Christmas Gifts (notes) for Fellow Startup Founders

For more peace and sanity this 2024

My Christmas Gifts (notes) for fellow startup founders for more peace and sanity this 2024:

1. Don’t take advice from gurus, experts, or mentors who haven’t operated a business in the past 3 years.

Many things have changed in product innovation, recruitment, operations, marketing, and sales, and if they haven’t run one, what are they even talking about?

2. Don’t partner with people you have not operationally worked with for a period of time.

Good behaviors are shown upfront.

Bad behaviors show up on the daily grind.

3. Don’t stretch yourself thin for the sake of pleasing others.

Take your time to answer that comment, email, message, text, or call. If it’s not urgent or important, it can wait. Indefinitely if need be.

4. Don’t show up just because.

There is such a thing as overexposure, and being at all the conferences and all the competitions means you’re away from real work. And it will show.

5. Don’t dismiss the red flags.

Trust your gut. When you smell shit, there must be one somewhere.

6. Don’t forget to monitor your numbers.

They don’t lie. Also, they don’t say anything without context. But first, track them.

7. Don’t forget your core values. You know what I mean. And when SHTF, go back to your core.

8. Don’t forget to dream bigger. We can do this.