Having a constant battle about whether you are building something worthwhile. Especially for very early-stage companies. Once you get validation, things change for the better. We at Better Stacks, are starting to get validation - slowly. It took us a while.
Report
@tanaylakhani That is the leap of faith we as founders have to take. 😌
Believe in our product and keep improving it as per the feedback from our users 🙂
@theterminalguy I have been working on Stacks for about a year. I made a ton of mistakes but learned a lot.
Few things I would say:
- try doing at least 3 prospective customer calls a week before you build a product.
- Discuss the problem statement without biases to your solution.
- Your first hire should be a virtual assistant that does LinkedIn / Twitter outreach or emails or any other platform where your audience is to get that customer calls on the calendar.
- show your designs to a few prospective customers before building (I spent 20k+ USD iterating because I didn't do this)
I started doing the above steps two months ago and have much better insight into the customer as well as the problem.
@tanaylakhani thanks for this, very helpful. How were you able to identify early customers and how did you find them? I'd love to learn about your approach. I have spent too much time building without actually talking to any potential customers. I'd like to end this asap
dealing with constant ups and downs. Almost any given day you get excellent news and not so good news all at the same time.
Like MRR growth is slow.
But cash on hand is great!
We made a major marketing win
But our app was down for 30 min.
Not for everyone
Report
thank you for sharing, we are entrepreneurs with a soul and faith and drive forward are the main weapons. Surrounding ourselves with the right people is also very important to get in touch and manage to spread what we are passionate about in the right way. We must be able to spread the passion we feel so that more people join us and contribute with theirs.
@karinachauvet
Absolutely, surrounding yourself with the right people is key to winning. The right ones make it easier and give not only honest opinions but suggest possible solutions
Report
For me it's having to work on every aspect of the company simultaneously. I'm a developer and that is where I feel the most natural but when it comes to founding implementation is only one of the many things that are required. I'm thankful to have committed team members helping to ease the load but it's still constant management and decision-making in fields that I am not as well versed in.
Since I’m a technical founder, marketing has been challenging but I’m learning
Report
@psd Challenging indeed, My go to is always speak on our value proposition and connect it back to our application via features and use cases
Report
I am the founder of Logomakerr.ai, a platform that utilizes AI to create logos in minutes, empowering startups and small businesses to develop impactful logo designs and branding packages that leave a lasting impression on prospects and consumers.
As a founder, one of the most demanding aspects is shouldering the significant responsibility and pressure that accompanies making crucial decisions and overseeing various aspects of the business.
Founders must navigate uncertainties, manage multiple tasks, and confront setbacks while maintaining a harmonious work-life balance. Nevertheless, the potential rewards of shaping and growing a business, combined with passion and perseverance, can outweigh these challenges and pave the way for success.
Loneliness; staying up late at night worrying about the business, I often felt that there was nobody in the company nor in my personal life who I could quite share that burden with.
@kaustumbh7 It is impossible to answer without knowing the parameters... the founder could be the tech lead, the sales lead, the inventor, or the CEO... the startup could be well funded or bootstrapped on the side while the founders work their full-time jobs.
Replies
Stacks - Your quiet corner
FlashApply
Stacks - Your quiet corner
FlashApply
FlashApply
LeadDelta
FlashApply
Lyrist
FlashApply
DiffSense
Anytype
Liffery
Liffery