What I’d Tell My Startup-Early Self (If I Could Go Back Five Years)
From /r/entrepreneur, with no endorsement of the author
This piece captures, in no particular order, the lessons I’d share with my younger self about starting and growing startups. It’s not a how-to or formal advice; it’s a reflection directed at me, with the understanding that I’ve learned much along the way. Grammar is hard.
Key lessons and observations
- You’ll likely build too much and ship too late. Make it a top priority to prevent that.
- Competition isn’t a barrier; someone else working on the same idea isn’t a problem.
- Don’t sign NDAs before hearing an idea.
- Networking in London (and many places) often centers around social drinking. Find a way to engage without the recurring hangover.
- The most productive people aren’t the ones who are always out for drinks.
- Linear growth can be worse than no growth.
- Many who preach “fail fast” aren’t truly practicing it.
- It’s easy to mistake customer development for bending feedback to fit your preconceptions.
- People hide a lot of unused domain names; recognize this in conversations about branding.
- It’s easy to be hyper-critical and dismissive. Don’t be lazy about evaluating ideas.
- When engaging with newcomers, call out unhelpful dismissiveness and stay constructive.
- It’s tough to stay focused on difference-making insights when you’ve seen similar pitches fail before.
- A technically competent developer doesn’t automatically know how to ship. Prioritize shipping capability.
- Language and framework debates are fine for conversation, but often don’t translate to real-world value.
- A good developer can learn a new language or platform quickly.
- Investor experience is still largely a gap for me.
- Exaggerated early success is exhausting and makes genuine wins harder to celebrate publicly.
- Deep personal investment in the problem is a strong predictor of product viability.
- Falling in love with a product rather than the problem is dangerous.
- You can skip knowing every technical detail (like hash tables); learning them can be satisfying later.
- The same goes for Big O notation.
- Overnight success is a rarity; even iconic stories like The Social Network are exceptions.
- PR remains perplexing to me.
- Most technical solutions are easier than getting the product into users’ hands.
- Make something people want is a useful heuristic, but not universal. Sometimes, making what you want matters too.
- Your personal appeal doesn’t guarantee broad market demand.
- If you lack firsthand experience in an industry, you’re likely to be wrong about how it works and what problems to solve. Talk to real people.
- Advertising is a fragile business model; it often signals trouble for monetization.
- “We’ll monetize the data” is the new “Ads.”
- The people you want to collaborate with are those who consistently look for ways to help you.
- Be proactive about asking for things. Most people will offer discounts or introductions if you ask.
- Learn to say no—to discounts, to time-wasting projects, to opportunities that don’t align with your focus.
- Consider pivots that make solid business sense, even if they lead to a product you care less about.
- Writing—whether blogs, books, or journaling—has many positive effects.
- Don’t obsess over internet feedback about every sentence you publish; trolls exist.
- A single troll can overshadow many positive interactions. Protect your communities from them.
- If you’re pitching over coffee, request to hear the other person’s pitch after you’ve shared yours.
- Only promise introductions or deliverables you will actually follow through on.
- Demonstrate rather than tell: a tangible, imperfect product that works beats grand promises.
- Building things is exciting; don’t let an obsession with “Lean Startup” or landing pages overshadow actual creation.
- Lean Startup offers useful ideas, but treat it as a pamphlet rather than a complete guide; consider more robust reads.
- Much startup advice is variable; trust your gut, but be willing to question it.
- When it comes to customer needs, though, listen to them—don’t rely solely on your own intuition.
- Bitcoin ATMs are rarely used for practical purposes.
- Sketch out back-of-the-napkin financial forecasts for each business model to sanity-check potential viability.
- Be cautious about dismissing conversations that begin with “I’m looking for a technical co-founder.” You may miss valuable connections; clarify your role early.
- Fundraising and accelerators demand significant time. Often, you must choose between building and fundraising—lean toward building when in doubt.
- Not all problems require technical solutions; apps aren’t a universal answer.
- “Facebook is the Facebook for X” is a common framing; many categories exist in parallel.
- An idea dismissed at a hackathon may outlive the venture you ultimately pursue.
- Genuine failures aren’t celebrated by those who embrace them; there aren’t people who truly enjoy failing.
- Your claim to “your idea” only exists once you’ve shipped something; otherwise, the credit goes to broader innovations.
- People don’t steal ideas; share broadly. Avoid NDAs when presenting ideas to preserve credibility.
- Friendship is not automatically equivalent to effective collaboration.
- Small teams can move quickly; be careful about adding people when speed and agility matter.
- Multitasking isn’t effective; focus on one task at a time and minimize interruptions.
- Read Paul Graham’s essays for perspective and guidance.
- General tech news offers limited return on time; prioritize books and meaningful conversations.
- Explore founder stories, Fool’s by Randomness, and The Four Steps to the Epiphany for deeper insight.
- A simple, text-based logo can be sufficient early on; don’t overemphasize branding initially.
- Open source and share side projects when possible; you’ll encounter valuable connections.
- Sustained 12-hour days are rarely productive; seek ways to optimize your workflow.
- Engage with a broad audience; talk to everyone.
Source: originally posted at talkingquickly.co.uk
Note: This rephrased article preserves the core insights from the original post while presenting them in a professional blog format suitable for a WordPress publication.
