What are the biggest mistakes that first-time founders make?
Abdal Yousef
34 replies
Anyone able to list 5-10 mistakes as a Not-to-do list?
Replies
Syed Arsalan Amin@arslandevs
ignoring distribution is the most common one.
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Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
@arslandevs Great point, Syed! Ignoring distribution can make or break a startup. Even the best products can fail without the right channels to reach their audience. What strategies have you found to be most effective in ensuring proper distribution?
Launching soon!
First-time founders often try to do everything themselves, burning out quickly. They also tend to overvalue their idea while underestimating execution.
Lancepilot
@bilalasif So, what's the alternative?
Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
@bilalasif I can't agree more, Delegation and a strong support network are key, but what if you don't have enough money to pay for freelancers? What would you do? Use the best AI-Tools?
Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
I think the best approach depends on your situation. If you're a solo founder with limited resources, leveraging tools for project management, content creation, and social media can help you stay organized and efficient.
Whether you have a team or not, it's important to maximize your productivity using available resources. While these tools can't do everything, they can significantly lighten the load and give you the bandwidth to focus on growth. Once your business generates enough revenue, you can start delegating more tasks to free up your time for strategy and vision.
@bilalasif @rhexai
Underestimating the time commitment. Running a startup is incredibly demanding, and many first-time founders underestimate the amount of time and energy it requires.
Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
@beautyrr_ Exactly, Astried! Many founders underestimate the time and energy it takes, which is why some give up before they even reach profitability. Staying persistent and managing expectations is key.
yup ignoring distribution
Launching soon!
Trying to protect things too much to not mess it up.
Giving up on distro/marketing too early/easily.
It's a couple of orders of magnitude harder than people realise - I hear a lot of stories like "I send twenty DMs on X and didn't make a sale, what now?".
I would expect that number to be 200 to yield a sale.
Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
@william_nash1 Couldn’t agree more, William. It’s all about persistence!
First-time founders often have to put in more effort than they initially expect. Building both personal and business brands, as well as earning trust and a follower base, can be especially challenging when you're doing it for the first time.
Overcomplicating the product before market validation... many founders build too many features too soon without a clear understanding of what their customers truly need.
Lancepilot
I agree with @arslandevs ignoring distribution. Can really set you back if you don't get it right.
I recently discovered that many first-time founders refuse to seek advice or mentorship.
In wanting to figure everything out themselves, they tend to make avoidable mistakes and miss crucial learning opportunities. There's no place for ego in business. The sooner they learn that...the better.
First-time founders often make mistakes like scaling too fast, ignoring market research, poor cash management, and neglecting feedback. Just like tracking **diamond prices in Egypt** requires careful attention to details and market trends, building a successful startup demands smart planning and adaptability.
Not validating product ideas early enough is a huge one. Spending months building something without deeply understanding the market need and getting real user feedback. Gotta ship fast, learn, and iterate based on actual customer insights vs operating in a vacuum.
Many founders jump in without knowing if there's a market for their product, leading to failures.
Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
@jonny_vince Completely agree, Jonny. Market validation is essential before diving in. It's surprising how often this gets overlooked!
Some get too attached to their ideas and don’t listen to customer input, missing out on improvements.
Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
@umar_aziz_ Absolutely, Umar! Being too attached to an idea can be a major pitfall. Listening to customer input is key to staying relevant.
Lacking clear objectives makes it easy to lose focus. Founders should define success and strive for it.
Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
@kelly_b_menchaca Spot on, Kelly. Clear objectives keep founders on track and help avoid getting lost in the day-to-day grind.
Launching soon!
Ignoring team recommendations and wasting budget on things that doesn't matter.
Jaeves: Content & Marketing AI Copilot
@moaz_ahmad Great point, Moaz! Ignoring team input can lead to missed opportunities and wasted resources. Team alignment is crucial.