Aidi — Building a Startup: What No One Tells You as a First-Time Founder

First time founders and getting unsolicited advice/tips from people who have superficial knowledge about building a startup go hand in hand like bread and butter or like 5 & 6. A perfect pair.

The moment you tell someone you’re thinking about building a startup, chances are you’ll hear a lot of “Do this and that to scale quickly”, “You just need to do this and this like this XYZ did, and boom, you’ll start cashing out before you know it”, blah blah blah. Everyone has takes, quotes, or assumptions on what it’s like to be a startup founder based on some success stories they’ve seen, and also out of the goodwill of their hearts to see you run your startup well and be successful.

But here’s the truth, the founder journey is one of those things you don’t really understand until you’re knee-deep in it. It’s just like childbirth– no matter how many stories or tips you hear, you won’t really get it until you go through it yourself. Everyone’s journey, though similar, is still unique in its own way. What worked for Mr. A may not work for you.

So, let’s break it down. 

Here’s what everyone tells you about building a startup but what they often DON'T:

"You’ll be your own boss! You’ll have freedom!”

Yes, you’ll be your own boss but here are other things you will also be: your own marketer, customer support rep, social media manager, sales rep, accountant, and sometimes even your own therapist. As for the “freedom”, yes, you will escape the 9–5 routine, but you will probably replace it with a 24/7. If the reason you’re starting a company is to escape being bossed around and to become the “boss”, you’re in for a turbulent ride. Ask any experienced founder you know.

"Get a VC onboard and raise money early to scale fast!”

Venture Capital is truly a great way to raise money fast for your startup to scale. However, it can also be the first step to killing your startup if you don’t know what you’re doing, are desperate for quick success, and you don’t do it right. Raising money sounds fancy but it is not; it is a full-time job that can come with many sour experiences. Pitching takes weeks or months, and rejection can become a daily experience. Even when you do raise, it comes with expectations, pressure, and giving up a slice of your company. Venture capital is not a shortcut to success, it can only help you accelerate growth. If not done properly, it can burn you.

"It’s a risky, uncertain path. Most startups fail.”

Building a startup is risky; very risky, but it is also very rewarding. You’ll grow in ways you never imagined. You’ll learn to think clearly, sell confidently, adapt quickly, and lead people. And the most beautiful part is seeing something that once existed only in your mind come to life and make a real impact in people’s lives. Yes, many startups fail and the failure stories are loud. But that doesn’t mean yours will too. Many startups have succeeded and the success stories out there are equally loud. But here’s the thing, even if your startup does fail, the experience gained on the journey is priceless and there’s also room to start all over and do it better. Don’t expect to fail, but don’t expect it would be smooth sailing either.

"You need a co-founder who complements your skills.”

Who said? Building a startup is like a marriage (minus the romance); disagreements and miscommunications are inevitable. Having a co-founder who only complements your skills is not enough. Instead having a co-founder whose vision, grit, and values complement yours as much as their skills, can set your startup on the right path. Building a startup will test your friendship and values, but when it works, it works! You need a co-founder who balances you and complements you in everything, not just your skills.

"You need to hustle to be successful”

Truly, building a startup means you’ll have to hustle– building back to back for days, having sleepless nights for months, etc. But hustling is not all there is to building a startup. Burnout is real and if you’re not careful, can affect everything you’ve spent days and months working hard to build. Many founders are often so busy pushing forward that they ignore their health, relationships, and even their sanity. You can’t hustle your way through a breakdown. The real flex is building a healthy and sustainable routine while building a high-growth business (work-life balance).

In the end, starting a company is not for the faint hearted. It’s hard, it can be very lonely at times, and there will be days you ask yourself, “Why am I doing this again?” or “Who sent me?” But it’s also one of the most rewarding and meaningful things you can do, and one of the fastest ways to grow. Every founder on the founder-journey has a unique experience and story, and that story is yours to write.