Category: startup

1. Fail Well. You’ve heard it a million times before: ideas are easy; execution is hard. Execution is incredibly hard. And even if something works well for a while, it might not work sustainably forever. I fail a lot. I’d say my ideas are successful maybe 2/10 times, and that’s probably going easy on myself.

2. Keep Going. The difference between overall success and failure, is usually as simple as not quitting. Most people don’t have the stomach for point #1 and give up way too quickly.

3. Saying No. Especially if you didn’t have a particularly good month and it’s coming up on the 1st (bill time), it’s hard to say “No” to new income, but if you know it’s something you’ll hate doing, it could be better in the long-run to not take it or else face getting burnt out.

4. Work Smart (and sometimes hard). I would hazard to guess that most of us do this because we hate the limitations and grind of the traditional 9-5? Most of us are more likely to be accused of being workaholics rather than being allergic to hard work, but it certainly helps if you enjoy what you do. That said, it can’t be cushy all the time. Sometimes you gotta put in a little elbow grease.

5. Start Slow. I’ve helped many clients start their own businesses and I always try to urge them to pace themselves. They want instant results and they put the cart before the horse. Especially for online businesses, you don’t need a business license, LLC, trademark, lawyer, and an accountant before you’ve even made your first dollar! Prove that the thing actually works and is making enough money before worrying about all the red tape.

6. Slow Down Again (when things start to go well). Most company owners get overly excited when things start to go well, start hiring more people, doing whatever they can to pour fuel on the fire, but usually end up suffocating the fire instead. Wait, just wait. Things might plateau or take a dip and suddenly you’re hemorrhaging money.

7. Fancy Titles. At a certain stage of growth, egos shift, money changes people. What was once a customer-centric company that was fun to work at becomes more corporate by the day. Just because “that’s the way they’ve always done it” in terms of the structure of dino corps of old, that’s never a good reason to keep doing it that way.

8. Stay Home. If your employee’s work can be done remotely, why are you wasting all that money on office space just to stress your workers out with commute and being somewhere they resent being, which studies have shown only make them less productive anyway?

9. Keep it Simple. Don’t follow trends and sign you or your team up for every new tool or app that comes along just because they’re popular. Basecamp, Slack, Signal, HubSpot, Hootsuite, Google Workspace, Zoom (I despise Zoom), etc. More apps doesn’t mean more organization. Pick one or two options and use them to their full potential.

10. Keep Doors Open. While you’ll inevitably become too busy to say “Yes” to everything, try to keep doors open for everyone you’ve already established a beneficial working relationship with. Nothing lasts forever, and that might be the lesson I learned the harshest way of all. More on that below…

What I’ve learned in 20+ years of building startups: A personal note that might be helpful to anyone who’s struggling

Some years back (around 2015), we sold the company my partner and I built that was paying our salaries. During those years, I closed a lot of doors, especially with clients because I was cushy with my salary, and didn’t want to spend time on other relationships and hustles I previously built up over the years.

I had a really rough few years after we sold and the money ran out where I almost threw in the towel and went back to a traditional 9-5 job. I could barely scrape rent together and went without groceries for longer than I’m comfortable admitting.

There’s no shame in doing what you’ve gotta do to keep food on the table, but the thought of “going back” was deeply depressing for me. Luckily, I managed to struggle my way through, building up clients again.

What I’ve learned in 20+ years of building startups – Conclusion:

Navigating the world of startups requires a balance of resilience, strategic decision-making, and adaptability. The lessons learned over two decades in the startup ecosystem are not just strategies but guiding principles for sustainable success and growth in the dynamic world of entrepreneurship.

If you’re curious about how I make money, most of it has been made building custom products for WordPress.

Source: r/Entrepreneur

What I’ve learned in 20+ years of building startups – References:

1. Entrepreneurship Blogs and Websites: Look for blogs from successful entrepreneurs or business coaches. Sites like Entrepreneur (entrepreneur.com), Forbes Entrepreneurs Section (https://forbes.com/entrepreneurs), and Harvard Business Review (hbr.org) often have valuable articles on startup strategies and entrepreneurial journeys.
2. Startup Case Studies: Websites like Inc. Magazine (inc.com) and Fast Company (fastcompany.com) frequently publish case studies and stories about startups and entrepreneurial experiences.
3. Business and Tech News Websites: Platforms like TechCrunch (techcrunch.com), Business Insider (businessinsider.com), and The Wall Street Journal’s Business section (https://wsj.com/news/business) are good for staying updated on the latest in startup trends and business strategies.
4. Remote Work and Productivity Tools Blogs: For insights on remote work and productivity tools, check out blogs from companies like Basecamp (basecamp.com), Slack (https://slack.com/blog), and Zoom (blog.zoom.us).
5. Online Business Forums and Communities: Websites like Reddit’s Entrepreneur subreddit (https://reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur) or startup-focused forums on sites like Quora (quora.com) can provide real-world advice and experiences from various business owners.
6. LinkedIn Articles and Thought Leaders: Following successful entrepreneurs and business thought leaders on LinkedIn can provide you with a plethora of insights and firsthand accounts of business experiences.
7. Business and Entrepreneurship Books: Websites of authors who have written extensively on startups and entrepreneurship, such as Guy Kawasaki or Seth Godin, often have blogs and articles that are invaluable to entrepreneurs.

