Building startups is in no way easy. I'm feeling slightly salty today, so here are some uncensored learnings from the recent journey 🧂.
It’s okay if your work doesn’t feel momentous at the moment.
It all adds up to something. The reality is that every small action compounds over time. Your seemingly insignificant idea today could be tomorrow's game-changer. Remember, every industry titan once stood in your shoes — March on.
Copy with Caution. Companies can be like Swans.
Swans are serene above water, paddling like crazy underneath. Don't be swayed by the outward perfection of other firms and copying them. Instead, focus on cultivating your organization's unique strengths and identity. Every home has a lot of sh*t inside.
Looking for reality is one thing. Endlessly weighing risks is an excuse not to act.
Startups can move fast and try things, so try things or get replaced. 90% of your job is trying new things, and you will likely take way more time than you expected. Time for a reality check.
In the age of AI, a basic MVP doesn’t cut it anymore. Improve your MVPs and
Everyone has an MVP and AI-generated content that augments it. So, spend time developing your thoughts and communicating your vision. That is something more and more people would appreciate as we evolve.
If you don’t have an expert in your team on a topic, maybe it’s time for you to be one.
The time you spend crying about how you don't have context is the time you could have spent getting the advantage. While it's true that people start companies in areas of their domain expertise, more successful companies have been built by outsiders than insiders.
When a lot of people have opinions, dismiss them.
Sometimes, it's best to slash the opinions of others. As a founder, you are the driving force. Crowdsourcing every decision can lead to stagnation. Trust in your insights and boldly steer your ship forward. Be decisive.
The easiest thing to do is to be a sceptic.
AI has many risks and shortcomings today – hallucinations, bias, data privacy, etc. But scepticism can also be cowardly. If a building is burning, shouting, fire-fire from a distance helps no one and doesn't give you a tiny hint of what's happening inside. Pick a bucket of water.
Dreams sometimes become nightmares.
As a spectator who is not getting their hands dirty, saying things like Dream big and shoot high is relatively very easy. The hard part is when these dreams turn into nightmares. It passes. Be resilient.
This is a concise post compared with what I usually write, but some things are just communicated best in a crisp format. Sleep on it and share it with someone who needs it.