Tag: avoid startup burnout

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

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• Tire wholesale and connecting "dots"
  by /u/Straight_Succotash10 on January 23, 2025 at 1:05 am

  Hey guys, I'm in the wholesale tire business (new, used, passenger, commercial) and am involved in all aspects. Buying, selling, brokering etc. Own my own retail store as well. This business is all about building a network and relationships. Over the years I've come to understand it's all about connecting dots, and I like to be a dot collector. I try to collect "dots" by being a provider of value for the people I meet and build a network with. I'm also extremely interested in the general market dynamics of the industry. My post is threefold. I'm interested in hearing how everyone is fairing currently in their respective tire market. Retail, wholesale, new, used, commercial, passenger etc - all of it interests me, and I believe can be valuable for our community. As a "bat signal" for anyone else in the industry looking to provide value and connect. Because I'm weirdly into tires and will talk shop till the cows come home. Cheers! submitted by /u/Straight_Succotash10 [link] [comments]

• Business advisor
  by /u/Disastrous-Resist-35 on January 23, 2025 at 1:00 am

  Is there a specific title of someone to hire that purely helps only you and only your company to strategize and grow a company? I have no knowledge but I think this will be big and need help finding a team. submitted by /u/Disastrous-Resist-35 [link] [comments]

• Stuck with my business, need advice
  by /u/Fatima-89 on January 23, 2025 at 12:25 am

  I’ve been running my business for a while now, doing digital marketing services, but I’m still stuck in that awkward ‘what's next’ phase. I feel like I’m either overcomplicating things or not doing enough, and it’s hard to figure out where to focus energy. Scaling seems impossible without burning out, but I also know I need to push forward if I want to grow. Right now, I’m juggling client work, lead gen, and trying to get more systems in place, but I’m honestly feeling all over the place. Some days it feels like I’m stuck in a loop of doing the same things and not really moving forward. Anyone else hit that point where you realize you’ve been stuck for too long? How did you shift gears and find your stride? Could really use some real-world advice on this. submitted by /u/Fatima-89 [link] [comments]

• Product market fit for a SaaS platform based on my old companies SaaS platform
  by /u/Alresfordpolarbear on January 23, 2025 at 12:20 am

  I left the company I worked for 3 months ago and started to develop a SaaS platform based on my companies SaaS platform. It was selling reasonably well (30 customers for just over 30k per sale, so about 1M revenue. However, it was not optimised and horribly slow, with some major oversights in coding so it gave out incorrect results - however no one really noticed (customers or staff). I am at another company now, and out of hours I am in the process of building my own competitor. I have a non compete that runs another 3 months before it elapses, by that time I hope to have a fully working demo - to avoid any legal doubt I developed everything using my own code and equipment. My question is do I have to go through product market fit exercise knowing that it sells? Do I approach clients who bought the old product and ask them if they like the new product? Is there enticements that are commonly offered to try out products? submitted by /u/Alresfordpolarbear [link] [comments]

• Do you feel like most productivity tools are built for teams rather than solo entrepreneurs? What’s missing for you?
  by /u/StepWise2424 on January 23, 2025 at 12:12 am

  I’ve noticed that a lot of productivity tools feel like they’re built for teams instead of solo entrepreneurs. Do you feel the same way? What’s missing for you as someone running a business on your own? I’d love to know what you wish tools would do better for solo founders. submitted by /u/StepWise2424 [link] [comments]

• Entrepreneurs: What’s the Hardest Part of Staying on Top of Tasks?
  by /u/StepWise2424 on January 22, 2025 at 11:59 pm

  Hey everyone, I know being an entrepreneur often means juggling a million things at once. I wanted to ask: What’s the hardest part of staying on top of your tasks and responsibilities? Is it managing deadlines? Balancing priorities across multiple projects? Staying motivated during slow periods? I’d love to learn how you manage your workflow - or any tools or techniques you swear by. Thanks for sharing! submitted by /u/StepWise2424 [link] [comments]

