r/startups

Community Overview
r/startups logo
reddit.com/r/startups/
Go to community
→

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 3rd largest community in the Entrepreneurship topic page.

Roughly 222K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Startup, Struggling, and Co Founder. Common discussion themes are Solution Requests and Advice 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: +222K members
Growth: +11.6% / 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: 172K members

Past year (monthly)

  • Nov: 19K members
  • Dec: 18K members
  • Jan: 20K members
  • Feb: 18K members
  • Mar: 25K members
  • Apr: 20K members
  • May: 20K members
  • Jun: 20K members
  • Jul: 18K members
  • Aug: 16K members
  • Sep: 14K members
  • Oct: 382 members

Themes

  • Solution Requests
    4 posts in the past month
    1. What's the best way to start a pre-seed pitch deck? i will not promote
    2. I will not promote - Has anyone replaced an AI provider halfway through a project?
    3. How to source as a hardware startup? I will not promote
    #1
    Solution Requests
    What's the best way to start a pre-seed pitch deck? i will not promote · I will not promote - Has anyone replaced an AI provider halfway through a project? · How to source as a hardware startup? I will not promote
    4
  • Advice Requests
    3 posts in the past month
    1. Where to find a co-founder? I will not promote
    2. 7 figure founder looking for technical co founder for app // i will not promote
    3. Non-technical founders building non-tech businesses: where do you find a partner? - I will not promote
    #2
    Advice Requests
    Where to find a co-founder? I will not promote · 7 figure founder looking for technical co founder for app // i will not promote · Non-technical founders building non-tech businesses: where do you find a partner? - I will not promote
    3
  • Ideas
    3 posts in the past month
    1. looking for spaces to validate some physical AI, industrial use AI ideas // i will not promote
    2. How do startup founders even come up with an idea thats profitable in the first place? I will not promote
    3. Is luck required to build a successful startup? I will not promote
    #3
    Ideas
    looking for spaces to validate some physical AI, industrial use AI ideas // i will not promote · How do startup founders even come up with an idea thats profitable in the first place? I will not promote · Is luck required to build a successful startup? I will not promote
    3
  • Opportunities
    1 post in the past month
    1. How do you get the first few hundred users for a student-focused product without paid ads? i will not promote
    #4
    Opportunities
    How do you get the first few hundred users for a student-focused product without paid ads? i will not promote
    1

Topics

  • Startup
    59 posts in the past month
    #1
    Startup
    59
  • Struggling
    58 posts in the past month
    #2
    Struggling
    58
  • Co Founder
    23 posts in the past month
    #3
    Co Founder
    23
  • Marketing
    11 posts in the past month
    #4
    Marketing
    11
  • Tired
    11 posts in the past month
    #5
    Tired
    11

Flair

  • I will not promote
    45 posts in the past month
    1. Founding Eng, startup got acquired - not what I imagined, "I will not promote"
    2. It's tempting to build your pitch decks with Claude - Don't! I WILL NOT PROMOTE
    3. Where to find a co-founder? I will not promote
    #1
    I will not promote
    Founding Eng, startup got acquired - not what I imagined, "I will not promote" · It's tempting to build your pitch decks with Claude - Don't! I WILL NOT PROMOTE · Where to find a co-founder? I will not promote
    45

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 10/1/2026

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.
Go to communitySuggest an editReport community

Monthly Stats

17
Views /mo
(-6%)
14
Visitors /mo
(-18%)
2
Referrals /mo

Similar Communities

12
reddit.com/r/startups/
Go to community
→