π Lessons from 12 young founders
Happy Sunday!
Welcome back to Founders Feature, a weekly newsletter all about the journeys of young startup founders.
Since the last edition of the lesson summary was so popular, I'm excited to make this a more regular feature!
This week, we're back with the greatest lessons learned from the most recent 12 founders.
Thanks again to all the founders for taking the time to speak with me.
If you know anyone who should be featured next, let me know!
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π©βπΒ Hyojeong Kim: On learning about yourself
"One of the biggest lessons that I have learned is to learn about myself. One thing that solo-travelling and entrepreneurship have in common is that you get to know yourself so much better along the way. I love discovering different sides to myself, so getting to know what kind of person I am is definitely my biggest lesson."
πͺΒ Ariane de BΓ©lizal: On being resilient and embracing change
"A great lesson I learned during the incubator program I am a part of here at Station F is to be resilient. There is a solution to every problem, it might just not be the one you initially anticipated. Be open to going a different path, if it means you still get to continue working on your company and driving it forward."
π€Β Cassie Shih: On dealing with conflicting advice
"When somebody points out something that's not working, they're usually right, but when they tell you how to fix it, they're usually wrong. I first received this advice in the context of a writing workshop but have found this extremely helpful as a startup founder receiving multiple lines of (sometimes conflicting) advice. Try to listen to the feedback and find the common problem. That is where you should be looking to fix. When it actually comes to finding the solution, remember that you know your business better than anyone else."
βDr. Keith Tsui: On focussing on the problem over the solution
"Be passionate about the problem, but not the solution.
The solution to your problem can take many shapes and change over iterations. Those iterations won't always be perfect, and sometimes you might have to pivot and completely change your approach. But as long as you have a mission that is problem-driven, and not attached to a specific solution, you will eventually come up with a solution that can actually solve the problem."
πΒ Ece Kural: On networking for hiring
"I spend at least half an hour a week networking with new people to get to know potential future candidates. For example, I'm not looking to hire a Product Owner just yet, but probably in 6 months. So I want to use this time to get to know as many people in product and to understand the space better, to better inform my decision along the line."
πΒ Glo Robinson: On redefining what success looks like
"Redefine what success looks like.
Keep your vision and your big dreams alive, never forget about them, but sometimes, you need to learn to focus more on day-to-day things that are less exciting, but that are moving the business forward day by day. Learn to maintain that balance."
π«Β Livia Ng: On achieving your vision
"Everything is possible. You can do anything you set your mind to and there is nothing out of reach, as long as you spend the hours getting there. As long as you stay directed to your vision, you'll get there."
βοΈΒ Zak Marks: On embracing competition
"The first day that I found our competitor, after thinking we didn't have competition, I was devastated. I called one of my mentors, a close family friend, to tell him about this, and his reaction, quite contrary to mine, was that this is great news. It means that you've got proof that there's a market, you have a benchmark, and you can make your product so much better!
So the lesson is: Competition isn't always a bad thing. In fact, in the early stages, it can even be a great thing."
πΒ Lucy Jung: On the importance of a team
"You can overcome anything with the right support system, which is why the team is so essential to creating a successful company. They rely on you, and you can rely on them."
π―Β Francois Gouelo: On focussing on your customers
"Focus entirely on your customers. Understand your users, what they want, what pains they have, and how you can solve their problems. It's very easy to get distracted by a lot of cool things you could do that have no significant importance for your customer."
πΒ Rackley Nolan: On being open about your work
"Don't keep your cards too close to your chest.
There is the belief in a lot of the startup world that you should be working in stealth mode until you actually launch, and not revealing too much too early on. In my opinion, we wouldn't be nearly as far as we are now if we had followed that. As soon as you start putting yourself out there, you open yourself up for great opportunities and learnings, even before launching."
π§ββοΈΒ Ida Josefiina: On finding the right headspace
"Put yourself in a position where you can safely allow yourself to experiment and even fail, without it affecting your personal life. Make sure you have that playground to be able to build the company. That kind of mindset and headspace will make it 100 times easier to move forward, take risks, and make those daily decisions."