• Offering products to companies found through Google Maps.
  by /u/marych14 on January 22, 2025 at 11:32 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 company that sells them wholesale, conducts lab testing, and provides a health safety certificate. What he does is hire someone to use Google Maps to find as much dental clinics as possible, 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 dental clinics actually agreed to collaborate. 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]

• What are some creative ways you've found consulting clients?
  by /u/No-Town-57 on January 22, 2025 at 11:30 pm

  I do business consulting for SMBs around strategy planning, process optimization, cost reduction, finding new markets etc.. And I'm mostly connecting to businesses through people I know and that's going ok. I used to do this same type of work for large corporations when I was a management consultant and now I'm trying to make it out on my own, focusing on small-medium companies because I think these skills would be more impactful there. I'm wondering if any consultants here who run their own shop have any advice on ways to find new clients beyond the usual things like going through your network and referrals from existing clients. Any advice would be appreciated. submitted by /u/No-Town-57 [link] [comments]

• I agreed to 5% gross in a Partnership LLC. I've been told by our attorney that might not be the best arrangement. Looking for advice.
  by /u/8y529toew on January 22, 2025 at 10:29 pm

  My partner and I recently had a very successful Kickstarter and we're revising some of our operating agreement with an actual attorney. Our ownership is 95/5. I'm mostly acting as a brand specialist, product design consultant, and business advisor, I'm the 5% owner and that was and still is agreed to be 5% ownership and gross revenue. We communicated this to our attorney yesterday and he wrote back, "is OP supposed to share in the company’s gross or net revenues? If gross revenues, there may be some potential that his interests would not qualify as “profits interests,” which would result in negative tax consequences for him and the company. Further, if gross revenues, I will likely need to bring in one of my tax colleagues to analyze this issue." From my previous understanding I realize I would be assuming all tax burdens on the 5%. I took a small percentage since it's mostly his business and he invented the initial product. I have 2 other business, this is intended to be a side business for me. The thought was to leave a majority of the revenue in his control for operating costs. I also wanted gross off the top because I have been in other businesses with him and he has a hard time taking profit. This business is his hobby so spending money/profit in and on this business facilitates his hobby. I would rather a black and white agreement in relation to my payout than a gray profit only agreement. I hope that makes sense. I'm ok with changing the arrangement if it's necessary. I'm trying to wrap my head around other ways we could solve this problem or if I should request the 5% gross be honored. I'm not expecting future dividends beyond my 5% gross. I would also like to have some indemnity in regards to loans etc. that the business may acquire in the future. Is our current arrangement extremely unconventional? Is there any advice or considerations this community can offer? I'm still waiting to hear back from the attorney, I've also spoken with my CPA, but I'm also interested in other entrepreneurs perspective who may have experienced a similar arrangement or situation. What should I consider as alternatives in the operating agreement? submitted by /u/8y529toew [link] [comments]

• Cousin started a YouTube channel
  by /u/Prestigious-Spray237 on January 22, 2025 at 10:19 pm

  Cousin started a yt channel and struggled to gain a following. He had done it for about 5 year and got about 20k followers. Yt was paying him about $300 a month for 4 videos. He was wasting his time. A company reached out to him and wanted to see if he would try their product and make a video on it. It worked just as good as the name brand he was using but is significantly less money. For the past 2 years he has been selling 16-25 units per month. He gets paid $1500 commission on each unit. Absolutely blows my mind how easy he can make so much money. Sales is the only business this is possible with. He has little to no money invested in his business. His yt allows him to reach people across the country. submitted by /u/Prestigious-Spray237 [link] [comments]

• Balancing your 9-5 and building your startup
  by /u/mhpel on January 22, 2025 at 9:49 pm

  Before the working day and after the working, I'm able to lock in and focus on building my startup with no distractions. However, during the hours of 8:30-5, my day-to-day becomes chaotic. I have the luxury of working from home where I take sales calls all throughout the day. Some days I'm on the phones for 4+ hours, some days, not even 1-2 hours, but I find it very difficult to shift my focus from sales call to building my startup. The issue I face too is after the day ends and it's time to focus 100% on the startup, my mental energy is shot. I get work done, but no where near the output I get when I first wake up. Any tips? submitted by /u/mhpel [link] [comments]

