Every founder thinks they’re unique. They’re not.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Almost every failure is the same recipe: ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

• a product nobody wants ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

• no working distribution ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

• a funnel that doesn’t convert ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Stop calling it a “XYZ problem” if the product itself is the issue. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

You can’t grow what nobody needs.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Start with the problem.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

If it’s not in your audience’s top 4, they won’t care. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Solve something that keeps them awake at night.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Care about the people you build for.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

No care = no understanding ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

No understanding = no leverage ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Pick an audience you actually want to spend time with.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Be different from the status quo.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

If you’re 99% the same, switching isn’t worth the hassle. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Rip apart what’s weak and make that your edge.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Build something people expect to pay for.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

If the status quo is free, charging is torture.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Keep it stupid simple.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

If your parents can’t get it in one sentence, it’s too complex. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Confused minds don’t buy.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Pick someone, not everyone.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

“Startups” isn’t a target if your product isn’t built only for them. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

If it’s for everyone, it’s for no one.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Once the idea is right, then and only then fix your funnel and build distribution. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Nothing else can save the wrong product.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