22 Things to Know About Startups

Many people want to start a startup.

But not everyone truly understands the kind of jungle they’re stepping into.

Here are the first 11 things you should engrave in your mind before quitting your job to build a startup.

Inspired by 22 Things to Know About Startups by Brian Bourque

🧠 1. Ideas are not gold. Execution is.

Everyone has a million-dollar idea.

The people who actually make money are the ones willing to get their hands dirty.

It’s not just about execution — it’s about operating effectively to turn effort into profit.

💸 2. Don’t quit your job today.

Unless you have money… or you’re crazy.

Startups are not for the financially unprepared or the impatient.

Build something on the side first before you jump.

If you have a family, think carefully before going all-in.

There’s nothing wrong with pursuing your passion while still protecting your family’s financial stability.

🧙 3. Don’t expect investors to be your saviors.

They’re not magicians.

They want you to succeed — so that they can make money too.

And in today’s market, even investors are struggling.

Many of them are dealing with their own pressures from LPs.

🧪 4. MVP means minimum — not perfect.

Your MVP is not your dream product. It’s the simplest version that allows you to test the market.

Looks don’t matter.

The only thing that matters is: Does anyone actually use it?

🚗 5. A founder is both an F1 driver and a car washer.

You’ll do everything.

From designing the product to fixing bugs… even cleaning the toilet if needed.

🔮 6. Everything takes longer than you think.

If you think it’ll take 3 months to launch,

it’ll probably take 9.

😵‍💫 7. Scaling too early is suicide.

Don’t hire a 10-person sales team

when you don’t even have 10 customers.

🧊 8. Feedback is your best friend — but choose wisely.

Not all feedback is useful.

Learn how to filter.

Choose carefully whose voice you listen to.

🤝 9. Choosing a co-founder is like choosing a life partner.

You need someone capable, aligned, and committed.

Someone who won’t walk away halfway through.

Harder than Tinder.

🐢 10. Slow but real growth beats fast but fake growth.

Unicorns move fast…

but they also die fast.

Better to survive like a turtle — or even like a cockroach.

📊 11. Vanity metrics don’t pay the bills. Cash does.

Pretty numbers won’t keep your company alive.

Don’t fall in love with fake metrics.

A timeless rule many founders forget: Cash is king.

Inspired by 22 Things to Know About Startups by Brian Bourque.

💀 12. Startups don’t just die from running out of money.

Sometimes they die from within.

Internal conflicts, co-founder disputes — these are often the real fatal blows.

🧭 13. Mission and vision may sound like slogans — but they are your compass.

Don’t write them just for your pitch deck.

Write them so you don’t lose direction —and to remind yourself why you started.

🕵️ 14. There are always more competitors than you think.

No idea is truly unique.

Competition comes from everywhere — and now, from AI as well.

Sometimes it’s a freelancer, sometimes a corporation, and sometimes… your own customers building it themselves.

🧯 15. Great founders are great firefighters.

Crisis is normal.

Managing crisis is a survival skill.

🏗️ 16. Product-Market Fit is when customers come back on their own.

You don’t have to push. They buy again. They refer others.

Only then should you think about scaling.

😵 17. There will be moments when everything feels wrong.

That’s normal. What matters is how you respond.

This is when you pivot — or sometimes, completely reset and start over.

I’ve had to “wipe the board and rebuild” from scratch.

It was painful — and it turned out to be the right decision.

💪 18. Startups are a marathon, not a sprint.

Stay resilient. Don’t rush.

Don’t compare yourself to shiny headlines.

You see others raising $10M — but you don’t see what they sacrificed.

If you want to win, stay calm.

📅 19. Timelines are meant to be broken.

But you still need them.

Plans will change — but you still need a plan.

🧩 20. Don’t build castles without foundations.

Start from real needs — not temporary excitement.

💭 21. Startups are not for those who crave stability.

Every day brings new drama.

If you want safety,

stay where you are.

🎯 22. The end goal is not fundraising — it’s creating value.

Money follows value.

If customers love what you build and are willing to pay for it — that’s real success.

Inspired by 22 Things to Know About Startups by Brian Bourque.