Startup lessons for first time founders

Startups are hard work but think ofthe money, the freedom, the self-actualisation

Lesson #1

Solve a real problemNo problem? No startup.

I got 99 problems and your startup needs to solve one of them.

Lesson #2

Talk to people

Seriously. Speak to your target audience. How do you know if you are solving the right problems?

Lesson #3

Make version 1 simplerKill features

Working on version 1? Make it simpler. Get focused. Build one great feature that people love.

Lesson #4

Read everything Neil Patel writes

He's the digital marketing king.

(Google him once you've read all the lessons)

Lesson #5

Do thingsthat don't scale

Paul Graham said this (Google him).

He's talking about the early days. As you prove your model you can worry about automating everything.

Lesson #6

For f#ck sakesFOCUS

Focus on your target audience. Be in their headspace, always. And always focus on your current project. Nothing else matters.

Lesson #7

GetDiiiiiirty

Be prepared to do everything. In a startup you're the office manager, the cleaner, the accountant, the product guy / girl, the marketer, the HR manager, and sometimes the coder too.

Lesson #8

GetCustomers

Don't start your journey looking for investment. Some do. Yay for them. Having customers is more powerful. Paying customers are cool. Investors love that sh#t. It makes them feel fuzzy and more likely to invest.

Lesson #9

Preach

Sing it from the rooftops. Pitch. Get in peoples faces. Never stop talking about your product. Put your laptop in front of people and make them sign up. Don't hide behind an NDA.

Lesson #10

Go greengreen buttons convert the best

There are real people who test this stuff. They watch Star Wars on repeat and hang from the ceiling, but purple is definitely in. You should test too. Always!

Lesson #11

Change to orangeOrange buttons are 2nd best

If purple simply won't work for your design then go orange. It's the second highest converting button colour.

Lesson #12

Be Lean

Get to market quickly with less money spent. Then learn from your users & iterate accordingly.

Lesson #13

Don't (or do)work at home

Surround yourself with people. You need to talk to people and discuss your product. Startup focused co-working spaces work well. Coffee shops are ok too, but try co-working. You'll find other smart people there.

*written pre-Covid. Working from home is good but don't isolate yourself or your ideas.

Lesson #14

Get the rightTeam

You either need a great co-founder or a great team of suppliers. Actually, they need to be more than suppliers ... partners. You need great developers, great marketers, and a team that will go the extra mile with you.

Lesson #15

You areAwesome!

Never stop believing in yourself. If you believe in what you are doing, keep going. Remember that some of the best investors didn't like the biggest startups in the world when they were first approached. Set backs are part of the journey. Keep going!