Building your

Tech Stack, Part 1

Two young girls running and playing indoors, with one holding a soccer ball, in a room with plain walls.

5 years ago when I attempted to start my first business, there was a lot I did know and had to learn the hard way. I decided to create Marche Labs partly as a reflection for my 17 year old ambitious self who had nothing but instagram, Canva and a dream. The playground concept behind M Labs is inspired by one of the greatest - Virgil Abloh and the resource center he created for brands in their earliest phases.

While M Labs is not a fashion focused endeavor, what I want the new ideator, dreamer, founder to know is that while bringing visions to reality may seem daunting, there is nothing more rewarding than the process. Keep going, take your time, and now that we at Marche are here to help you along the way.

For early stage founders, having an efficient tech stack is the basic foundation for growth. Choosing the right tools can streamline processes, reduce overhead, and provide valuable insights to for your team from the start. When selecting products / platforms you want to prioritize scalability, integration capabilities and ease of use. Having to manage operational overhauls is - not fun. Cloud based solutions allow flexibility and cost effectiveness especially when it comes to your Financial Management and Accounting Software, Payroll and HR Systems, CRM tools (Customer Relationship Management), Project management, Team Collaboration, Banking and Payment Processing solutions.

Carefully curating these core features can allow you to have a lean and agile infrastructure that would support rapid scaling while maintaining clarity - you don’t want to build processes as you go if you can avoid it upfront.

A black and white infographic titled "Essentials First" focusing on startup technology stacks. Features a photograph of a woman with short curly hair, wearing a shirt, and standing outdoors, with some blurred people in the background. An illustration of a cassette tape is positioned at the top right corner.
A pink sign with the text "We Will Cover" and a list of five categories: Banking & Finance, Operations & Admin, Fundraising, Design & Brand, Product Development & Marketing. A sticker of a vintage radio with lightning bolts is attached to the top right corner of the sign. The background shows a person holding a clipboard or notebook, dressed in a white jacket and black leather pants.
Text about banking and finance over a background of children playing soccer indoors.
A pink informational poster about choosing a bank, listing factors like fees, transaction limits, deposits, ATM access, online banking features, software integration, credit products, customer service, and branch presence.
A pink infographic titled 'Building a Pros & Cons' compares advantages and disadvantages of business banking options. The pros section lists account options like cash flow solutions and digital banking, while the cons section mentions regional limitations, account fees, and branch network considerations. An illustration of a vintage camera is on the right side.
A pink infographic titled "US SMB BANKING" comparing three banks: Chase Bank, Bank of America, and Capital One, with pros and cons listed for each, on a background that includes a woman with dark hair and a blurred indoor setting.
Slide titled 'Effective Financial Management' featuring descriptions of payment platforms Stripe, Mercury, and QuickBooks with their logos and key features.
A presentation slide with the title 'OPERATIONS & ADMIN' in large pink text, and an explanation about organized systems for operations and administrative processes in business, set against a background image of two children running.
An infographic displaying logos and descriptions of four productivity and project management tools: Notion, Gusto, Asana, and ClickUp. Notion is described as an all-in-one workspace for personal and professional organization. Gusto is an HR platform that simplifies payroll, benefits, and onboarding. Asana connects work to goals and automates workflows with AI. ClickUp offers a sophisticated interface with templates for project management, ideal for remote teams and product designers.