r/startup: rules, audience and how brands can post there
325,668 members. Self-promotion allowed? No off-site promotion. Self posts only.
r/startup is a startup learning community with about 326,000 members. It has three short rules: posts must be relevant, no spam meant to drive traffic off-site, and every post must be a self post.
Paste your draft on the next page. We flag likely self-promotion and rule problems before you post.
- Members
- 325,668
- Self-promotion
- No off-site promotion. Self posts only
- Created
- 2008
- Checked
- November 7, 2026
What r/startup is
Reddit's space to learn the tools and skills necessary to build a successful startup. A community meant to support each other and grow through the exchange of knowledge and ideas. A rising tide lifts all ships in its wake.
Early founders who want to ask questions and share lessons, and who aren't there to link out to a product.
Can a brand post in r/startup?
Rule 2, No spam. No Solicitations, bans spam meant to drive traffic off-site. In the data we fetched, the rule text cuts off mid-sentence, so read the full version on Reddit before you post. Rule 3 says self posts only and notes that it is enforced. Link posts are out, and you have to write the content on Reddit itself. Rule 1, posts must be relevant, comes with no further text. The sub has no written route for vendors. It is also not r/startups, the much larger sub that runs a monthly share-your-startup thread. A brand should use this sub to ask and answer questions. Don't use it to send traffic anywhere.
What works
- Writing the whole post in Reddit, since self posts only is enforced
- Asking or answering practical startup questions, which is what the top posts do
- Sharing lessons instead of a link, like the 'lessons I learned' posts that did well this year
- Keeping the post relevant to startups, as rule 1 asks
What gets removed
- Link posts, because rule 3 requires self posts
- Spam meant to drive traffic off-site
- Solicitations
- Posts not relevant to startups
The rules, summarised
- 1. Posts must be relevant
The rule has a title only, with no further text on Reddit.
- 2. No spam. No Solicitations
No spam meant to drive traffic off-site, and no solicitations. The rule text is cut off in the data we fetched.
- 3. Self posts only (Enforced)
Self posts only, and the rule is enforced. Link posts are not allowed.
Source: the community's own rules page, read on November 7, 2026. Rules change, so check the page before you post. See also the 9:1 rule.
Frequently asked questions
Can I promote my startup on r/startup?
Rule 2 bans spam meant to drive traffic off-site and solicitations, and rule 3 requires self posts only. There is no written route for promotion, so keep posts useful and leave links out.
Is r/startup the same as r/startups?
No. They are separate communities. r/startups is larger, with about 2.1 million members, and has its own rules, including a monthly share-your-startup thread.
Want help earning a place in r/startup?
30-minute intro call with a partner. If we're not the fit, we'll tell you in the first five minutes.
We take on 3 new engagements per quarter. Serious teams only.