The Founder Manual
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- Publisher: Penguin Business
- Genre: Entrepreneurship, Start-up Leadership & Business
- Date of Publication: 15 April 2026
About the Book
Written by entrepreneur and investor Utsav Somani, The Founder Manual is an exclusively curated collection of insights from India's top 100 founders and CEOs, bringing together practical lessons, hard-earned wisdom, and real-world experiences on building and scaling businesses.
The idea for the book emerged from Utsav's own journey in India's startup ecosystem. As an active investor and mentor, he found founders repeatedly turning to him with questions that extended far beyond fundraising - about hiring, building teams, entering new markets, making tough decisions, and navigating the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. Instead of answering these questions himself, he turned to those who had lived them.
The result is The Founder Manual - a practical playbook distilled from the experiences of India's most accomplished entrepreneurs. For every founder who has ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of the next step, this book offers the wisdom of those who've been there before.
Highlights
Insights from 100 of India’s top founders and CEOs
Proven frameworks and real business case studies
Guidance for every stage of the entrepreneurial journey
A playbook for building sustainable businesses in India
Meet The Author
Utsav Somani is the founder of Offline, an exclusive community for India's leading tech founders and CEOs. Previously, he was hired by Naval Ravikant to build AngelList India, helping shape one of the country's most active early-stage investing ecosystems. As an angel investor, he has backed over 200 startups, including CoinDCX, BharatPe, Jupiter, and Ultrahuman, and has been recognized in Fortune India's 40 Under 40 and Entrepreneur India's 35 Under 35.
He also runs two solo-GP micro-funds, iSeed and Galaxy, with a combined AUM of approximately $100 million, investing alongside some of the world's leading venture capital firms.
Beyond investing, Utsav hosts The Offline Network (TON), a live-streamed show that explores the latest developments in India's startup ecosystem.
Our Role in Bringing The Founder Manual to Life
When Utsav first approached us, he already had a strong vision for the book. Drawing from the countless conversations he'd had with founder members of Offline, he wanted to create a resource that captured the real, unfiltered experiences of entrepreneurship.
Securing a publishing offer:
A writing partner on the manuscript:
Utsav's Testimonial
"The Founder Manual was an ambitious project, and the Bound team played a huge role in making it happen. They helped shape complex ideas into something clear, structured, and engaging without losing the original intent behind them. The process felt like a true partnership throughout.
Thoughtful, collaborative, and deeply committed to the quality of the work.
I'd happily recommend them to anyone looking for an experienced writing and editorial partner."
Endorsed by Industry Experts
“This book serves as a strategic map for the modern entrepreneur”
“Hard-hitting, grounded and written for the real world”
“Startup journeys have ups and downs. One steady hand on the tiller navigating all of it is Utsav”
“Founders would be well-served to learn from Utsav’s actionable takeaways in this timely book.”
“Real stories, actionable learnings - genuinely insightful”
“This book is practical, honest and deeply relevant for anyone building in India today”
“Honest, grounded and deeply human, every founder should read [this] to understand what the journey really demands.”
“This isn't just a book; it’s a marriage to the truth of building. "how-to" of building a startup in India just got a serious upgrade.”
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“No run-of-the-mill startup narratives, no fluff - just clear, hard-earned insights on what it actually takes to go from 0 → 1 and beyond! You'll end up bookmarking actual playbooks to refer to while you too end up building your startup.”
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