. The best business idea is often to copy something that already exists. I will not promote.
    #1
    I will not promote
    At what point do I give up and give my investors their money ($1.7m or so) back? If so, will I be punished? I will not promote · I will not promote - Founder with 2 exits in 6 years. Key learnings · The best business idea is often to copy something that already exists. I will not promote.
    134

Product recommendations

  • early-stage startups connection
    12 posts in the past month
    1. Best ways to connect with early-stage startups? (i will not promote)
    2. Best ways to connect with early-stage startups? (i will not promote)
    3. Best ways to connect with early-stage startups? (i will not promote)
    #1
    early-stage startups connection
    Best ways to connect with early-stage startups? (i will not promote) · Best ways to connect with early-stage startups? (i will not promote) · Best ways to connect with early-stage startups? (i will not promote)
    12
  • marketing channels and programs
    6 posts in the past month
    1. Best Marketing Channels and Programs for Early-Stage Startups?(i will not promote)
    2. Best Marketing Channels and Programs for Early-Stage Startups?(i will not promote)
    3. Best Marketing Channels and Programs for Early-Stage Startups?(i will not promote)
    #2
    marketing channels and programs
    Best Marketing Channels and Programs for Early-Stage Startups?(i will not promote) · Best Marketing Channels and Programs for Early-Stage Startups?(i will not promote) · Best Marketing Channels and Programs for Early-Stage Startups?(i will not promote)
    6
  • med-tech startup path
    6 posts in the past month
    1. Best Path for a Med-Tech Startup with Strong IP? I will not promote
    2. Best Path for a Med-Tech Startup with Strong IP? I will not promote
    3. VC, Distributors, or Crowdfunding? Best Path for a Med-Tech Startup with Strong IP. I will not promote
    #3
    med-tech startup path
    Best Path for a Med-Tech Startup with Strong IP? I will not promote · Best Path for a Med-Tech Startup with Strong IP? I will not promote · VC, Distributors, or Crowdfunding? Best Path for a Med-Tech Startup with Strong IP. I will not promote
    6
  • coworking space
    5 posts in the past month
    1. Best coworking space for startups in Helsinki! I will not promote
    2. Best coworking space for startups in Helsinki! (I will not promote)
    3. Best coworking space for startups in Helsinki! (I will not promote)
    #4
    coworking space
    Best coworking space for startups in Helsinki! I will not promote · Best coworking space for startups in Helsinki! (I will not promote) · Best coworking space for startups in Helsinki! (I will not promote)
    5
  • startup projects
    5 posts in the past month
    1. Best ways to find startup projects to participate in i will not promote
    2. Best way to finde startup projects i will not promote
    3. Best way to finde startup projects i will not promote
    #5
    startup projects
    Best ways to find startup projects to participate in i will not promote · Best way to finde startup projects i will not promote · Best way to finde startup projects i will not promote
    5
View full analysis on GummySearchSynced 6/22/2026

Frequently asked questions

Who is r/startups for?
Best for Founders and startup builders enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
Is r/startups free to join?
This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
How many members does r/startups have?
Roughly 2.1M members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
What platform is r/startups on?
r/startups runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
What topics does r/startups cover?
On the Hive Index, r/startups is organized under Founders and startup builders.
How do I join r/startups?
You can join r/startups by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
What are the Entrepreneurship communities like?
One of the biggest categories on the site, covering everything from first-time startup founders to serial entrepreneurs scaling multiple businesses. You will find communities on Reddit, Discord, and Slack for idea validation, fundraising advice, hiring strategy, and the daily grind of building a startup or company. Good for finding peers at similar stages and getting honest feedback from people who have been through it.
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Monthly Stats

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Views
11
Visitors
3
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