The best startup advice doesn't come from conference stages or $2,000 courses.
It comes from 2 AM Reddit posts where exhausted founders share what they've learned after burning through their life savings.
Reddit's entrepreneur communities are where the real conversations happen.
No PR spin, no sugar-coating, no affiliate links to "game-changing" tools. Just founders sharing their actual experiences.
Our team spent weeks immersed in these communities, collecting the most practical and actionable advice from people who've actually shipped products.
What follows are 58 hard-won lessons that could save you months of mistakes and thousands of dollars in wasted effort.
Let’s explore.
Validation & Finding Your Idea (Before You Build Anything)
Starting with the wrong idea is expensive. Really expensive. Here's how to validate your concept before you waste months building something nobody wants.
1. Sell It Before You Build It
This tip came up in every Reddit thread about validation. Create a landing page. Write the copy as if your product already exists. Add a "buy now" button or waitlist signup.
Run a small ad campaign. See if people actually try to purchase.
A "will pay" signal beats a "that's interesting" comment every time. If people won't give you money for a simple landing page, they won't buy your finished product either.
Pro tip: Ask for a $5 pre-order or letter of intent. Real money reveals real demand.
Building a SaaS? Our dynamic team of UX designers and developers will help you ship faster without sacrificing quality.
Book a call with us to learn more.
2. Don't Ask "Would You Use This?"
People lie. They don't mean to, but they do.
When you ask, "Would you use this?" you get polite answers. Everyone says, "Yeah, that sounds cool," because they don't want to hurt your feelings.
Ask this instead: "What do you use to solve this problem right now?"
If they say "nothing" or "I just deal with it," they don't have a burning problem. If they say "I use Excel" or mention a clunky workaround, you might have something.
The rule: People who aren't actively looking for a solution probably don't need your solution.
3. Solve a Problem for Yourself First
Build something you desperately want to exist. You'll understand the problem better than anyone else.
You are your first customer. You know exactly what's frustrating about current solutions. You can test your product obsessively because you actually use it.
This doesn't mean your problem is universal. But it means you start with one confirmed user who will give you honest feedback: you.
One successful SaaS founder built invoicing software because he hated QuickBooks. He knew every pain point intimately.
4. The "Remove a Step" Model
Twitter's founder, Ev Williams, shared this approach. Take something people already do. Remove a step or make it much easier.
Don't try to create entirely new behaviors. That's expensive and slow. Instead, improve existing workflows.
Success stories:
- Stripe removed payment processing complexity
- Zoom removed video call setup friction
- Slack removed email threading confusion
The question: What do your customers do that takes too many steps?
5. Set Failure Metrics for Your Idea
Don't just "fail fast." Fail scientifically.
Before you start building, decide what failure looks like. Write it down. Be specific.
Some examples:
- If I can't get 10 paying customers after 400 cold emails, I'll pivot.
- If my conversion rate stays below 2% after 1,000 visitors, I'll change the concept
- If I can't get 20 discovery calls scheduled in 30 days, I'll try a different market
This prevents endless iteration on dead ideas. You'll know when to quit instead of spending years hoping things improve.
6. Dominate a Micro-Niche
Don't try to be 1% of a huge market. Be 80% of a tiny market first.
Founders consistently recommend starting small and specific. Find 1,000 people who desperately need your solution. Serve them perfectly.
Examples:
- QuickBooks started with small business accounting, not all accounting
- Zoom focused on business video calls, not all video communication
- Mailchimp targeted email newsletters, not all marketing
The approach: Get deep market penetration in a small pond. Then expand the pond.
7. Don't Be a "Founder in a Room."
Building in isolation for months is startup suicide. You launch with zero followers, zero trust, and zero customers.
Start building an audience while you build your product. Share your process. Post updates. Engage in communities where your customers hang out.
Here’s what you can do:
- Document your building process on social media
- Answer questions in relevant forums and subreddits
- Write about problems you're solving before you solve them
- Share early prototypes and get feedback
The goal: Launch day should feel like a continuation, not a beginning.
8. Your Real MVP is a Conversation
Before you write any code, have 20 conversations with potential customers. Real conversations. Not surveys.
Listen for urgency in their voice. Are they frustrated with current solutions? Do they actively look for alternatives? Have they tried to solve this problem before?
What to listen for:
- Emotional language about current pain points
- Stories about workarounds they've tried
- Willingness to pay for a solution
- Timeline pressure ("I need this by...")
