What is your single best piece of advice for an early stage founder?

Lisa Dziuba
24 replies

Replies

Joshua Dance
Summer Bod 2020
Build a cupcake. Not the whole product (the cake), but enough to be valuable and give people a taste that they can buy. Build and launch a cupcake as soon as possible.
Lisa Dziuba
Don’t Panic by Lemon.io
@joshdance 🎂 100% agree
Rachana
@joshdance Thanks, I needed this advice :)
S.N.Dineshan
@joshdance I agree that it took me a while to understand.
Andrew 💥
Don't spend months building perfect, polished, fully functional MVP. > hack something simple with a no-code tool like Typedream or Softr 2.0 > start talking to customers and gathering feedback > quickly iterate, focus on value for the user > build something 100 people love, rather than 1,000 kinda like Heep (http://heep.so/) can match you with a no-code expert who works lean and can help you get started or power up.
Lisa Dziuba
Don’t Panic by Lemon.io
@the_andriy_bond Thanks for sharing!
Max Prilutskiy
My best piece of advice for an early-stage founder is to stay focused and determined. As the Stoic philosopher Epictetus once said, "First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." Starting a business can be incredibly challenging, and there will be plenty of obstacles and setbacks along the way. But if you are clear about your vision and stay committed to your goals, you can overcome anything. So, my advice is to stay true to yourself and your vision, and never let anything get in the way of your determination to succeed. With focus and persistence, you can turn your dreams into reality.
YassineCoder
The only thing I can say, be patient, work daily, share the value for free, good luck
Lisa Dziuba
Don’t Panic by Lemon.io
@krify_yassine working daily is easy when you see the results. At early stage startup, we can work without any results for months
Odun Odubanjo
Always think about and focus on the path to revenue. Some products take longer to get there but your most strategic moves will be those that cut down the time to money in the bank.
Trevor Lee
Myko Assistant
Myko Assistant
Never give up!
Lisa Dziuba
Don’t Panic by Lemon.io
@trevor_lee I think, founders should know when "to give up". If there is no product market fit, what's the point?
Olya Zabalkanska
If you are on the business side, find a technical co-founder to share your passion Launch early, don't wait to build ideal product
Lisa Dziuba
Don’t Panic by Lemon.io
@olya_zabalkanskaya it's not easy to find a tech co-founder :)
Olya Zabalkanska
@lisadziuba so true! but from our experience, if we had one, things would move much faster
Daria
Find a team that believes in your idea
Philip Snyder
Delphi — Digital Clone Studio
Delphi — Digital Clone Studio
Focus on the customer and the problem. Finding PMF should be main priority
Lisa Dziuba
Don’t Panic by Lemon.io
@philipsnyder PMF is magic hill for every startup.
Micky Nguyen
My best piece of advice for an early-stage founder is about finding a right co-founder: Look for an individual with skills and talents that will complement your own. The ideal co-founder will possess the skills you lack. Regardless of how great/potential your idea is, having wrong co-founder will lead to failure.
Alessandro Canella
You will eventually hit a point of self-doubt. Do not let it overwhelm you. Go through this period strongly. :)
Lisa Dziuba
Don’t Panic by Lemon.io
@alessandro_canella is this the time when you have no money left? :)
Alessandro Canella
@lisadziuba Not always! Self-doubt comes even when you have all the money in your pocket. Think about it.
Kevin Mayer
If you hate hiring, hire all your top people right away and then let them do the rest.