Examining the Fragmented Data on Black Entrepreneurship in North America

Entrepreneur Our community brings together individuals driven by a shared commitment to problem-solving, professional networking, and collaborative innovation, all with the goal of making a positive impact. We welcome a diverse range of pursuits, from side projects and small businesses to venture-backed startups and solo ventures. However, this is a space for genuine connection and exchange of ideas, not self-promotion. Please refrain from promoting personal blogs, consulting services, books, podcasts, MLMs,

• Idea for a website but need help building it.
  by /u/wrive17 on January 23, 2025 at 3:28 pm

  I work in m&a and have been using llms to increase my efficiency and have an idea to create a website/platform that would blend these components together. I have no idea how to code or do web development so started looking into it. I have a pretty good idea of how the website could function on a base level but not how to get there. I have been playing around with bubble.io to see if I could do it on there but even that seems like it will take a lot of time to learn while also working a full-time job. Any idea how I could get this atleast to a prototype type of phase? I have also looked into paying developers but first want to make sure my idea works and don’t want to spend a ton of money. submitted by /u/wrive17 [link] [comments]

• Anyone in tourism/travel/tour business willing to give advice?
  by /u/ToooNiB on January 23, 2025 at 3:22 pm

  I need advice for my business. I run a boat tour company where we offer three different full-day boat tours priced at €750, €850, and €1200 for groups of 7–12 people. I’m looking for advice on how to promote this business, attract customers, and any general tips for starting out in the tourism/tour business. submitted by /u/ToooNiB [link] [comments]

• How Did You Make Your First $100K?
  by /u/adamcsek on January 23, 2025 at 3:03 pm

  Hey guys! I’m working on a project where I’m collecting 100 unique ways people made their first $100K. I’m not looking for the usual “saved diligently” or “regular 9-to-5” stories—we’ve all heard those. Instead, I’m hunting for the creative, unconventional, or downright surprising paths that got you to this milestone. Did you flip rare items? Start a quirky side hustle? Develop a niche skill or take a calculated risk that paid off big? Whatever your story, I’d love to hear it! If you're okay with it, I might even include your story in a book I’m writing (with your permission, of course). To be honest I am short on a few stories and I would love to include yours - if it is interesting:) And also, let’s inspire others who are starting their own journey. Looking forward to your stories! 🚀 submitted by /u/adamcsek [link] [comments]

• Do you believe in ‘the more you give, the more you get’?
  by /u/Saad_here on January 23, 2025 at 3:01 pm

  I’ve always believed in the idea that the more you give in charity, the more you receive in return. I’ve experienced this in my own life and my religion emphasizes this as well. I’m curious to know from entrepreneurs and business owners here: Do you believe in this? Have you experienced any positive changes in your life or business after giving to charity? How do you approach charity? Do you have a specific method or cause you focus on? submitted by /u/Saad_here [link] [comments]

• Recent Grad with Startup Dreams—Where Do I Start?
  by /u/Educational_Owl_1906 on January 23, 2025 at 2:36 pm

  I'm a recent Computer Engineering graduate, and I'm eager to start something of my own. I have a few ideas, each with its unique potential, but some would require significant funding. How should I go about validating and prioritizing these ideas to give myself the best chance of success? Any tips from your experience would be very helpful! submitted by /u/Educational_Owl_1906 [link] [comments]

• Did anyone find success after closing their first business?
  by /u/Coolerthanicecubez on January 23, 2025 at 1:38 pm

  I’m 24 year old who just decided I’m going to close my food business that I started when I was 21 in Nursing School. I realize that it’s not my passion and it wasn’t exactly making a lot of money either. I want to have a service base business based on something within the health and wellness industry. Being a nurse has shown me what I truly want to do and the true value that I can bring to people. I just feel so depressed and unmotivated because my first business didn’t work out. I guess I’m here asking if anyone had major success on their second third or even fourth business within a totally different niche. submitted by /u/Coolerthanicecubez [link] [comments]

• Best sales automation tool for solo business?
  by /u/theravencromwell on January 23, 2025 at 1:32 pm

