I Needed So Much Help (Still Do) and Now I'm Trying to Pass It On

Part of being a startup founder is being coachable. You need to be open...to be willing to change and have your opinions swayed.

This isn't easy. Yes, you can say that you're open but still think that you know best.

That's not the right mindset.

Closing yourself off to others will lead you down the wrong path. You'll end up working on the wrong things and taking too long to learn from your mistakes.

Instead, give knowledge and experience a chance. While others may not know the intricacies of your product, their perspectives could be the very thing you need to succeed.

Help is required when it comes to building a startup.

Not only should you be open to receiving it, but you should be the first person to volunteer it as well.

In my relatively short time an an entrepreneur, countless people have come out of nowhere to help me. Sometimes they have known me for a long time. More often, though, these people barely know me!

I'm still shocked by how giving some are of their time and energy to an unproven commodity like us. Why?

The startup community is incredibly supportive.

As an example, Indie Hackers—which I love and frequent—is amazing. You can post a question randomly and get an outpouring of advice from around the world in minutes. Where else does that happen?

Because of this support and that of our mentors, we have new opportunities and connections. Our strategy has changed and improved thanks to this more than anything else.

I think we should all be required to help other entrepreneurs.

It is important for veteran founders, startup builders, and aspiring entrepreneurs to take every opportunity to help others on their own paths. It should be in the job description: At least 10 meaningful conversations with founders in the last six months.

You never know what your little nugget of insight could do for someone else. Whether it's just an encouraging statement or a plan that saves them 100 hours of work, this help can make all of the difference.