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This is MISSION, a weekly newsletter for those who don’t just point out problems—they build solutions.
A.TEAM CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
8 Mistakes I’ve Made As an Entrepreneur (So Far)
In most cases, you don’t get to hear about mistakes founders have made until they’ve earned millions and can laugh about them on a podcast. Before that moment there’s this pressure to unrealistically appear to always be making the right moves.
In an effort to shift this culture, Jamie Lee, founder of the social app, Flox, shares the 8 things she would've done differently to save entrepreneurs time and money.
1. I spent a long time looking for a technical co-founder
This one will be controversial, but here goes: You don’t need a technical co-founder. While having one can help, stopping everything to find a technical co-founder or waiting to begin your venture until the right one comes along isn’t necessary. I wasted hours in a candidate’s market getting on the phone with people interested in being a technical co-founder, some of whom didn’t even know what my company did.
Instead, consider that just because your business requires technical talent, that doesn’t mean you need a technical co-founder. Instead, you can hire vetted technical talent from companies like A.Team (not an ad, but I have had the absolute best experience with them) in a matter of days. You can also give away small pieces of equity to bring on a great technical advisor or two. That buys you time to start your business without a technical co-founder, and then you can hire a CTO later on who can take the reins.
Another great way to find talent in general is by posting on TikTok. Candidates who believe in your mission will come to you after seeing your videos on TikTok. I hired my first engineer after he reached out to me because he saw my first video that went viral.
2. I outsourced a dev shop to build my first MVP
This was probably the biggest mistake I’ve made. Early on, I didn’t have an understanding of just how much your first idea will need to be iterated on as you rigorously test it and see how users respond to it. A dev shop isn’t well suited to be a partner in iterating alongside you because you are hiring them to build a specific product, not to work alongside you as you refine one. You want engineers who are on your team and ready to make changes on the daily.
3. I hired a PR firm
While the people at the firm we worked with were lovely and helped us secure some press that helped with hiring, individual articles don’t get you that far. A better move would’ve been investing this cash in hiring someone incredible to tell our story for us on TikTok to build an organic, longer lasting following.
4. I got a WeWork membership
The room and the building were soulless, and I was locked in for a 12 month lease. Even if you have a small team, the early stages of building a company can feel lonely. Being in an environment that is bright and full of energy can go a long way. There are many other options that are cheaper and way nicer than WeWork.
MISSION MUST-READS
- How to Launch Your Startup MVP with a Baby and No Job
- The Psychology Behind Burnout (And How To Stave It Off)
PARTING MEME
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