  I do contract sales for about 5 companies where I’m doing the full sales cycle from outbound to closing and ongoing management. Cold email is my primary way of reaching out to new brands trying to get them on a call or just a conversation started. I probably send 20-40 emails per day per client. As I’ve taken on more clients the emails and follow up’s has become quite a mess. What software or platform would you recommend for setting up sequences with 3-5 emails that will have good deliverability? I feel like there are so many platforms and I’m just a single man company and while I send a good amount of emails, it’s nothing crazy. Meaning I don’t need some super expensive robust system. What platform or software would you recommend for an operation like this to automate my outbound? submitted by /u/theravencromwell [link] [comments]

• Is this method still so effective?
  by /u/marych14 on January 23, 2025 at 1:25 pm

  An acquaintance of mine is making some serious money this way, so I’m curious does anyone else use a similar method, and is it really as effective as it sounds, or is his case an exception? Basically, the guy found some siwak sticks (harvested from plant that grows in the Middle East and Asia, traditionally used for cleaning teeth, and they’ve gone viral again on social media). While these sticks can also be found on Alibaba, he sources them from a European company that conducts lab testing and sells them with a health safety certificate. What he does is hire someone to use Google Maps to find all dental clinics, contact them via email, and offer them these sticks so they can resell them to their clients who come in for dental care and similar services. He buys the sticks for about $1 each, sells them to dental clinics for around $2 or $3, and the clinics resell them to their clients for about $5. I was surprised when he told me how many clients he has… I’m wondering if anyone else has a similar business model and if this kind of thing can actually be effective, or is this, as I said, just an isolated case? 🙂 submitted by /u/marych14 [link] [comments]

• Recently (~2 months) started my business, here to share my learnings
  by /u/Not_The_Paul_Graham on January 23, 2025 at 12:10 pm

  Hey folks, I have recently started my business of selling cold pressed cooking oils. I have no background in selling and was into tech before. Since I'm in tech, I found less difficulty in setting up the website but faced issues in marketing my product, here's what I learned after shipping my first 100 orders. Finding the right target persona was game changer, I used ChatGPT to ideate. Most of my orders (around 80 percent) came via running ads on Meta. I found couple of good tools to create static and video based ads, that's responsibe for max. traffic. I have written some code to schedule campaigns on meta but that's something you can do manually as well. Writing hand-written notes was gamechanger, and people came to my shop to post reviews. submitted by /u/Not_The_Paul_Graham [link] [comments]

• Today is a big day for my startup.
  by /u/Gold_Worry_3188 on January 23, 2025 at 11:51 am

  My startup is 13 days old, and this week I have received two recognitions from members of one of the biggest companies in the industry. Real Quick Backstory: I have been building and pivoting startup ideas in the robot simulation and synthetic image data generation industry for the last two years. It hasn't been as successful as I wanted it to be, so I have decided to wrap up everything I have learned along with a simple industry-specific job board and sell it to a more experienced operator. On Monday, a top-ranking staff member from Nvidia Omniverse liked and reshared a job I posted in the Omniverse Discord server. That was a big deal. Then today, another member liked a new job posting and left this comment: "Really appreciate you posting these. This is a real benefit to the community!"Keep in mind, Nvidia, as of the time of writing this, is the most valuable company in the world ($3.6 trillion). My startup hasn't made any money because, honestly, that isn't the plan, as I mentioned. But getting two "stamps of approval" from staff at the most valuable company in the world lets me know I am probably building something helpful. It also increases the price I can list it for when I do plan to sell. Lesson: If you didn't get anything from my story, maybe this will help: You might have started your startup a couple of days or weeks ago, and you haven't made any money, which is affecting your motivation to keep going. Maybe if you look closely at how people are interacting with your startup, you might just find a glimmer of hope to keep pushing. But if your goal is to make money, then I would highly recommend doing a root-cause analysis to find out why people aren't buying. Do the leads match your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)? Do you even have leads coming in the first place? What's your lead generation strategy? Are you talking to potential inbound and outbound customers? Are you requesting problem discovery meetings? Etc. Hope this helps someone. All the best! submitted by /u/Gold_Worry_3188 [link] [comments]

• what business did you invest in or started that generates you monthly income without actually being present in it?
  by /u/CanIGetAHuyah on January 23, 2025 at 11:33 am

  I'm talking about any kind of investments like land or anything or even a company which you started. submitted by /u/CanIGetAHuyah [link] [comments]

• Need Advice: How to Start a Low-Cost Business Selling Tabletop Charging Stations to Cafes and Restaurants
  by /u/tirogalos on January 23, 2025 at 11:23 am

