Best Startup Communities to Join in 2025
- Team Ellenox
- Sep 16
- 7 min read
Most startups begin in isolation. A founder with an idea, maybe a co-founder, and nothing else. No users, no investors, only uncertainty.
Communities matter because they compress experience. Someone else’s failed experiment saves you months of trial and error. Real numbers and candid stories teach faster than advice.
The internet makes this leverage universal. Indie Hackers, Discord servers, or Build in Public circles all offer peers solving the same problems. The value comes when you join in, not just observe.
Best Startup Communities For Founders
1. Indie Hackers
Best for: Bootstrapped founders and indie makers.
Indie Hackers is a global hub for entrepreneurs who prefer to bootstrap their ventures rather than chase venture capital. The platform thrives on transparency: founders openly share their revenue, growth challenges, and even failure stories. The site encourages active participation, with members posting updates on their progress, asking for feedback on prototypes, and exchanging lessons learned.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Monthly revenue reports where founders disclose exact numbers, growth channels, and churn rates.
“What I Built This Week” threads showcase prototypes and MVPs for peer feedback.
Failure post-mortems that detail why projects shut down and what could have been done differently.
Website: https://www.indiehackers.com
2. GrowthMentor
Best for: Founders and marketers focused on growth and scaling.
GrowthMentor is designed for founders of growth-focused startups who need tactical mentorship. The platform connects entrepreneurs with vetted mentors specializing in areas such as customer acquisition, onboarding, and retention. In addition to mentorship calls, members are invited to a private Slack community where they can exchange growth tactics and collaborate on solutions to scaling challenges.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Mentor AMAs where experts answer questions about cold outreach, conversion optimization, and paid acquisition strategies.
Case study breakdowns showing how startups improved retention or cut CAC by using specific campaigns.
A Growth Experiments Library documenting tests (successful and failed), tools used, and measurable outcomes.
Website: https://www.growthmentor.com
3. Founders Network
Best for: Tech founders at seed or Series A stage.
Founders Network is a membership-based community that pairs entrepreneurs with peer mentors and provides structured support. It is particularly useful for seed- and Series A-stage founders seeking guidance on leadership, fundraising, and scaling teams.
Members are organized into Peer Advisory Boards, which function like confidential mastermind groups to solve pressing business problems. Founders Network also facilitates introductions to angel investors and venture capitalists. Membership requires a paid subscription, starting at $74.92 per month and scaling up to a lifetime membership option.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Peer Advisory Board sessions where founders troubleshoot issues such as churn, equity splits, or fundraising strategies.
Investor readiness workshops, including sample data rooms, pitch deck critiques, and feedback from experienced founders.
Hiring playbooks detailing how to attract senior engineers or sales leaders with limited cash resources.
Website: https://foundersnetwork.com
4. Startup Grind
Best for: Global networking and learning from successful founders.
Startup Grind is a global startup community with active chapters in more than 125 countries. It is best known for its in-person and virtual events, including fireside chats with high-profile founders such as those from Airbnb and Stripe. Local chapters organize monthly networking sessions, which make it a strong choice for entrepreneurs who want both global reach and local relationships.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Event recordings from founder interviews highlighting real-world pivots and mistakes.
Community boards where entrepreneurs share co-founder searches and collaboration opportunities.
Networking events and workshops are designed to help early-stage startups meet mentors, partners, and potential investors.
Website: https://www.startupgrind.com
5. SaaStr
Best for: SaaS founders scaling revenue and teams.
SaaStr is the leading community for SaaS operators and founders scaling recurring revenue businesses. It provides detailed benchmarks and growth playbooks, making it a trusted source for entrepreneurs building subscription-based products. Beyond the online content, SaaStr hosts one of the largest SaaS-focused conferences in the world, attracting thousands of SaaS leaders annually.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Threads where founders compare SaaS metrics such as CAC payback, churn percentages, and ACV benchmarks.
Debates on sales hiring, including when to bring on the first account executive or VP of Sales.
Customer success playbooks covering onboarding processes, renewal tactics, and health scoring models.
Website: https://www.saastr.com
6. No Code Founders
Best for: Non-technical founders or rapid MVP builders.
No Code Founders is dedicated to entrepreneurs building startups without traditional programming. The community attracts solopreneurs and small teams who rely on tools like Bubble, Webflow, and Airtable to validate ideas and launch MVPs quickly. Members frequently share real examples of their no-code apps, often with screenshots, tool stacks, and user acquisition data.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Showcase threads where founders present live no-code apps and explain how they gained their first 100 or 1,000 users.
Tool stack recommendations comparing the best ways to combine Webflow, Zapier, and Airtable for SaaS workflows.
“First Paying Customer” stories that detail marketing strategies and sales funnels used to secure revenue.
Website: https://nocodefounders.com
7. GrowthHackers
Best for: Growth marketers and product teams.
GrowthHackers is a knowledge-sharing community built around growth experiments and marketing case studies. It is particularly valuable for growth marketers and product teams seeking to refine their experimentation frameworks. The platform emphasizes evidence-based discussions, with members posting detailed case studies and results-driven strategies.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Experiment archives such as “How changing referral incentives increased signups by 40 percent.”
North Star Metric discussions where teams outline how they chose and tracked a single guiding metric.
Tool roundups comparing analytics platforms like Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Google Analytics 4.