• Thoughts on changing business
  by /u/SafSung on January 22, 2025 at 9:19 pm

  What do you think of entrepreneurs who change the business they created ? Like going from (biz A) accompanying foreigners with formalities and gaining new markets, to (biz B) coaching children… the reason is I became a mom and I can’t travel for Biz A or arrange meetings for clients. I don’t have clients since I started maternity 2 years ago, and I don’t mind at all. It’s also hard to turn prospects into paying customers with Biz A, people love success based fees and don’t understand the pain before any success is achieved. Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks submitted by /u/SafSung [link] [comments]

• The only ways to grow your business.
  by /u/Hungry_General_679 on January 22, 2025 at 8:56 pm

  Hello everybody, everybody hello! It's Ren again. Today, we have a very exciting topic for you: how to grow your business and increase your revenue. And no, not the scammy stuff you see all over the internet: - Build this funnel. - Take this "proven" step-by-step system that will supposedly add $100K/month in net profit to your business. Let’s get real. Here are 8 ways to increase your revenue: 1 Increase the prices of what you sell. This is pretty self-explanatory. 2 Lower the costs of making or delivering the product. This can include reducing expenses or salaries for workers. However, I don’t recommend cutting salaries—avoid this at all costs. 3 Sell more products. This means selling to other customers or retaining existing ones, but there’s a limit here, which you’ll understand in the next point. 4 Create retainer clients. This is also selling more, but the difference is that these clients buy from you consistently over time. Think of it like food or gas—daily consumables that people need regularly. 5 Upsell. Sell an upgraded or enhanced version of the same product to a customer who has already bought from you. 6 Downsell. Offer a more affordable option to customers. This helps turn a "no" into a "yes" for people who aren’t ready to purchase a premium offer. 7 Cross-sell. Offer add-ons or different products or services when a customer buys from you. This increases the number of items they purchase. 8 Lower the quality. As bad as it sounds, this can work if done strategically. By lowering the quality of your product to the point where it becomes frustrating to use, customers may upgrade to the premium version. However, I don’t recommend this either. It typically requires a big brand name or being the only one offering the solution, leaving customers with no choice. Now, these are the 8 ways to increase your revenue. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! By the way, I’ve reopened the landing page rewrite offer. Again, you don’t have to pay anything until we bring you results. If you’re a new business, we won’t charge you at all but don't expect bigger projects—we’ll just ask for feedback or a review based on the results we achieve. DM me your website, and I’ll see what I can do. Send a follow-up if I don't reply after 4 days. See you! submitted by /u/Hungry_General_679 [link] [comments]

• This is for those who left a 9 to 5 work to start a business: how much did you wait?
  by /u/molkijuhy63566 on January 22, 2025 at 7:56 pm

  If you were working a 9 to 5 and decided to start a business, how did you approach that? Did you leave your 9 to 5 before even starting the business or did you wait until the project was profitable? submitted by /u/molkijuhy63566 [link] [comments]

• Tech Founder! Looking to partner up and build platform!
  by /u/KadriShazan on January 22, 2025 at 7:23 pm

  I am Kadri Shazan, 28, SaaS maker, I have build two products elpage.live and redditsurfer.live all by myself completed this two products from frontend to fully functional web app. It was hard to get it profitable as marketing is missing and required money. I am looking for someone who I can build web apps or platforms for them to grow it and invest and make it full scale SaaS. Anyone interested comment or DM me for more information. submitted by /u/KadriShazan [link] [comments]

• When you turn 35 you'll see the difference between those who took risks and those who didn't…
  by /u/Sorry-Highlight-9683 on January 22, 2025 at 7:16 pm

