Startup, Sweat, Tears
Leo Tolstoy opens Anna Karenina with, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” This applies to startups too: successful startups share certain traits—strong product-market fit, effective teams, good timing—while failed ones each have their unique reasons for falling short. One might struggle with team issues, another with timing, another with a disconnect from its market.
Here are a few core lessons I’ve learned from my own ventures:
1. Communication Is Everything
Without effective communication, even the best team or product is bound to stumble. Share your thoughts and feedback openly, and raise concerns as soon as they come up. I learned this the hard way. In the past, I held back too much, raised concerns once or twice, and then let them go if I saw no action—only to watch things go down a path I didn’t support. Looking back, I should have been more persistent, willing to stand my ground, or even walk away if it wasn’t a good fit. Avoiding conflict doesn’t solve problems—it just delays them, making them harder to fix later.
And always give direct feedback to teammates. Be constructive, but back your points with data rather than feelings. Good communication can go far, but without evidence, it’s like building on sand.
2. Build for the User, Not the Team
Ultimately, the user—not the team—will use the product. I’ve made the mistake of letting the team’s assumptions drive product decisions without validation from actual users. Now I know that feedback from real users is essential at every stage, and the earlier, the better. People are forgiving of early-stage products, but as the polish builds, so do expectations. In a startup, solve one real pain point rather than adding “nice-to-haves” that bigger players can afford.
Remember, the customer is always right. Their feedback, not the team’s preferences, should be your north star.
3. Find Product-Market Fit Early
When you’re headed in the wrong direction, working harder only takes you further from your goal. Many smart people invest years into ideas that haven’t been market-validated, realizing too late they missed the mark. Decisions should be data-driven, not emotional. Once a product is polished, it’s harder to pivot—so don’t build a “Ferrari for cats” only to discover they don’t need or want it. Instead, launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), get it out there, gather user feedback, and iterate.
Most successful startups go through many rounds of launching and refining before hitting the right fit.
And Finally…
Life happens: Keep an emergency fund, even if you’re going all-in. Unexpected events can and will come up, so make sure you’re financially prepared.
Remote work is challenging in the early days: Ideally, the core team should be close enough to meet in person when needed. Think of it like dating—some long-distance relationships work, but they’re tough to start that way. Startups already have a high failure rate, so avoid making things harder if you can.
These lessons come from real experience—some harder than others. I hope they help you tackle your own startup journey with a few extra tools in your kit.