10 things I’ve never heard a successful startup founder say

source

• I built this software for myself, and then it turned out a million people wanted it exactly how I originally envisioned it.
• After hiring a few people, being the CEO became a lot easier, and I was able to focus on high-level strategic plans instead of fighting fires.
• I wish we had spent less time talking to prospective customers before designing interfaces and writing code.
• The decision of whether to form an LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp made a significant difference in my startup’s success.
• Selling the company was an easy decision, and everyone in the company was on the same page.
• We’re such good actors, our first few customers never knew we were a new company with no employees and buggy software.
• Thanks to a software patent we filed, we never had a serious competitor.
• Our most effective marketing campaigns were the ones filled with buzzwords and non-specific claims.
• My lack of an MBA degree made building a company from scratch harder for me than for others.
• I wish I had spent more time reading and weighing the pros and cons of various philosophies instead of just jumping in and doing what I thought was morally and financially sensible.

Just get started, talk to potential customers, and ship stuff.

Printed from: A Smart Bear
https://longform.asmartbear.com/successful-founders-dont-say/
© 2007-2025 Jason Cohen      @asmartbear