Red flags: Polite interest, vague problems, no current solution attempts.
9. Check for Competitors (That's Good News)
No competitors often means no market. Competitors prove people pay for solutions in this space.
When you find competitors, don't panic. Get excited. Then find your angle.
Include the following steps in your research:
- Study their pricing models
- Read their customer reviews and complaints
- Find gaps in their service
- Look for underserved customer segments
- Check their marketing messages
The opportunity: Every competitor's weakness is your potential strength.
10. Listen for Problems, Not Solutions
Customers describe problems well. They design solutions poorly.
When someone says, "I wish there was an app that..." ignore everything after "that." Focus on the problem they're trying to solve.
Your job is to understand the pain point. Their job is experiencing it. Don't let customers become your product manager.
The approach: Ask "Why is that a problem?" until you understand the root issue. Then design your own solution.
Building Your Product (The "Get It Done" Phase)
Let’s say you've validated your idea. Now comes the next challenge: building something people will pay for.
Here's how Reddit's most successful founders approach the building phase.
11. You Should Be Embarrassed by Your MVP
If you're not embarrassed by your first version, you launched too late. This was the most repeated advice across startup communities.
Your MVP should do one thing well. Not ten things, okay.
What "embarrassed" looks like:
- Manual processes you haven't automated yet
- Basic design that looks homemade
- Features you know you need but haven't built
- Workflows that require your personal involvement
A success story: One founder launched a project management tool with no user authentication. Every user shared the same dashboard. It was embarrassing. It also proved demand before he built complex user systems.
12. The "Big 3" Daily Tasks
Early-stage founders should only do three things each day:
- Write code (or build the product)
- Talk to customers (validate and sell)
- Exercise (stay mentally healthy)
Everything else is a distraction. Marketing automation, business cards, networking events, podcast appearances—all secondary until you have product-market fit.
The rule: If your daily task list has more than three priorities, you don't have priorities.
13. Avoid "Fake Work."
Reddit founders are brutal about calling out fake work. Activities that feel productive but don't move the needle.
Classic fake work examples:
- Endless networking events with other founders
- Designing company merchandise
- Optimizing your logo for the fifth time
- Reading every startup blog and newsletter
- Attending conferences to "learn"
Real work: Building features, talking to users, fixing bugs, making sales calls.
Ask yourself: Will this task directly result in more users or a better product
If not, skip it.
14. Your Enemy is Time, Not Competitors
Startups die from suicide, not murder. They run out of time, money, or founder energy before competitors kill them.
Stop obsessing over what others are building. Focus on your users and your product.
Most founders spend more time analyzing competitors than talking to their own customers. That's backwards.
Better use of time:
- Fix user-reported bugs
- Improve conversion rates
- Streamline onboarding
- Build the next most-requested feature
15. Vote on Every New Feature
Feature creep kills more MVPs than bad code. Every potential feature needs ruthless prioritization.
Reddit's most successful founders use this framework: If it's not a "hell yes" that solves a core problem, it's a "no for now."
The voting system:
- Must solve a problem 80%+ of users have
- Must be technically feasible with current resources
- Must move your core metrics (retention, conversion, etc.)
- Must fit your product vision
Default answer: "Great idea. Adding it to our list for after we nail the core experience."
16. Understand "Systems" Matter
A successful business isn't just a product. It's repeatable systems for everything.
Document these early, even when you're small:
- How you onboard new users
- How you handle customer complaints
- How you deploy code updates
- How you create content
- How you follow up with leads
Why this matters: Systems let you scale without breaking things. They also make delegation possible when you can afford to hire.
17. AI Amplifies You; It Doesn't Replace You
You don't need 10 developers anymore. You need 1-3 people who understand their domain and can use AI to be 10x more productive.
Examples taken from Startup communities
- Solo founders building complex apps with AI coding assistance
- Two-person teams handling customer support for thousands of users
- Marketing teams of one creating content at scale
The key: Deep domain expertise + AI tools. AI can't replace understanding your users, your market, or your technical architecture.
18. The "Obscurity" Phase is the Hardest
The hardest part of building isn't failure. It's obscurity. The long stretch when nothing breaks, but nothing moves either.
Most founders quit during this phase. It's boring. No crisis to solve. No exciting wins. Just steady, incremental work.
This phase separates real founders from people who liked the idea of being a founder. Push through it.
