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If you work in startups, what's one tip you give to grow as a startup operator?
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There is nothing more powerful than building and nuturing a community, don't wait to start this as it takes time but it could be the difference between being number one and number two in a category.
@matthew_browne1 Thanks for sharing. Agreed, building a community takes a lot of time and is probably one of the most time consuming things to do. It's definitely worth it...
@matthew_browne1 I second you. I have build the biggest group of Digital Nomads 145000 members. Took me 5 years.
Speak to your users often and regularly and make it a good habit to learn from them. Consider them to be your first real co-founders.
For me is not getting too attached to my own ideas. I'm working on the first version of the product and a lot of ideas get scraped. I don't care what ideas of mine go to the trash bin, I trust my mentors and the only thing I care about is a successful launch. If advice helps me get closer to it, I do whatever is needed.
Find the right people, and trust them. Don't try and control everything - from holidays to working habits to tech-stack and tactics, let people have the flexibility to work how they work best!
Have a mind like water, Cozy up to the customer, Deeply understand the business model,Find the unsexy projects to drive impact fast, Align your personal values to the company mission, Relentlessly prioritize to avoid the wrong high-quality work, Pre-product/market fit? Focus on reducing risk, Solve the present (not future) problems, Think MVP, not perfection, Be ready to learn and teach in equal measure and many more.
Customers are not always right. We founders are sometimes are obsessed with collecting feedback and build our products around. I found on many occasions that customers do not know what they want. and founders must build and show before users understand the real value
Cut the noise (fears from the past, anxiety about future). Focus on the next step you need to take and give it your all.
Don't get distracted by the noise. Resources are always finite, you need to find the most efficient way to Product-Market Fit.
One of the lessons I got from Paul Graham is "Do NOT trust your instinct. Startups are so weird that if you trust your instincts, you'll make a lot of mistakes."
Also, pay much more attention in understanding your users well than in being a startup expert.
In my experience working in a tech startup, after spending a considerable amount of time slaving away in a traditional company setup, the most noticeable difference is the blurred lines of what you're supposed to do. While at first, it's weird, it's also a beautiful thing to nurture.
It's a constant well of challenges that if everyone in the team has their head in the game, the workplace definitely becomes more fun and exciting.
Bootstrap as much as you can.
Bootstrapping is going to give you two very large benefits.
1. You are going to be forced to figure out the ways to make money.
2. The longer you survive, the more of the market you cover, and the more money you make as a boostrapped startup the more leverage you will have when being valued.
Patience, determination, focus.
Be patience as results won't come in a day. AB testing will help you pave the way to achieve your long term goals.
Determination is key to value )and overcome) the failures you'll face.
Focus on simple, proveable metrics.
Always remember that flexibility is key, and don't hesitate to pivot when necessary.
Adapt QUICKLY. You are finding your feet. You have few tried and tested processes. You have endless amount of decisions to make. You will make less than optimal decisions. So pay attention and adapt quickly.
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