Top Tools for Tech Startups: A Brief Guide

Working at a startup often feels like being a crew member of a pirate ship or being an acrobat in a circus. And indeed, most startups find themselves in a chaotic mess of spreadsheets, project management, collaboration tools and communication platforms that make them feel like they need a degree in acrobatics just to keep up. But there is hope. There are tools (big and small ones) that were made to bring some order to the chaos. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and let's dive into the world of startup tooling (it's a wild ride but we'll keep it brief in this post).

Tech startups often have teams working remotely or in different locations. Communication tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat can facilitate team communication and collaboration. These tools provide a platform for instant messaging, voice and video calls, file sharing, and screen sharing. They can also integrate with other tools, like project management tools or developer tools, to streamline workflows and increase productivity. At ApyHub, we have experimented with almost all the alternatives but we are currently using Slack.

In startups, the value of results and impact- and being able to track and measure it, is super important. Therefore most startups like to invest in a basic project management tool to help in managing projects, tracking progress, and assigning tasks to team members. Tools like Trello, Asana, or Jira can help with project management. Depending on the specific needs, each of them has its super powers. Trello is more visual, Asana is more traditional in a sense, allowing for team collaboration, task management, and project tracking. Similarly, Jira is a powerful tool for software development teams, providing project tracking, bug tracking, and agile management. All of these do allow for integrations with other systems (e.g. GitHub).

Managing customer interactions, tracking sales leads, and analyzing customer data is critical for startups. CRM tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM can help with this. Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM platform that provides sales, marketing, and customer service features. HubSpot offers a suite of marketing, sales, and customer service tools, including a CRM (it also has some free options). Zoho CRM is a cloud-based CRM platform that offers sales, marketing, and customer support features. Bear in mind that there are also more start up friendly CRM applications, including Attio, Pipedrive and Clickup.

Developing and launching a tech product requires a significant amount of time and effort. Using developer tools like Github, AWS, or ApyHub can speed up the development process. Github is the most popular platform for version control, collaboration, and code management. AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Azure provide cloud computing services, including computing power, storage, and databases. Moreover, for startups working in an integrated development environment requires a platform such as IntelliJ. When it comes to coding efficiency, this is where we as ApyHub come into play. ApyHub is a developer tool that simplifies API development and management, making it easier for startups to build and deploy APIs. And since we mention APIs, startups also need tools to build, test and validate them. This is where traditional tools (like Postman) or newer tools (like Apidog) can be essential.

One of the core challenges at a startup is getting the word out to relevant people about your product or service. There are different channels that you can use to position for success. At the start you can get traction from launching on Product Hunt, or featuring on Hacker News. Then you can decide which platform your audience is more active on, and build your presence there. This can range from email marketing (using tools like Mailchimp, SendinBlue etc.) and paid advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads), to social media and influencer marketing. And no matter which industry you work in, SEO will always be important, so tools like Semrush come in handy. At ApyHub, we identified a mix of platforms that work for us, and have found tools that help optimize our performance in each domain.

Startups need to track website and app performance, user behavior, and other important metrics. Analytics and data tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Kissmetrics can provide valuable insights into user behavior and engagement. Google Analytics is a free tool for tracking website traffic, behavior, and conversions. Mixpanel provides advanced analytics for web and mobile apps, including user behavior tracking and segmentation. Kissmetrics is a customer engagement platform that provides behavioral analytics and user insights. If you’d like to keep things simple yet savvy, Plausible is a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics that we’re using now at ApyHub to effectively track all important metrics.

By identifying your core needs and choosing the right tools for the job, you can save time, reduce stress, and boost your team's productivity. So, take a deep breath, get your tools in order, and watch your startup soar. And who knows, with all that extra time and efficiency, maybe you'll even have a chance to perfect your extreme pojo sticking skills outside of the (virtual) office! Remember, it's all about finding the right balance, and with a well-organized toolset, anything is possible. Good luck!