What obscurity looks like:
- Small but steady user growth
- Features are working but not being discovered
- Good product metrics but low awareness
- Slow progress that feels like no progress
Survival strategy: Focus on small daily improvements. Track leading indicators, not just growth numbers. Remember that overnight success usually takes years.
Now, let’s explore how other SaaS founders land their first users.
Early Growth & Getting Your First Users
How do you get people to actually use your product? Reddit's most successful founders swear by these tactics for early growth.
19. Do Unscalable Things
This is the golden rule of early-stage growth. While you're small, your advantage is doing things that don't scale.
Big companies can't personally onboard every user. You can.
Big companies can't respond to every support email in 10 minutes. You can.
The mindset: If it feels inefficient, you're probably doing it right.
20. The Airbnb Example That Changed Everything
Airbnb's founders went door-to-door taking professional photos of listings. This cost thousands of dollars. It took weeks. It was completely unscalable.
It also saved their company. Professional photos increased booking rates by 40%. Users started trusting the platform.
The lesson: Find your version of door-to-door photos. What can you do personally that creates outsized value?
21. The Wufoo Thank-You Note Strategy
Wufoo's founders sent handwritten thank-you notes to every new user. Every single one.
This sounds crazy when you're thinking about scaling to millions of users. But they weren't there yet. They needed 100 users who absolutely loved them.
Result: Fanatically loyal early users who became their best marketers.
Your version: What personal touch can you add that makes users feel special? Personal onboarding calls? Custom setup? Direct founder contact?
22. Recruit Your First Users Manually
Don't wait for users to find you. Go get them.
Proven tactics:
- Cold email people who fit your target customer profile
- DM potential users on social media
- Attend events where your customers gather
- Knock on doors if your product serves local businesses
The numbers game: Plan to personally reach out to 500+ people to get your first users. It's brutal but necessary.
23. Provide Genuine Help in Niche Forums
Find where your target users hang out online. Go there. Don't promote anything. Just be helpful.
The process:
- Join relevant subreddits, X Spaces, or forums
- Spend 2-3 weeks just reading and understanding the community
- Start answering questions with genuinely helpful responses
- Don’t mention your product unless directly asked
One founder got 60% of his early users from being helpful in niche forums for six months.
24. The 10x Conversion Hack
Genuine help in forums converts 10x better than cold outreach.
Why it works:
- You build trust before asking for anything
- You demonstrate expertise in their problem area
- You reach people actively seeking solutions
- Community members vouch for your helpfulness
Timeline: Expect this to take months, not weeks. But the quality of users you get makes it worth it.
25. Repurpose Your Best Forum Answers
Take your most helpful forum responses and turn them into blog posts. Now you have SEO content based on proven demand.
The process:
- Save your detailed answers to common questions
- Expand them into 800-1000-word blog posts
- Optimize for the exact keywords people searched for
- Link back to relevant forum discussions
These help more people and build organic search traffic.
26. Start SEO on Day One
Don't wait until you have a budget for organic marketing. Start creating content immediately.
A simple SEO strategy:
- Write 2-3 blog posts per week
- Target long-tail keywords your customers actually search for
- Answer specific questions your users ask
- Build topical authority in your niche
Timeline expectation: SEO takes 6-12 months to pay off. That's exactly why you should start now.
27. "Money Follows Media"
Share your journey publicly. Build in public as much as possible.
What to share:
- Weekly progress updates
- User feedback and how you're responding
- Behind-the-scenes building process
- Metrics and milestones (even small ones)
- Lessons learned from failures
Founders who document their journey attract users, investors, and potential teammates organically.
Practical Marketing & Growth Hacks
If you’re struggling in your growth stage, then these practical tips would bring you clarity.
28. The "Oops! I Forgot the Link" Email
This email hack gets mentioned constantly on marketing threads. Here's how it works:
Send your marketing email without the important link. Wait 1-5 minutes. Send a follow-up email: "Oops, here's the link!"
The results: Open rates on the second email often hit 60-80%. Click-through rates double or triple.
Why it works: People assume it's a personal mistake, not marketing. The "oops" email feels more human and urgent.
But don't overuse this. Once per quarter, maximum, or people catch on.
29. Hide Retargeting Cookies for 45 Seconds
Stop paying to retarget people who bounced immediately. Set your retargeting pixel to only fire after 45 seconds on your site.
The logic: Someone who leaves in 2 seconds wasn't interested. Someone who stays 45+ seconds was actually reading your content.
