15 Startup Truths You Need To Hear

Do not index

After building and selling multiple companies for millions in valuation, I've learned some uncomfortable truths about growing a business.

Nobody wants to hear these.

But they'll save you years of wasted effort.

Let’s go 👇🏼

1. You Should Talk to More People

You're not talking to enough users. I know you think you are, but you're not.

Every successful product I've built started with dozens of conversations. Every failure started with assumptions.

Stop coding. Start calling.

2. Subtract, Don’t Add

Your product doesn't need more features. It needs fewer, better ones.

I've never seen a product fail because it did too few things well. I've seen hundreds fail because they did too many things poorly.

Cut ruthlessly.

3. Success Comes With Creating More

But creating more doesn't mean coding more. It means shipping more.

I launched 10+ products before finding winners. Most people launch 1-2 then quit.

Volume creates luck. Luck creates success.

4. Finish and Ship Your Products

You have 3 unfinished projects sitting in folders right now.

None of them matter until they're live. A finished mediocre product beats a perfect unshipped one every time.

Ship it now. Improve it later.

5. Affiliate Programs Amplify Growth, Not Create It

Starting an affiliate program won't save a failing product.

Outrank's affiliate program works because the product already had traction. We amplified existing momentum, we didn't manufacture it from nothing.

Get growth first. Scale it with affiliates second.

PS if you want to become an Outrank Affiliate - join here

I also posted about this on linkedin here

I just made a new account there - I would love if you can follow and support me there 😄

6. Most Ideas Are Not Special, Execution Is

Your idea isn't unique.

Someone else is building the same thing right now (which is a good thing).

The difference between you and them isn't the idea. It's who ships faster, markets better, and iterates smarter.

Stop protecting your idea. Start executing it.

7. Nobody Cares About a Failed Launch

You're terrified of launching and "failing."

Here's the truth: Nobody will remember or care. Your failed launch won't be the topic of industry discussions.

Ship it. If it fails, nobody notices. If it succeeds, you win.

8. Stop the Ego-Driven Decisions

Your product doesn't need that fancy feature. You want it because it's interesting to build.

Focus on revenue. Kill fast. Ego costs money.

I was focusing on things that would make me look cool at family dinner.

Learn from me.

9. Competition is a Healthy Sign, Not a No-Go

"Someone's already doing this" is a validation signal, not a stop sign.

When I launched PostSyncer, there were already scheduling tools. When I built SuperX, tweet schedulers existed.

Competition proves market demand.

10. You Don't Need an LLC to Start Making Money

Stop using legal structure as an excuse to delay.

I made my first $10k before registering any business entity. Set it up when revenue actually matters.

Bureaucracy can wait.

11. Most Courses Don't Work, Build Things Instead

You've bought 5 courses this year.

How many did you finish? How many actually changed your revenue?

Every hour in a course is an hour not building. The market teaches faster than any curriculum.

Close the course. Open your code editor.

Most courses are not telling you what you need to know anyways (because the course creator hasn’t built anything themselves).

12. You Need to Charge More

Your prices are too low. I know this without seeing your product.

I raised Tweet Hunter prices 5x and revenue doubled while churn decreased. Higher prices attract better customers.

If nobody's complaining about price, you're leaving money on the table.

13. If You're Not Embarrassed by V1, You Launched Too Late

Your first version should make you cringe.

SuperX sat at $1k MRR for 10 months because we kept "improving" before launching properly. That perfectionism cost us time and momentum.

Ship the embarrassing version. Improve it publicly.

14. Most Advice Doesn't Apply to You

Including this newsletter, probably.

Everyone's situation is different. Market conditions change. What worked for me might not work for you.

Take principles, not tactics. Build your own story. Pave your own path.

15. You Already Know What You Should Be Doing

You're not looking for more information. You're looking for permission or motivation.

Here it is: Build the thing. Ship the product. Talk to users. Iterate fast.

You know what needs to happen. Stop reading and start doing.

These truths hurt because they're about action, not information.

You don't have an information problem. You have an execution problem.

Close this email. Open your product. Ship something today.

Tweet of the week

Warren Buffet is the definition of a person playing long term game.

I think there are some things we can learn from his final letter as Berkshire CEO:

I will see you next week!

Until then,

Keep building

Tibo 💻

P.S. If this made you uncomfortable, good. Comfort doesn't build companies.