READY TO LAUNCH? WHAT EVERY EARLY-STAGE FOUNDER NEEDS TO KNOW

Are you a founder with a big idea, ready to take the leap but unsure where to start? You’re not alone. Those early days of building a startup can feel overwhelming.

What comes first? What really matters? And how do you avoid the mistakes that trip up so many founders before they even get started?

I’ve been there. Launching my first business felt like pure guess work, searching for clarity and wishing I had someone to share the lessons I was learning the hard way. Now, with over a decade of experience advising early-stage startups, I want to share some of those lessons with you.

This is some of the advice I wish someone had handed me: the essential moves to make before you launch and the game-changing steps to take in those uncertain early days.

🚀 BEFORE YOU LAUNCH

1. Know Your "Why"

Ask yourself: why are you doing this? Is this a passion project, or are you aiming to scale and exit? Is it your full-time focus, or something you’re testing on the side? Be clear about your goals and make sure they align with your commitment.

And if you’re not doing this alone, choose your co-founders wisely. Do you trust them with your life? Because you’re about to be in the trenches together.

2. Problem First, Product Second

Is your product solving a pressing real-world problem (a painkiller) or offering something nice to have (a vitamin)? Be brutally honest. 

Are you creating something that truly makes the world a better place, or just another product no one really needs? Businesses that address urgent problems facing our planet and society tend to resonate deeply with customers and stand the test of time.

Before investing time and money, test your ideas in the wild and gather real customer insights and not just from friends and family who’ll tell you what you want to hear.

3. Obsess Over Your Product

Do you live and breathe your product? In the early days, you should be constantly finding opportunities to share it, discuss it, and sign up everyone you know. If you’re not obsessed, why would anyone else be?

And if you’re not obsessed, are you doing this for the right reasons? The early days will test your resilience, and if you don’t have the passion now, you’re unlikely to have the heart for it when the going gets tough.

4. Build Buzz Before You Launch

Don’t wait until launch to start building your community. Social media is a powerful tool for testing whether there’s real appetite for your ideas, engaging early adopters, and generating buzz.

Experiment with messaging, then decide whether you need to adapt, pivot, or double down. You’ll gather feedback, build momentum, and avoid launching into a vacuum. Test fast, learn faster.

💫 AFTER YOU LAUNCH

1. Culture Starts on Day One

Culture isn’t something you “get to later." It begins the moment you make your first decision: how you work, who you hire, what you prioritise. It all sets the tone. 

Build intentionally from the top down and make those early choices count.

2. Momentum > Perfection

Startups die in indecision. Make a decision at 2pm and change your mind at 4pm if you need to. Perfect is the enemy of done. Build this into your mindset and business DNA early on and you’ll keep moving forwards.

3. Be Prepared to Pivot

Clinging to a bad idea is expensive. Great founders know when to shift course if things aren’t working. You will have to change direction, probably more than once. Agility is your superpower. 

4. Don’t Run Out of Cash

This is the most important thing you should be focusing on as an early-stage founder! It sounds obvious, but running out of cash is the number one startup killer.

Growth doesn’t always mean raising big. Stay lean, raise wisely, and spend intentionally. Before proving product-market fit, don’t blow your budget on flashy branding or a slick website. Instead, think:

• What can I do on a shoestring?
• What favours can I call in?
• What shortcuts will help me test faster?

If you can survive the scrappy phase, you’ll emerge stronger and more resilient, ready to scale without the need to beg for bridge rounds.

Building a startup isn’t easy. The early days are messy, uncertain, and full of challenges.

Take it one step at a time, keep moving forward, and trust that with the right foundation, you’ll be ready for whatever comes next.

There are so many lessons and each startup faces its own unique challenges so if you need help, let me know and remember, you got this!