Website: https://growthhackers.com
8. StartupNation
Best for: Early-stage entrepreneurs and first-time founders.
StartupNation is geared toward beginner entrepreneurs and small-business founders. It focuses on the fundamentals: writing business plans, setting up operations, and navigating the first stages of growth. The community is especially valuable for non-technical founders who need practical guidance on the basics of starting and running a business.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Business plan review threads where members share drafts and receive constructive feedback.
Funding journey posts, such as how a founder secured an SBA loan or raised capital via crowdfunding.
Operations Q&A covering topics like payroll software, tax compliance, and legal entity setup.
Website: https://startupnation.com
9. FounderPass
Best for: Bootstrappers looking to save money.
FounderPass is a membership-based community created for cost-conscious founders. It provides access to a curated library of startup discounts, perks, and SaaS credits that can save bootstrapped entrepreneurs thousands of dollars. In addition to perks, FounderPass facilitates discussions on lean operations and the trade-offs of bootstrapping versus raising funding.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Exclusive perks include AWS credits, free months of CRM software, and discounted productivity tools.
Cost-saving threads where founders explain how they run startups on minimal budgets.
Debates over whether to bootstrap indefinitely or pursue external investment.
Website: https://founderpass.com
10. The Hardware Club
Best for: Hardware and physical product founders.
The Hardware Club is designed for entrepreneurs building physical products, hardware devices, or IoT solutions. Unlike software-focused communities, it addresses the unique challenges of hardware startups, from prototyping and manufacturing to regulatory compliance and distribution. Members include founders working with global factories and supply chains.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Prototype-to-production walkthroughs showing how founders worked with Chinese and European manufacturers.
Regulatory threads that explain processes for FCC certification, CE marking, or UL testing.
Distribution discussions on breaking into retail channels and managing international shipping logistics.
Website: https://hardwareclub.co
11. Discord Communities
Surprisingly, some of the most active startup conversations now happen on Discord. Niche servers for SaaS, No-Code, and general startup builders offer a casual yet fast-moving environment where early adopters and testers are eager to try new products.
Standout Discussions and Features:
“Testing Channels” where members volunteer to beta test each other’s apps.
Real-time feedback on UI/UX with screen-sharing sessions.
Community-driven hackathons and build challenges.
12. Twitter (Build in Public Circles)
Twitter remains a powerful place for founders who are willing to build in public. Entrepreneurs post updates about their progress, including metrics, failures, and small wins. This transparency attracts early adopters who enjoy watching startups evolve in real time.
Standout Discussions and Features:
Progress threads where founders share daily or weekly updates with screenshots and metrics.
Public accountability posts that inspire feedback and support.
Networking opportunities through retweets and “founder circles.”
13. Reddit Subreddits
Reddit has several active startup-focused subreddits where entrepreneurs trade stories, ask for feedback, and discuss tools. While the tone can be blunt, the advice is often practical and honest.
Standout Discussions and Features:
r/startups: Members post idea validations, fundraising experiences, and co-founder searches.
r/Entrepreneur: Stories about scaling small businesses, side hustles, and early-stage growth.
r/SaaS: Focused discussions on metrics, churn, and SaaS-specific tools.
Summary Table For Best Startup Communities
Community | Best For | Description | Standout Discussions & Features |
Indie Hackers | Bootstrapped founders | Free global hub with transparency on revenue, growth, and failures. | Revenue reports, weekly build threads, failure post-mortems |
GrowthMentor | Growth-focused founders | Connects entrepreneurs with vetted mentors and private Slack access. | Mentor AMAs, case studies, growth experiment library |
Founders Network | Seed/Series A tech founders | Paid peer mentorship with investor access and advisory boards. | Peer Advisory Boards, investor readiness sessions, hiring playbooks |
Startup Grind | Founders seeking networking | Global chapters with events, workshops, and founder interviews. | Fireside chats, co-founder boards, and local networking |
SaaStr | SaaS entrepreneurs | Leading SaaS community with benchmarks, playbooks, and an annual event. | SaaS metric comparisons, sales hiring debates, customer success guides |
No Code Founders | Non-technical builders | For solopreneurs and teams using no-code tools like Webflow and Bubble. | Product showcases, tool stack tips, first customer stories |
GrowthHackers | Marketers & product teams | Focused on growth experiments and marketing case studies. | Experiment archives, North Star metric debates, analytics tool reviews |
StartupNation | Beginner entrepreneurs | Forum for small business setup, planning, and early funding. | Plan reviews, SBA loan/crowdfunding stories, ops Q&A |
FounderPass | Bootstrappers on a budget | Membership with startup perks, SaaS credits, and lean strategies. | SaaS credits, cost-saving hacks, bootstrapping vs. VC debates |
The Hardware Club | Hardware & IoT founders | Community for prototyping, compliance, and manufacturing. | Prototype guides, regulatory Q&A, distribution strategies |
Discord Communities | Builders & testers | Fast-paced startup, SaaS, and no-code servers. | Beta testing channels, live feedback, hackathons |
Twitter (Build in Public) | Founders open to sharing progress | Transparent updates attract early adopters and peer support. | Progress threads, accountability updates, and founder networking |
Reddit Subreddits | Broad startup audience | Active subreddits like r/startups, r/Entrepreneur, and r/SaaS. | Idea validation, side hustle growth, SaaS metrics/tools |
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