One founder cut retargeting costs by 60% while improving conversion rates. You're targeting genuinely interested people, not accidental clicks.
30. Bid on Competitors' Keywords in Gmail
Use Gmail ads to target people receiving emails from your competitors.
The setup: When someone gets a newsletter from Competitor X, your ad appears in their Gmail. Your message: "Looking for an alternative to Competitor X?"
Reddit success story: B2B SaaS founder got 30% of his enterprise customers this way. Cost per acquisition was 40% lower than Google Ads.
Best practices tell us to make the ad helpful, not negative.
Focus on what you do better, not what they do wrong.
31. "Message Match" Your Ads to Landing Pages
Make sure the message or offer you have in the ad matched to your landing pages.
The problem is that many founders send ad traffic to generic homepages. People can't find what the ad promised.
Reddit rule: Every ad needs its own landing page with matching headlines, copy, and value proposition.
Ever created various versions of landing pages?
Conversion impact: Message matching can double conversion rates. People see exactly what they expected from the ad.
32. Use Pre-Filled Form Fields
If you already know someone's name or email from a previous step, pre-fill it in your forms.
It matters as every removed click increases conversion. Every field someone doesn't have to type reduces friction.
Implementation examples:
- Email signup to product demo (pre-fill email)
- Ad click to trial signup (pre-fill company name from ad targeting)
- Blog reader to newsletter signup (pre-fill email if they're logged in)
33. Move the "Company Info" Field
Small form optimization with big results. Move company-related questions to step 2 of multi-step forms.
One founder tested moving "company size" and "industry" fields from step 1 to step 2. Rage quits dropped by 40%.
Why it works: Personal info (name, email) feels less invasive than business info. People commit to step 1, then complete step 2 because they've already started.
34. One-Click Webinar Registration
If someone is already on your email list, auto-register them for webinars with special URLs.
The setup: Email link includes their info as URL parameters. Landing page auto-fills and submits the registration form. One click and they're registered.
Some people achieved 3x higher webinar attendance rates compared to standard registration forms.
Bonus hack: Send a calendar invite immediately after one-click registration. Most people add it to their calendar right away.
35. Target Your Competitors' Job Posting Viewers
Run ads targeting people who viewed your competitors' job listings. They're clearly interested in that industry and might be unhappy with current solutions.
The approach: "Considering working at Competitor X? Here's what we're building instead..."
Job seekers research companies thoroughly. They understand industry problems. They might become customers or employees.
36. The "Soft Paywall" Content Strategy
Give away 80% of valuable content. Gate the final 20% behind an email signup.
Implementation steps:
- Write comprehensive guides
- Include actionable steps throughout
- Gate the final checklist, template, or bonus section
- Require email for the "complete version"
Conversion rates: Much higher than gating entire articles. People see the value before deciding to share their email.
37. Use Exit-Intent Popups (But Do Them Right)
Most exit-intent pop-ups are annoying. But you can make them valuable.
Wrong way: "Wait! Don't leave! 10% off!"
Right way: "Before you go, want the checklist that summarizes everything you just read?"
Best practices:
- Offer something specific to the page they're leaving
- Make it immediately useful
- Don't ask for much information
- Test different offers for different page types
38. Create "Versus" Comparison Pages
Build landing pages comparing your product to each major competitor. Optimize them for "[Your Product] vs [Competitor]" searches.
I’m sure you’ve seen this before.
Content strategy:
- Be honest about both strengths and weaknesses
- Focus on use cases where you're clearly better
- Include real customer quotes about switching
- Link to free trials or demos
SEO benefit: These pages often rank quickly and convert well. People searching for comparisons are close to buying.
39. The LinkedIn "Value-First" Outreach
Instead of pitching your product in LinkedIn messages, share something valuable first.
A template that works: "Hi [Name], saw your post about [specific problem]. I wrote a guide about [related solution] that might be helpful. No strings attached. Just thought you'd find it useful. [Link]"
Follow-up: Wait for them to engage with your content. Then mention your product as a "by the way, we also built something for this..."
Response rates: 10-15x higher than direct sales pitches.
The challenge here is to qualify leads. It takes time, or perhaps you can use signal-based outreach tools.
Team, Money & Operations
When you run a startup, you face various challenges, including managing money, building a team, and creating systems that actually work.
Here's Reddit's hard-won wisdom.
40. Never Pay Anyone to Help You Raise Money
This is a massive red flag. Real mentors and advisors help for free or for equity. Anyone asking for upfront fees to "help you raise money" is running a scam.
