99% of startups fail, and it’s because they make rookie mistakes.
Here are 5 key mistakes I see founders make all the time (and how to avoid them):
1. Trying to do too much
Focus your efforts on solving a specific problem for a specific audience. Stay narrow and niche at the beginning. When you truly solve a problem people care about, you can gradually expand.
2. Ignoring customer feedback
You may think you “know” your customers, but if you’re not continually speaking to them (weekly!), you have no idea how they’re feeling RIGHT NOW. Product and messaging require constant adaptation to current realities.
3. Not iterating fast enough
We pushed out 50+ BuddiesHR product updates in the last 12 months. Why? Because we deeply understand that product is “jobs-to-be-done” and we can never understand how we’re doing compared to the users we serve without shipping over and over again. Staleness is death.
4. Diving into code without talking to prospects
The fastest way to waste six months is by locking yourself in a basement and writing code without making sure what you’re building actually solves a problem. Instead, every week spend 40% of your time writing code and 60% talking to customers. You’ll get to the same place with less wasted code.
5. Co-Founder breakup
Nobody plans for a co-founder breakup, but they happen all the time. Before you move forward, make sure you have a deep values fit and know how you each work. Validate this by taking a trip together.
Startups are HARD.
Avoid these 5 mistakes and you’ll dramatically increase your chances of success.
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👋 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.