If you could change one thing about the current startup ecosystem, what would it be?

How VCs talk about ”the team” but typicallt spends less time with the founder group than a normal interview process. Also - given how common founder conflicts are - there is very little done to help founders deal with that. (i.e. If I would be investing I would have group coach/therapy as a requirement for founder teams - would definitely increase probability of ROI)

Their pathetic lust for becoming a unicorn asap and losing focus from their products/services.

Great question! For VCs and incubators to stop turning startups into product factories to be sold to Tech Giants. This stifles innovation and results in what could be great products just become add-on features for tech giants.

I would recommend we all celebrate the smallest wins, and also celebrate indiehackers and bootstrapers more By the way, if you're interested in a hiring tech talent in Africa or want to make sense of the landscape, here's a LinkedIn newsletter to start: https://www.linkedin.com/build-r...

More publications from the boostrapping startups about their journey versus VC-backed ones. Startup isn’t always all fairytales

Easier understanding of government funds and grants for early-stage startups.

Better communications and cooperation between producers. When you help someone, 2 people get ahead. Them and you

I'd appreciate a digital culture more oriented towards the dream of technology, setting what we mostly have today behind. Who ever dreamt of doom-scrolling, trolls & online anti-social behaviour?

The bias of investors towards serial entrepreneurs, alma mater, and networks.

As an entrepreneur that used to work in a Venture Capital; value team effort over market speculation. 💪 Passionate entrepreneurs can drive innovation! 🚀

To let every founder know from Day 1 that raising money from VCs isn't something straight up more glamorous than bootstrapping. I heard about it earlier but only deeply understand it after 5 years of being a founder. Sure, VC money can possibly bring success faster, but if you don't have the experience to pick an investor wisely and got a toxic one in your company, if not your board member, it can be the reason leading to failure for your company. Investor-founder matching is like a marriage (I mean, literally), having a toxic partner can screw you in many big ways - especially product flexibility. They can also drain your mental health. Think twice before getting into the route of being venture-backed. @vladimir_zivkovic what's yours!

I would like to see less investment received by strange people with inflated egos and idiotic ideas. If you have a profitable startup with high growth rates but the most common, but for such a startup, it is much more difficult to raise funding than a startup on steroids with a crazy team that does not even understand how to make money.

To make it easier to attract investors at an early stage, rather than when the company is already profitable.

Just sign-up and I'm already loving the user experience.

Great question! In the current startup ecosystem, one thing I would love to see is more accessible and effective learning opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Knowledge is the key to success, and having a platform that empowers individuals to learn and develop their skills can make a significant impact on their startup journey. Speaking of learning, have you checked out ProApp? It's an edtech application that focuses on helping people learn design and other essential skills to thrive in the startup world. It's designed to provide an interactive and engaging learning experience, which we believe is crucial for anyone looking to make their mark in the startup ecosystem. You can learn more about ProApp and our mission to enhance startup education on our Product Hunt launch page: (https://www.producthunt.com/prod...) Let me know if you have any more questions or if there's anything else I can help you with! 😊

Less bloated startup rounds and evaluations. It doesn't benefit others.

Incentivize startups to consider ethics. Startups are often laser-focused on growth. I'd like to see more incentives or regulations that encourage startups to think deeply about the ethical implications of their technologies early on.

More programs in high school to get students to consider the entrepreneurship pathway

grow it slower

I completely agree with the comment about mental health written by someone. Often, those who enter a startup early are the ones who suffer the most because they have to do more since there is no existing foundation yet. This leaves room for newcomers who join later, feeling more refreshed and with a (20%) base already prepared for a viable product. Therefore, I would change the evaluation and distribution of the workload, as it remains the same even though the early employees are the ones who suffer the most. I would also change the way we communicate, accepting complaints and suggestions regarding workflow changes that could ease and streamline stress.