← Back to the Evolution Wall

Frequently asked questions

What is Startups Science?

A wall where startups evolve. Every startup begins at the Big Bang and climbs a tree of 70 stages, from primordial soup to a galaxy, by earning points when other founders vote for it, review it and help it. It is free to add your startup. See About.

How do I add my startup?

Sign in with Google, then use the Add button on the wall: a name, your website, a one-line pitch and a category. It goes live at once. Each account has one startup, and you can edit its details later from your startup page.

How do I earn points?

By helping other startups: vote for one, review it, send it a suggestion, or report a bug with clear test cases. Both sides earn points, you and the startup you helped (a bug report pays both once the founder confirms it). The points for each action are shown on its button. You can't do any of these on your own startup, and each only once per startup.

Can I pay to level up?

Yes, if you have a startup on the wall and level-ups are switched on. A level-up moves your startup up whole levels, from level 15 up; the price of each level is shown before you pay and rises with the level. You keep your progress inside the level. The levels below 15 are free to climb. Money can lift you only a few levels above the level you have earned by helping others, so taking part still decides who leads. A level-up is not refundable. See the level-up terms.

Do bought levels count the same as earned ones?

On the tree and the leaderboard, yes: a level is a level. Your startup page lists the levels you bought and shows them apart from the points you earned (votes, reviews, suggestions, bugs and the daily bonus). If a level-up is refunded or charged back, its points are taken off again.

What is the daily login bonus?

If you have a startup on the wall, you get a few points the first time you open the site signed in each day. It is once per startup per day, and the day changes at midnight India time. The bonus grows with your level, from 1 point a day at the start to 100 at the top, so it is a slow trickle: helping other founders is the fast way to climb. You'll see a short message when it arrives.

What are levels and paths?

Points raise your level, and every level is a stage of the tree. The second half of the tree costs more points per level. At a fork your startup takes a path, which you choose or which is picked for you at random, depending on how the site is set. A path can't be changed afterwards.

What are sponsor widgets?

Small round nodes that float slowly through the background of the wall: the artwork of the phase a sponsor chose, with their logo in the middle, and their name and tagline. A click opens the sponsor's website. A signed-in founder can buy them with the Sponsor button.

How much does a sponsor widget cost, and how many can I buy?

The price of one widget and the fewest and most you can buy at a time are shown in the Sponsor dialog before you pay, in US dollars. The checkout, run by Dodo Payments, may show your local currency and add applicable taxes.

How long does a sponsorship last? Can it be replaced?

There is no time limit: a sponsorship has no end date. But the newest sponsors take the places. Every phase has room for a limited number of sponsor widgets, and when a newer purchase finds the phase full, the oldest widgets there are replaced, one for each widget the newcomer bought. Yours can be replaced in part, or entirely, at any time. See the sponsor terms.

Can I get a refund?

No — all sales are final, because your widgets go live as soon as you pay. That includes widgets that a newer sponsor later replaces. We do fix billing errors, like being charged twice. An approved refund is the amount you paid minus payment fees and charges, issued within 48–72 hours. See the Refund Policy.

I paid but I can’t see my widgets.

Give it a minute and refresh — payment confirmation can take a few moments. Your sponsorships are listed on your profile, with how many of your widgets are showing. If a newer sponsor bought into the same phase, the oldest widgets there make room. If you don't see them and the payment went through, message @Parthivv13 on X with the email address you used at checkout.

Can I click a sponsor widget?

Sponsor widgets are a faded background layer behind the tree, so they never cover a startup, a label or a dialog. You can click one where it floats over empty canvas.

Who can see what I write in a review or a bug report?

Only us and the founder it was sent to. The startup's public page shows counts, not texts. Your email address is never shown. See the Privacy Policy.

Is my email address public?

No. It is used for your sign-in, your receipt and support, and only we can see it. See the Privacy Policy.

What happened to the Products and People walls?

They are still online, no longer the home page. Blocks there were bought once and the listings stay on their wall while they follow the Rules. Their buyers keep the terms they agreed to at checkout.

How do I report something?

Message @Parthivv13 on X with the name or link and what's wrong. We aim to reply within 48 hours.

Who runs this?

Parthiv, an indie hacker, runs it as a sole proprietorship. Reach out: @Parthivv13 on X.

RulesFAQRefund PolicyTermsPrivacy

Built by Parthiv, an indie hacker·@Parthivv13 on X·© 2026 Startups Science