99% of first-time founders skip talking to customers...
...and almost always, the result is:
$0.
Why?
Because they’ve built something people don't actually need.
(Exactly what YC warns founders against.)
They dive straight into building.
They invest months into an unvalidated idea.
They launch...
Second-time founders do it differently.
They've felt the pain of guessing wrong.
They've wasted months (or years) building the wrong product.
Now, talking to customers every single week isn't just important—it's vital.
They never start building without real conversations.
They let customers shape the product roadmap.
They test ideas in calls, not guessing in meetings.
The difference is clear:
- First-timers guess if there's a market.
- Second-timers verify before investing effort.
TAKEAWAY
Build something people need.
The simplest path?
Talk to customers constantly.
Real conversations > Assumptions every single time.
Be honest in the comments: how many startups did you fail because you skipped talking to customers?
I'll start: At least a dozen. 🙈
________________________________
👍 Enjoyed this post? I'd really appreciate it if you dropped a like to support me. If not, just know I'll take it personally.
👋 Don't know me? I'm J.Y! I've been building things and making money online since 2017, and I share my entrepreneurial journey here on LinkedIn.