Warning signs:
- Guaranteed funding promises
- Upfront fees before introductions
- No track record with actual companies
- Pressure to "act fast" on their services
What legitimate help looks like: Introductions to their network, feedback on your pitch, advice based on their experience. No money changes hands until you actually raise funds.
41. Don't Hire Friends or Family
This advice appears in many threads about startup mistakes. It's too hard to manage them, fire them, or have difficult conversations.
Why it fails:
- You can't give honest feedback without damaging relationships
- They might expect special treatment or flexibility
- Firing them ruins both the business relationship and personal relationship
- Other employees notice the different standards
Instead, hire people who can become friends, not friends who might become employees.
42. Run as Sole Proprietor Until You Have To
Don't spend thousands on incorporation, lawyers, and accountants on day one. Start simple until you have actual revenue or need investment.
When to stay simple:
- Revenue under $50k annually
- No employees
- No investment needed immediately
When to incorporate:
- Raising investment
- Revenue growing rapidly
- Liability concerns in your industry
Reddit savings: Multiple founders saved $5k-10k by waiting to incorporate until they actually needed it.
43. Always Have Your Books in Order
Even if it's just a spreadsheet, track every expense and revenue source from day one. Good books save you whether you succeed or fail.
Minimum tracking:
- All business expenses with categories
- Revenue by source and date
- Monthly profit/loss summaries
- Cash flow projections (3-6 months out)
Investors, acquirers, and even bankruptcy lawyers need clean financial records. Start organized, stay organized.
44. Cash Flow is King. Period.
A profitable company with no cash dies just as fast as an unprofitable one. Learn to forecast and manage your money flows.
Cash flow killers:
- Customers who pay Net 30/60/90
- Seasonal revenue fluctuations
- Large upfront expenses
- Unexpected equipment/software costs
Survival tactics:
- Keep 3-6 months of expenses in the bank
- Invoice immediately, follow up aggressively
- Negotiate better payment terms with vendors
- Plan major expenses around revenue cycles
45. Don't Be Afraid to Charge More
This is the #1 mistake Reddit founders admit to making. They underprice everything and then can't afford to grow.
Pricing psychology: You can always offer discounts later. It's much harder to raise prices on existing customers.
Testing approach:
- Raise prices for new customers first
- A/B test different price points
- Watch conversion rates, not just revenue
- Ask customers what they'd pay before you set prices
Reddit insight: If no one complains about your pricing, you're probably too cheap.
46. Your Team is More Important Than Your Clients
A great team will figure out how to get and keep great clients. A broken team will lose good clients even with a perfect product.
Investment priority:
- Hire slowly and carefully
- Create clear communication systems
- Build a strong company culture early
- Handle conflicts immediately
- Protect team morale over individual client demands
Reddit warning: Don't sacrifice your team's well-being for difficult clients. Fire clients who make your team miserable.
47. Consciously Build Your Culture
Culture isn't ping pong tables and free snacks. It's what people do when you're not watching. You can build it intentionally or let it happen randomly.
Early culture decisions:
- How you handle mistakes (learning vs. punishment)
- Communication style (direct vs. diplomatic)
- Work schedule expectations (flexibility vs. rigid hours)
- Decision-making process (collaborative vs. top-down)
- Customer service standards
Reddit lesson: Small companies can't fix culture problems later. Set good patterns when you're tiny.
48. Hire Slowly. Fire Quickly.
Bad hires cost 10x their salary in lost time, damaged morale, and missed opportunities. Be methodical about hiring, ruthless about performance.
Hiring process Reddit swears by:
- Define exactly what success looks like in the role
- Use trial projects or contract work first
- Check references thoroughly (not just the ones they provide)
- Look for people who've solved similar problems before
Firing indicators: If you're wondering whether to fire someone, you probably should. Trust your instincts early.
49. Raising Capital Takes 2x Longer Than You Think
Fundraising becomes your full-time job. Plan for it to take 6+ months and be much harder than you expect.
Here’s what to expect regarding to timeline
- 2-3 months: Preparing materials and initial outreach
- 3-4 months: Meetings, follow-ups, due diligence
- 1-2 months: Final negotiations and paperwork
Don't start fundraising when you have 3 months of runway left. Start when you have 9-12 months.
Raise money when you don't need it. Desperation shows, and investors can smell it.
Final category coming up: All the systems and money management won't matter if you burn out. Here's how successful founders maintain their sanity and keep going when everything feels impossible...
