Two Kinds of Startup Advice

The problem with advise is that it almost never comes with context.
Is the same advise valid if you are building a consumer retail web product vs. a Hardware simulator for the semi-conductor industry? Doing it in 1970 vs. 2019?

The only "advises" that are actually worth anything in the abstract are closer to "frameworks to make decisions". Ex:

• How to de-risk a startup? (https://www.codingvc.com/how-to-de-risk-a-startup)
• The 37% rule (https://tomtunguz.com/explore-vs-exploit-in-business/)

Or just plain folk proverbs

• "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
• "Cash is king."
• "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

:)

You can always get advise ...because they're like ears ---everybody's got two! I agree with people: its always context. There won't be a cookie-cutter for everyone, and every startup situation is unique. @benjihyam said it best: figure out what's best for you and your startup. And don't forget to see the humor in things always (another advice!)

The best advice: figure out what works for you.

There is no one size fits all advice for startups. Even if two companies build the exact same thing, the way they do it and solve the problems ahead will be completely different based on their own strengths and weaknesses.

I see advice as people's experiences. It is their own context. They can be interesting, yet you are entitled to have your own. Take the bits you like, get rid of the rest.

I had a bit of a gripe the other day, as someone I mentor kept coming back to me pointing out all the things so and so said. Or this book recommends this is the way to do it. Basically using it as a way to validate a decision to do x, y and z. I had to get said person to rethink things a bit.

I think we're all guilty of looking up to people, the problem is that we forget to look at what our situation is.

I think Jason Fried or Tim Ferris are good examples, all respect to them and everything they have achieved, but I'm increasingly seeing people turning off from their advice now because it feels out of touch or not relevant to who they are. They are now in a very different (and privileged) position, I'll still sometimes tune into what they have to say, but I would never take it as gospel. And to be honest, I get inspired from smaller stories and actions, they feel more true to who I am.

I think of the biggest problems with advice is when it is overgeneralized. You hear so much these days about product-market fit and how you should wait to grow until users are "pulling the product out of your hands"

At the same time, some of those advice-givers grew products with awful retention rates that sold before they ever had to really fix the product.

I guess that's a win because they are very wealthy now. Maybe some of the conflicting advice is from people saying how they wish they'd done things differently (even though they have no data to support that would have actually worked out)?

Courtland interviewed Jason Fried on the latest podcast episode. I suggest listening to that one.

In general, I view all these sorts of things as parts of a recipe. You can take ingredients from all over the place to craft your perfect recipe, but YOUR perfect recipe might be disgusting to me, and vice-versa.

Treat your process like a product, and plan to constantly iterate and experiment until you find what works for you.

I think work/life balance is essential for all people (founders aren't exception). The second advice is better, don't forget about your personal needs.

Never quit, keep going and don't listen to the haters because you have to do something different to succeed.

Also.

Pivot as soon as it isn't working, only make things people want

The first type of advice is the kind given when the goal is a VC-funded, innovative, aim-for-the-moon company.

The second type of advice is the kind given for bootstrapping, lifestyle, (possibly competition-focused) businesses.

I never heard someone say that you should skip sleep. I heard founder that said that, at times, is what you have to do.

I would say that people both "parties" give valuable advice and that you should listen to persons that share your goal.

In general, people in the first category build huge businesses, people in the second build lifestyle businesses.

I would say that the first category is more requirements than advice, again except for skipping sleep, if you want to build a huge corporation. I listen to lots and lots of interviews, while there are some exceptions (Sara Blakely was a solofounder, James Dyson too, he boostrapped and still 100% of the company), the wide majority posessed those characteristics. Clearly, it isn't enough.

So, to summarize, if you want to build a huge corp, listen to group1, if you want a lifestyle business (a business that produces enough profits for you to live comfortably), listen to group2. And, no matter what, prioritize sleep for maximum focus and productivity, both short and long term.