  Hi everyone, I want to start a small business that offers tabletop charging stations for cafes and restaurants. The idea is to sell these charging stations to businesses so their customers can charge their phones, vapes, etc., while visiting. I’d also like to offer the option of customizing the chargers with the café’s logo or branding. I’m looking for cheaper alternatives, since I am from Greece, ideally sourcing the charging stations from manufacturers (possibly in China) that allow customization. Here’s what I need advice on: Affordable Suppliers: Are there reliable manufacturers (on Alibaba or elsewhere) that make customizable charging stations? Customization Options: Should I have the customization (logos/branding) done by the manufacturer, or is it better to do it locally? Other Tips: Any advice for reducing costs or making the product/service more attractive to small businesses? I’m open to any suggestions, personal experiences, or resources you think could help. Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/tirogalos [link] [comments]

• what are the issues of dreaming big?
  by /u/BadCorrect8132 on January 23, 2025 at 10:47 am

  the title is pretty self explanatory, it may seem a stupid question butin your opinion, what are the isssues of beeing ambitious at the beginning? submitted by /u/BadCorrect8132 [link] [comments]

• Setup under 5k for running AI models efficiently?
  by /u/destryx on January 23, 2025 at 10:14 am

  I’ve tested different LLMs like Llama 2 (7B & 13B), Mistral 7B, and Falcon 40B and now it’s time to set up a private hardware solution to keep the data local (for more info, i build AI agents specialized for healthtech) don’t really trust cloud options as I value privacy more than anything. Some of these models require at least 24GB GPU VRAM per instance, especially when running larger versions like Llama 13B or Falcon. Ideally I’d also like to finetune these models locally for specialized tasks. I want to start with the minimum cost possible and have a dev with me, so a setup that doesn’t require too many backend requirements would be ideal. Looking for suggestions on the best GPU workstation to start with. Hope to get ideas from you guys. Thanks so much! submitted by /u/destryx [link] [comments]

• Thank you Thursday! - January 23, 2025
  by /u/AutoModerator on January 23, 2025 at 10:00 am

  Your opportunity to thank the /r/Entrepreneur community by offering free stuff, contests, discounts, electronic courses, ebooks and the best deals you know of. Please consolidate such offers here! Since this thread can fill up quickly, consider sorting the comments by "new" (instead of "best" or "top") to see the newest posts. submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]

• In one Word
  by /u/Smooth-Theory-2545 on January 23, 2025 at 8:32 am

  How would you describe your 2025 goals? submitted by /u/Smooth-Theory-2545 [link] [comments]

• I live in a 3rd world country. Is there any place you can recommend me to find niche jobs?
  by /u/ProgramFantastic3646 on January 23, 2025 at 8:22 am

  I don't have a lot of money, I'm looking for a profitable job. If you tell me about this type of work in your country, I want to do it in my own country or is there a platform where I can find it? submitted by /u/ProgramFantastic3646 [link] [comments]

• What are the overlooked niche jobs in your country?
  by /u/ProgramFantastic3646 on January 23, 2025 at 7:37 am

  A friend of mine buys cat litter wholesale and puts it in small packages and sells it. Are there any smart things like this? submitted by /u/ProgramFantastic3646 [link] [comments]

• Why is everyone doing AI wrappers? Be honest does it really make any money? [No self promo]
  by /u/jacuzziwarmer7 on January 23, 2025 at 7:15 am

  I feel like there are more people making ai wrappers than people that use them, its hard to believe it makes any money, and if it does, it seems so copyable. Classic perfect competition. It just feels like all the laid off devs decided to make wrappers and are banking on it for their new chapter of life rather than any real demand. At the same time I can't help but feel people are probably not stupid, and there must surely be some money being made. So my question is: Be honest, speaking for your own project, one that might be called an "ai wrapper" by more than 7 devs out of 10 asked, do you or have you made any money on it at all? I'm thinking about the projects that have a bit of API fetch with prompt engineering, or a very minor amount of embedding/finetuning Please do not take it as criticism, because man in the arena with sand in face and all that. I'm really just curious submitted by /u/jacuzziwarmer7 [link] [comments]

• What route to take for website creation?
  by /u/thwatch on January 23, 2025 at 2:58 am

  I’m starting a small business and need advice on the best way to build my website. I’ve used WordPress before, which was straightforward with plugins, but now I’m unsure which route to take. Here are my needs: A few pages for text and video content A product page Account creation and checkout with local payment options (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) A feature for customers to upload photos (for customizable products) Options I’m considering: Build it myself with WordPress Use a website builder like Wix or Squarespace Hire a web developer Explore AI-generated website tools (idk any off top of my head but keep seeing IG reels about them) Which option would you recommend based on my needs, considering funcitionality and cost? I am not in an immediate need of a website, but id love to get this checked off the to do list to be able to launch within the next month. submitted by /u/thwatch [link] [comments]