Most people use StartupDeck at startupdeck.in — sign up, validate an idea, and export reports from the dashboard. No installation required. Use Help Center for account and billing questions. The sections below cover product features, the developer API, and how to run the stack locally if you are self-hosting.

1. Get the codebase

Self-hosting and contributor access is provided on request. Email [email protected] with your use case. Do not commit secrets to version control.

cd your-startupdeck-directory

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Environment Setup

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your configuration

4. Database Setup

npm run db:push
npm run create-admin

5. Start Development Server

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:5000 to see the application.

Required Services

Production Dependencies

npm install stripe speakeasy qrcode ioredis express-rate-limit helmet compression

Available Scripts

Copy the example environment file and set values locally. Never commit .env or share secrets. Refer to .env.example in your codebase for required variables — we do not publish a full list here.

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env locally — keep secrets private

Tech Stack

Project Structure

client/
├── src/
│   ├── components/     # Reusable UI components
│   ├── pages/          # Page components
│   ├── hooks/          # Custom React hooks
│   ├── lib/            # Utility functions
│   └── services/       # API service layer
├── index.html
└── vite.config.ts

Service architecture

The backend is a Node.js API with route handlers, background jobs, and service modules. Internal file layout is not documented here — refer to your authorized codebase copy.

Data is stored in PostgreSQL using an ORM-managed schema. After configuring your database connection locally, apply migrations with the project scripts — do not expose schema details publicly.

Database commands

# Push schema to database
npm run db:push

# Create admin user
npm run create-admin

Post-Deployment Checklist

Configuration

Deploy Steps

# Install Vercel CLI
npm install -g vercel

# Deploy
vercel --prod

Configuration

Environment variables

Configure production secrets in your hosting provider's secret manager. Use values from your private .env.example — do not paste live credentials into docs, tickets, or chat.

Dockerfile

FROM node:18-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci --only=production
COPY . .
RUN npm run build
EXPOSE 5000
CMD ["npm", "start"]

Docker Compose

version: '3.8'
services:
  app:
    build: .
    ports:
      - '5000:5000'
    environment:
      - DATABASE_URL=${DATABASE_URL}
      - REDIS_HOST=redis
    depends_on:
      - redis
      - postgres

  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    ports:
      - '6379:6379'

  postgres:
    image: postgres:14-alpine
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_DB=startupdeck
      - POSTGRES_USER=postgres
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  postgres_data:

Create an admin user

[email protected] ADMIN_PASSWORD=<strong-secret> npm run create-admin

After creation, sign in, enable two-factor authentication if available, and rotate credentials on any non-production environment before go-live.

Dashboard Tabs

Roles

Local Authentication

{
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "password": "your-password"
}

OAuth Providers

Session Check

Returns the currently authenticated user object or 401 if not authenticated.

Create Analysis

{
  "title": "My Startup Idea",
  "description": "A detailed description of the startup concept...",
  "industry": "SaaS",
  "targetMarket": "B2B"
}

Get Analysis Results

List User Analyses

Razorpay Webhook

Receives payment status updates from Razorpay. Configure the webhook URL in your Razorpay dashboard to point to https://api.startupdeck.in/api/webhooks/razorpay.

Supported Events

• payment.captured — Payment successfully captured
• payment.failed — Payment failed
• subscription.activated — Subscription activated
• subscription.cancelled — Subscription cancelled

Authentication

Include your API key on every request:

curl -X POST https://api.startupdeck.in/api/v2/analyze \
  -H "X-API-Key: sk_live_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title":"My Idea","description":"...","industry":"SaaS","location":"India"}'

Interactive API schema

Discover all v2 routes programmatically:

Node.js example

const res = await fetch('https://api.startupdeck.in/api/v2/analyze', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-API-Key': process.env.STARTUPDECK_API_KEY,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    title: 'Urban fleet routing',
    description: 'Dynamic routing for last-mile delivery fleets.',
    industry: 'Logistics',
    location: 'India',
    options: { includeCompetitors: true, includeMarketData: true },
  }),
});
const data = await res.json();

Generate an API key

1. Sign in and open /api-dashboard.
2. Click Generate Key.
3. Copy the full key immediately — it is only shown once. Later views show a masked key.

