MCP · Guide
What is an MCP server?
An MCP server is a tool provider for AI agents. The Model Context Protocol defines one way for agents to discover and call external tools — list what's available, read each tool's schema, call it, get structured results back.
The idea
APIs were built for apps. MCP is built for agents.
A REST API forces your agent (or you) to write glue: endpoints, auth headers, pagination, response parsing. An MCP server wraps that once. Your agent sees tools — 'look up keyword volume', 'check domain availability' — calls them by name, and gets back data it can reason over.
1. Connect
You give the agent a URL and a credential. For StartupKit: https://mcp.startupkit.com/mcp and your sk_ API key.
2. Discover
The agent lists the server's tools and reads each input schema. It now knows exactly what it can do.
3. Call
Tools run over Streamable HTTP and return structured JSON. The agent chains them — research a keyword, then check the domain.
StartupKit's server
An MCP server whose tools are the startup workflow.
Most MCP servers expose a database or a file store. StartupKit exposes the work of building a company: market research, keyword intelligence, domain checks, app-store data, launch checklists, and directory submissions — 17 tools over one endpoint.
Questions
FAQ
- What is an MCP server?
- An MCP server is a service that exposes tools to AI agents over the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Your agent connects to a URL, lists the server's tools, and calls them as native function calls — no SDK, no custom API client.
- How does an agent connect to an MCP server?
- Remote MCP servers run over HTTP. You give your agent the server URL and a credential (for StartupKit, a Bearer API key). On first contact the agent reads the tool list and the schema for every argument — that's all the setup there is.
- What makes a good MCP server for startups?
- Tools that answer real questions — keywords, competitors, domains, app stores — over live data, with structured output the agent can reason over. Plus utility calls (credits, projects, identity) so the agent can self-serve instead of asking you.
- Is StartupKit's MCP server free?
- Yes — the Free plan includes the MCP server, the CLI, and monthly research credits on one API key. Pro ($28/mo) raises the credit limit and adds directory and press submissions.
See the actual tool list.
17 startupkit_* tools — what each one does and which area it belongs to.