  I recently came across this article about getting older and realizations, and the first point was the title with additional commentary: “How old you feel comes down to how you lived. Not taking risks leads to regrets which ages you faster. You feel like you could have done more but you never do. You always move decisions to the future where you have zero accountability. It’s f*cking sad, man.” I’m now 31, have worked in various corporate real estate jobs with a recently completed MBA and new child. Time continues to fly by and it’s something I’ve had a hard time grasping as I have always had aspirations to do more in entrepreneurship and life as a lot of people have but am not sure what the path forward is, especially when considering bills and a newborn. Whether it’s to buy a business and run it, or start a service based business built on my education from the MBA and finance skills. I would love to hear from some personal experiences of ex corporate employees who went on to start / buy a business and whether it was worth it. submitted by /u/Sorry-Highlight-9683 [link] [comments]

• Anyone on here funded their own thing while keeping a high-income job? Did it work?
  by /u/yourimaginaryfred on January 22, 2025 at 4:42 pm

  Hello. I currently earn ~$145k a year (after tax) as a software engineer working remotely about 20 to 25 hours a week while exceeding expectations. I'm 27, and I support my parents and siblings with $5k a month–they rely entirely on me for financial stability. The rest goes towards my emergency fund (~$60k) and enjoying life (spending on those I love, travel, hobbies, etc.). My main purposes in life are looking out for my family and close friends and spending my time on activities I love. Even though I’m fairly secure at work—I’ve made it into the “inner circle” and am unlikely to be hit by layoffs—I still worry about what happens if I lose this job or get disabled or die doing one of my riskier hobbies. I have been working on my own ideas on and off, but it's going slow... I realize I have A LOT of time ahead of me, yet I also feel that the sooner I create an income stream that could outlive me, the less I have to worry about my parents’ security. Then, I can focus more on the activities I love. I'm considering hiring a junior developer full-time for opportunities that come my way (whether my own ideas or ones people want to partner on). It would be just like my "team" at work, just at a smaller scale. I plan, guide, and review. The person does all the code writing. Has anyone taken this approach before—hiring a dedicated person to build new ideas while still being employed elsewhere? I'd love to hear any stories, lessons, or advice you have—regardless of the field. Thank you 🙂 submitted by /u/yourimaginaryfred [link] [comments]

• I am working for universities to enable students to consult entrepreneurs. How can we connect Entrepreneurship and Education more?
  by /u/daimlerbenz on January 22, 2025 at 3:47 pm

  Over the past few years, I’ve learned how valuable students can be for startups and growing businesses. They bring fresh perspectives, creative ideas, and a willingness to tackle challenges that companies often face. For students, it’s a fantastic way to use their aquired knowledge and gain real-world experience, and for businesses, it’s a unique opportunity to gain actionable insights and solutions. To give you an example, right now, international business students are looking for challenges to tackle as part of their studies. They’ll dedicate over 200 hours to providing practical recommendations based on research and data, with minimal time investment required from companies (just 8-12 hours throughout 2 months). By the way, let me know if you are interested; I'll gladly connect. How can we reach more people with this? It’s a win-win-win for students, the education system, and companies. I would love to hear your ideas or feedback! If you’ve worked with students before, feel free to share your experiences, too. submitted by /u/daimlerbenz [link] [comments]

• Frustration Level 3000: Trying to Build an App as a Non-Technical Guy
  by /u/cryptonide on January 22, 2025 at 3:45 pm

  I tried to hire a developer for a web app. I was looking at the know freelancer platforms to hire someone. First problem was, I didn’t know what kind of knowledge or tech stack they need to have (react, node…) and what different components I need (Backend and Database, Frontend, UX/UI etc.). After reading a litlle bit I found out what I need so I contacted some freelancers to talk about the App. Oh man, was it frustrating, it was almost impossible to tell them exaclty what I need. How the different modules of the app should be tied together etc. This went on for several weeks! How do you guys do it? I definitely don’t have the same motivation I had when I started the project. submitted by /u/cryptonide [link] [comments]

• What is a good starting business?
  by /u/Less-Fortune2558 on January 22, 2025 at 2:42 pm

  Interested in getting into the world of managing my own business but unsure where to start - Ideally low startup costs - I work full time so not too time demanding - Not fussed about making loads, even breaking even + 10% would do submitted by /u/Less-Fortune2558 [link] [comments]