Dashboard API (session auth)

Credits

Analyze startup idea

{
  "title": "My Startup Idea",
  "description": "Detailed concept description...",
  "industry": "SaaS",
  "location": "India",
  "options": {
    "includeCompetitors": true,
    "includeMarketData": true,
    "includeFinancials": true,
    "enhanced": false
  }
}

Instant analyze

Faster, lighter validation for low-latency workflows.

Market data

Usage stats

Rate limits

StartupDeck starts with idea validation — market sizing, competitors, and a scored report you can share or export. Pro and Enterprise plans unlock Founder OS (company graph, decisions, connectors, and briefings). API usage is billed separately from web plan quotas.

Overview

StartupDeckAI supports two-factor authentication (2FA) for all user accounts. When enabled, logging in via username/password or Google/GitHub/LinkedIn OAuth requires you to verify your identity with a dynamic, single-use 6-digit passcode. This prevents unauthorized access even if your password or OAuth credentials become compromised.

Supported Authentication Methods

How to Enable 2FA

1. Log into your account and navigate to Account Settings.
2. Scroll down to the Security & Two-Factor Authentication section.
3. Select your preferred method: Authenticator App or Email OTP.
4. For Authenticator Apps, scan the generated QR code or copy the plaintext secret key. For Email OTP, verify the test code sent to your inbox.
5. Enter the 6-digit confirmation token to securely activate 2FA.
6. Copy and store your Emergency Recovery Codes in a safe place. If you ever lose access to your device, these codes are the only way to regain access without administrator intervention.

Login Verification Flow

Once activated, the authentication sequence intercepts access post-credentials check:

Admin Exemption & Panel Security

For administrative accounts, standard user-level 2FA is deactivated. Instead, administrators must verify their identity using a specialized **Secret Key Verification Challenge Overlay**. This timing-safe, cryptographically hashed challenge must be verified before the system grants access to the high-privilege Admin Panel, ensuring maximum defense for user data and infrastructure control.

API Specifications for Developers

If you are building custom clients or programmatically managing authentication, use these endpoints:

1. Request 2FA Setup

Initiates a Speakeasy key generation and outputs secret details:

{
  "secret": "JBSWY3DPEHPK3PXP",
  "qrCodeUrl": "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAA..."
}

2. Confirm/Activate 2FA

{
  "token": "123456"
}

3. Deactivate 2FA

{
  "token": "123456"
}

Rate-limited responses return 429 Too Many Requests with a Retry-After header.

Nginx Configuration

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name your-domain.com;

    ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Health Check Endpoints

# API Health
curl https://api.startupdeck.in/health

# Database Health
curl https://api.startupdeck.in/api/health/database

# Redis Health
curl https://api.startupdeck.in/api/health/redis

Error Tracking with Sentry

npm install @sentry/node @sentry/profiling-node

Key Metrics to Track

• System Health: Database, Redis, and email service status
• User Analytics: Growth tracking and user behavior
• Revenue Analytics: MRR, ARR, and financial projections
• Performance: CPU, memory, and response times

Database Optimization

-- Add indexes for performance
CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY idx_analyses_user_id_created_at
  ON analyses(user_id, created_at);

CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY idx_competitors_analysis_id
  ON competitors(analysis_id);

CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY idx_usage_tracking_user_id_feature
  ON usage_tracking(user_id, feature);

Load Balancing

upstream startupdeck_backend {
    server 127.0.0.1:5000;
    server 127.0.0.1:5001;
    server 127.0.0.1:5002;
}

server {
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://startupdeck_backend;
    }
}

Redis Connection Failed

# Check Redis status
sudo systemctl status redis-server

# Restart Redis
sudo systemctl restart redis-server

Database connection issues

Verify your database is running and that connection settings in your private environment file match your deployment. Test from your secure shell — do not share connection strings publicly.

Payment Webhook Failures

# Test webhook endpoint
stripe events resend evt_webhook_id

# Check webhook logs
stripe logs tail