Ten Things I Learned Building Startups
After ten years of building startups — some that worked, some that did not — here is what I know to be true. These are not platitudes from a business book. These are lessons that cost real money, real time, and real relationships to learn.
Speed Wins Everything
The single biggest advantage a startup has is speed. Not capital, not talent, not technology — speed. The ability to make a decision on Monday and ship it on Friday is worth more than any amount of funding.
Every process, every meeting, every approval chain that slows you down is a tax on your most valuable asset. Guard your speed jealously.
Hire for Slope, Not Intercept
The person who is learning fastest will outperform the person who knows the most — given enough time. And at a startup, you always have more time than you think.
The best early hire I ever made was someone with two years of experience who learned faster than anyone I had met. Within six months she was outperforming people with a decade more experience.
Revenue Solves Most Problems
When in doubt, focus on revenue. Not metrics, not engagement, not growth — revenue. Money from customers is the clearest signal that you are building something valuable, and it gives you the freedom to make every other decision from a position of strength rather than desperation.