RIP2024 Mini-rant #1: Startups
Short and HIGHLY opinionated rants to close out 2024!
Disclaimer: This article is an opinion piece. Let’s get to it!
Successful founders usually exhibit many traits on the left here:
Personality:
Takes Extreme Ownership (or Makes Excuses).
Communicates Proactively (or Reactively).
Stays Punctual (or Acts Inconsistently).
Follows Through (or Breaks Trust).
Leadership:
Commits to SMART Goals (or Avoids Them).
Perseveres in Vision (or Reacts Myopically).
Executes Strategically (or Haphazardly).
Thrives (or Crumbles) Under Pressure.
Startup-specific:
Focuses on Customer Problems (or Technology).
Defines Clear Core Competencies (or Sprawls).
Tests Hypothesis Early (or Iterates Slowly).
Acts on Data and Feedback (or Wings It).
People hype “Founder Mode” and “The Hustle” and whatnot, which is as cute as it is absolute bullsh*t. Yes, as an individual, nothing beats talent AND hard work (for me, 3 hours daily are spent planning and 12 executing). Alas, very few extraordinary things have been achieved by individuals. Success as a founder boils down to, in order:
Working on Something You Care Deeply About.
Working with the Right People.
Working on the Right Thing, at the Right Time.
Working Smart.
Working Hard.
All of those are indispensable. Your success, however, is tied much more to doing the right things at the right time than to how many hours you work or how much you post on LI about “The Struggle (that you signed up for).” Most startups fail because of what they DON’T do: a self-inflicted byproduct of failing to seek advice and feedback.
As a belated Christmas gift to my beloved subscribers, I’ve once again faced my arch-nemesis, Microsoft products, and braved the horrors of Clipchamp to create an apt pictorial representation of how critical working with the right people is, just for you!
(Please don’t sue me, Sam and YC. I love you both equally - the S12 batch was 🔥)