My 3 core advice for startup founders (when they feel stuck)
“… regardless of the brilliance of your idea, if it was easy, someone would have done it by now.”
Thinking about becoming a startup founder? Want that side hustle to become your full time gig? Here are 3 simple things I often cover in my coaching sessions that help founders get unstuck and often compliment the technical aspects of solving the problem your idea will commercialise…
Entrepreneur key characteristics - which are you strong on?
Ever wondered how founders appear to have all their bases covered.. Knowing where your strengths lie is a great starting point for understanding where your blind spots are. Entrepreneurs have this down pat. I cannot underplay how hard making your ‘big idea’ into a commercial venture can and will be, so regardless of the brilliance of your idea, if it was easy, someone would have done it by now. So my top tip here is that we have options and you can choose to apply one or all of these to your blind spots:
learn skills to balance your strengths,
surround yourself with trusted advisors who can help fill the gaps, or
find a co-founder.
Regardless of your approach, not knowing what your strengths are will leave you open to more failure and less progress on your idea, as you won’t know what you don’t know - so get reflecting and be honest with yourself.
2. It's not a straight line to success - break up the challenges
Feel like there’s just so much to do, so much to understand to get your startup off the ground? It’s hard right!? Like any good achiever will tell you, breaking up the big challenges into manageable chunks - will help you see progress on that big idea. This will give you much needed focus to prioritise your: experiments, research, networking, testing, modelling, developing; not to mention, your wellbeing + life.
At most of the junctures you’ll get to, there’s going to be an element of learning - so don’t set and forget. Review your planning, apply your learnings, redo those experiments and stay on the windy path.
“Like any good achiever will tell you, breaking up the big challenges into manageable chunks - will help you see progress on that big idea.”
3. If you’re a female - network, ask for help, network, ask for help
Founders often feel alone and this can be demotivating, as well as limiting your access to the connections you’ll need on the journey ahead. Think of this as your superpower… this is a tip I would give any would-be founder. But for females, expanding your network on the problem you’re trying to solve will:
open up many doors you’d never even considered,
amplify your ability to expand your thinking and growth,
constructively challenge your idea, and
energise you and give you a network to lean to on.
The multiplying effect it has on your ability to solve the problem through a connected network you create, and the resources you can call on when those tireless days of working alone are getting the better of you… you’ll be grateful you started this aspect of your start-up success journey!
Leaving you with a final thought as I relentlessly get ask, how do you do it all?… Time is the inflexible, most precious and valuable resource you have - As I do, I challenge you to reflect on how you’re respecting this resource while you enjoy the ride of being an entrepreneur. Something I practice still and finetune.
Enjoy the adventure!