Founder Mindset & Self-Care
You can build the perfect product, nail your marketing, and manage money like a pro. But if you burn out, none of it matters. Here's how you can stay sane and keep going when everything feels impossible.
50. Be Ruthlessly Disciplined with Self-Care
This isn't lifestyle advice. It's a survival strategy. Founders who ignore their health don't make it past year two.
Non-negotiable basics:
- Eat regular meals (not just coffee and stress)
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily
- Sleep 7+ hours consistently
- Take at least one full day off per week
According to multiple statistics, burnout is the #1 cause of startup failure. Yet nobody talks about it.
Your business health depends on your personal health.
Warning signs: Sleeping 4 hours, skipping meals, not leaving your apartment for days, and feeling constantly overwhelmed.
51. Find a Mentor in Your Industry
Not a life coach or general business advisor. Find someone 5-10 years ahead of you who's solved the specific problems you're facing.
What good mentors provide:
- Tactical advice for your exact situation
- Introductions to relevant people
- Reality checks when you're overthinking
- Encouragement when things get dark
Reddit approach: Don't ask "will you be my mentor?" Ask for 15-minute advice calls about specific problems. Good relationships build naturally.
How to find them: Industry events, LinkedIn, mutual connections, customers who've worked at similar companies.
52. You and Your Business Are One
In the early days, there's no separation. Your business's health is your health. Your stress becomes the business's stress.
This means:
- Your mental state affects every business decision
- Your energy levels determine how much gets done
- Your relationships impact team morale
- Your financial stress clouds your judgment
Reddit insight: Accept this reality instead of fighting it. Manage yourself as carefully as you manage your business metrics.
53. Don't Listen to Advice (Including This)
The most ironic tip: Nobody knows the answers for your specific situation. Every piece of advice is just a data point.
Your business is unique because:
- Different market conditions
- Different customer behaviors
- Different team dynamics
- Different personal circumstances
- Different timing and competition
Be scientific about advice. Test what seems relevant. Ignore what doesn't apply. Trust your instincts over other people's certainties.
54. Accept That Most of the Time It's Just Confusion
Building a startup doesn't feel like the movies. Most days are "confusion, small wins, and fixing stuff you didn't even know was broken."
What normal actually looks like:
- Not knowing if you're making the right decisions
- Feeling behind on everything important
- Solving new problems every week
- Little progress that feels like no progress
- Constant uncertainty about the future
Almost all founders feel this way. Confusion is the process, not a sign you're failing.
55. Build a Support Network of Other Founders
Regular people can't understand what you're going through. Other founders can.
Find them in local meetups, online communities, accelerator programs, and industry events.
56. Track Personal Metrics Like Business Metrics
If you measure revenue and conversion rates, also measure your personal leading indicators.
Personal metrics that matter:
- Hours of sleep per night
- Days since last workout
- Stress level (1-10 scale daily)
- Time spent with friends/family
- Hours worked per week
- Days since last real break
Reddit tracking: Use the same tools and discipline for personal metrics as business metrics.
57. Prepare for the Emotional Rollercoaster
Startup emotions swing wildly. You'll feel like a genius one week and a complete failure the next. Both feelings are temporary.
Normal emotional patterns:
- Extreme highs after good news
- Deep lows when things go wrong
- Imposter syndrome when things go well
- Panic when faced with new challenges
- Loneliness from carrying everything
Expect these feelings. They're not signs you're not cut out for this. They're signs you're human.
58. Remember Why You Started
When everything gets difficult (and it will), you need a reason stronger than money to keep going.
Deeper motivations that sustain founders:
- Solving a problem you personally experienced
- Building something that helps a specific group of people
- Proving something to yourself
- Creating financial freedom for your family
- Building the company you wished existed
Write down your "why" when you're excited and motivated. Read it when you're not.
Wrapping Up
There you have it. 58 startup truths straight from the trenches.
These aren't theories from business school textbooks. They're battle-tested lessons from founders who've actually shipped products, lost sleep over runway, and figured out what works.
Will following every tip guarantee success? Of course not. Nothing can.
But these insights will help you avoid the expensive mistakes that kill most startups before they get started. They'll save you months of spinning your wheels on the wrong problems.
The founders sharing this advice didn't learn it from courses or conferences. They learned it by doing. By failing. By getting back up and trying again.
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P.S. Every successful startup began with someone who decided to stop planning and start building.
