The leanest-possible IT plan for your startup (that still gets the job done)
There’s no playbook for how to equip your startup team, and that’s probably a good thing. In most cases, your first computers will just be whatever the founders already own — a battered MacBook, a personal iPad, maybe that weird Surface thing your cofounder insists is underrated. That’s fine. You’ve got bigger problems than figuring out what gear to buy, especially when you already have gear that works.
If you’re leaving a previous job where they gave you a computer or phone, try buying it off them before you storm out in a blaze of bridge-burning glory. A lot of companies are happy to offload old gear at a discount — they don’t want to bother wiping it or assigning it to someone new. I still own a Herman Miller Aeron chair from the Dotcom Boom that’s outlived four startups and two vertebrae.
Eventually though, you’ll hire someone who doesn’t have their own setup and expects the company to provide it. Congrats — you’ve just unlocked the “someone has to do IT planning now” level of the founder game. In bigger companies, this is a job for an entire department. At your startup? It’s you. Or your cofounder. Or no one, which will become a problem.
How to plan a startup’s IT without becoming the IT Department
Here’s the core principle: push as much of the choice, spec, and support responsibility back to the individual without letting things spiral into chaos. That means no standard-issue “everyone gets the same Lenovo” plan. That’s just lazy thinking. People do better work on gear they’ve chosen themselves.
Let the finance folks buy Windows if that’s what makes them happy. Let designers get the ultrawide monitor they’ll stare at all day. Let devs get their MacBook Pros and cover them in stickers. Give them a budget, not a list of approved gear.
Same goes for furniture. If you’re not in a coworking space, offer a chair budget too. The right chair is just as important as the right laptop. You sit in it all day. Give people the tools they need to work comfortably, as well as productively.
Set a budget — something like AUD5,000 for computer, peripherals, and chair — and include it in onboarding so new hires can hit the ground running. People almost never max it out. It also makes hiring cost modelling cleaner. You’re now under budget and your team is better equipped. Win-win.
Don’t forget the tax break
Ask your accountant, but you should be able to write off the capital equipment costs. If you can’t write it all off immediately, depreciation’s claimable too — assuming you’re making enough revenue to need deductions.
Make an annual gear review a thing
Set a recurring calendar event toward the end of the financial year to ask: “Do we still like our gear?” It’s also a great excuse for a mid-year party where the team gets new toys and helps each other unbox and set up.
Tools are both utility and identity
When a product person asks for a new machine, don’t just ask what they need, understand what it means to them. For lots of people, especially creatives and engineers, a laptop is more than just a tool. It’s part of their identity, their status symbol, their security blanket.
You might think it’s overkill, but to them it’s like asking you to work with oven mitts taped to your hands. Don’t be that boss.
Gear as motivation and retention
Sometimes the best retention strategy isn’t a raise — it’s giving someone a dream setup they’ll miss if they leave.
Give people choice within budget and it encourages a sense of ownership — and with it, responsibility.
If they choose the wrong thing because they didn’t do their homework, that’s on them. Make it clear that they live with their choices for 2–3years. No take-backs.
What software should you use?
If you’ve got fewer than 50 people, don’t waste a single second considering Microsoft Office and Exchange. Just go with Google Workspace. It’s cheaper, cleaner, and plays nice with .docx and .xlsx files when you need to.
Don’t bother paying for extra local hard drive storage either. Store everything in Google Drive or Dropbox — easier to share, safer to back up, and you can fire someone without worrying about retrieving stuff off their C:\ drive.
Passwords and security: non-negotiable
Enforce password managers across the board — 1Password, Dashlane, whatever. No shared logins. No weak passwords. No exceptions. If the CEO’s not using it, no one will.
And for god’s sake, don’t let anyone sign up for a SaaS tool using their personal email or a personal expense card. Use a shared admin account like tools@yourstartup.com and keep control over logins and billing.
If someone leaves and still has access to your Stripe account, that’s on you. Don’t let that happen.
VPNs for public wifi
Everyone should be running a VPN on any device they take to cafes or hotels. It’s not optional. VPNs are like seatbelts — you don’t need them until you really, really do. Pick one that auto-activates on unsecured networks.
Windows? get antivirus.
Still using Windows? Cool. Now go get antivirus. You’re living in a different world, my friend.
Cheap ways to get Apple gear
Set up a business account with your local Apple Store. You’ll get slightly better prices and faster support. Always buy AppleCare. It’s worth it.
Avoid third-party leasing deals — most are garbage. But Apple’s own zero-interest financing is good. You can upgrade mid-term or buy the gear at the end. And yes, probably tax-deductible.
Tight budget? Look for refurbished Apple gear from legit resellers. You’ll save money and often get upgraded internals plus excellent support.
Printers are a trap. don’t fall for it.
Let’s say this clearly: fuck printers. And double-fuck multifunction printer/scanner/copiers. They’re money-burning ink vampires wrapped in landfill.
You’re a tech startup. If you can’t figure out how to avoid printing stuff, you’re probably not cut out for this.
Need to print? Go to the public library. Go to the local instant print shop. Or walk to another startup and make awkward small talk while you ask to use their printer. Fewer printers means fewer printouts, and that’s a good thing.
Instead of buying a printer, buy a projector. At least then you can all watch “Silicon Valley” reruns and feel slightly better about your bad decisions.
And with that rant, your startup’s lean IT plan is good to go!
