How to Play Startup Simulator

Your complete guide to building a $100M communication company from scratch.

What Is Startup Simulator?

Startup Simulator is a free online business simulation game where you take on the role of a CEO building a mail and print communication company. You start from a home office with $150,000 in capital and grow your business through hiring, winning clients, buying equipment, researching new products, and competing against AI-driven rivals. The goal: reach a $100M enterprise valuation and land on the global leaderboard.

Unlike most tycoon or idle games, Startup Simulator models real business mechanics — cash flow, payroll, client churn, service tickets, production capacity, and employee management all interact in realistic ways. Every decision has consequences.

Getting Started

Your First Day

When you launch the game, you'll enter your CEO name and company name. You begin in a home office with basic equipment and a small amount of starting capital. Your first priority is winning your first client — without revenue, you'll burn through your cash reserves quickly.

The Dashboard

The game runs on a day-by-day simulation. At the top of the screen, you'll see your cash balance, enterprise valuation, and the current game day. Below that, tabs organize your business into key areas: Operations, Sales, Customer Service, CEO, and the Board of Advisors.

Core Mechanics

Operations — Equipment and Production

The Operations tab is where you manage your printing equipment, building space, and production floor. You need enough production capacity to fulfill all your client mail volumes. If your equipment can't keep up, mail gets delayed and clients start losing trust.

Sales — Winning and Managing Clients

The Sales tab shows your pipeline of potential clients and your active client roster. Leads come in based on your marketing efforts and reputation. Closing deals requires having the right production capacity and product offerings to match what clients need.

Clients have different sizes (small, medium, large), different products they need, and different levels of neediness. Managing client health is crucial — unhappy clients churn, and losing a large client can be devastating to your revenue.

Customer Service — Tickets and Support

Every client generates service tickets (basic support questions, reprint requests) and dev tickets (composition changes, data file fixes). You need to hire service reps and developers to resolve these. If tickets go unresolved too long, clients will cancel.

CEO Time — Strategic Allocation

As CEO, your time is your most valuable resource. The CEO tab lets you allocate your focus across sales, operations, customer service, and strategic initiatives. Early on, you'll need to do a lot yourself. As you hire executives and managers, you can delegate more effectively.

Board of Advisors

You can recruit up to 4 board advisors who provide passive bonuses and strategic advice. Advisors come in different tiers (budget, mid-range, premium) and specialize in areas like sales, operations, technology, or finance. Their advice adapts to your current business situation.

Growth Strategy

Phase 1: Survival (Months 1-6)

Focus on winning your first few clients, keeping your cash positive, and hiring just enough staff to handle the workload. Don't over-invest in equipment or space you don't need yet.

Phase 2: Growth (Months 6-18)

Start researching new products to cross-sell to existing clients and attract new ones. Invest in better equipment for efficiency. Upgrade your building when you run out of space. Hire managers to unlock team bonuses.

Phase 3: Scale (Months 18+)

With a solid client base and diversified products, focus on maximizing your enterprise valuation. This comes from revenue growth, client retention, product breadth, and operational efficiency. Consider specializations and strategic initiatives to push past competitors.

Key Tips for High Scores

Cash flow is king. Monitor your monthly burn rate obsessively. It's easy to over-hire and run out of cash before new revenue materializes.

Client retention beats new client acquisition. It's cheaper to keep existing clients happy than to constantly replace churned ones. Watch those ticket queues.

Invest in IT software. The right software purchases (CRM, ERP, project management) unlock efficiency bonuses that compound over time.

Don't ignore the competition. AI competitors are growing too. Keep an eye on the competitor matrix in the CEO tab to understand where you stand.

Specialize wisely. Choosing the right product specialization can give you a significant edge in specific market segments.