What do you do if your startup's motivation and focus are waning in the early stages?

In the early stages of a startup, maintaining motivation and focus can be challenging. It's essential to regularly reassess your goals, re-evaluate your strategy, and remind yourself why you embarked on this journey in the first place. Seek inspiration from your initial vision, and don't hesitate to pivot if necessary. Surround yourself with a supportive network, seek advice from mentors, and remember that setbacks are part of the entrepreneurial journey. Stay resilient, stay focused, and keep pushing forward. Your passion and perseverance will be the driving forces behind your startup's success.

One thing that is most helpful and crucial for any organisation; especially during challenging times of leadership and business development. Is to intentionally, reflect and reconnect to your WHY. "Why is the heart of an organisation, just as love is the core of a relationship. Leading without the conviction of your Why is like a ship without an anchor, it will end up becoming reckless." From the book: Embrace your Why & the Value of it. Maria Morgan

Revisit milestones — When motivation slips, clarity has always been my best ally. Breaking down our long-term goals into bear(er) term milestones. This approach not only makes the journey less daunting but also provides more frequent occasion to celebrate.

Building a startup can be draining - physically and emotionally. In my past lives building corporate ventures and most recently, ideating, developing, launching and scaling my current business, I had countless moments where motivation was far from its highest. It all comes down to a good understanding of what are short and long-term goals. It is fundamental to have a north star, but to get there, it is critical to pin down achievable wins. OKR frameworks help a lot with this. I've also always liked to follow SMART goals. Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Timely. Also, make them flexible. Don't feel as if they're set in stone. Especially if you're not achieving them, feel free to tweak so to keep on going emotionally strong.

As a serial entrepreneur, I tackle dips in motivation by reflecting on past successes and reevaluating the business model. I empower my team and seek support from fellow entrepreneurs. Staying committed to the vision, embracing failure as a learning opportunity, and celebrating progress keep morale high. Prioritizing self-care and agility, I foster a culture of continuous improvement to propel my startups forward.

Mentorship is key. We always seek to get advice from those that have done it time and time again. Those that are notably great. And that's awesome. But what I've found even more helpful was to receive feedback from those just slightly ahead of me in my journey. Those that have recently gone through the challenges I'm going through. Even better if in adjacent industries. For example, if you're a pre-seed or seed startup SaaS founder in HR Tech, reach out to a Series A or B SaaS founder in Insuretech, for example. They'll have valuable tips and tricks that have recently helped them cross certain barriers just recently that could be extremely helpful for you in this particular point in your journey.

Breaks are fundamental. Just recently, I had the luck to be gifted with a daughter. She's now 9 months old. I was however brought into due diligence of my round close 1 week after she was born. This means I only has a 1-week paternity leave. However, I made sure to go on 2-week holiday a few months after that for a break and to truly make the best of the time of my becoming the father and spending time with the family. I always play tennis 3-4x a week. I walk to the park where the courts are. 20 mins before and 20 mins after. This is the time where I get to wind down and not work. It's always the time where I have great ideas too and get back refreshed for work again later in the night or next day. Breaks are critical for idea free flow.

Pivoting is not failing — If motivation is dipping, perhaps it's time to reassess your strategy. While I have often stated that resilience is key and you only fail when you stop trying, it is equally critical to stay attuned to your team's feedback; they are your best resource. Adapting to their insights can not only rejuvenate your strategy but also reignite the team's passion and commitment.

Understand what triggered your waning motivation. Was it because of a bad feedback? Identifying the core reason allows you to choose the best next step. If it’s because of a negative feedback, check positive feedbacks. Does it make you feel better? If it’s something fundamental like finding out that this isn’t the problem you want to solve, then it’s time to take a step back and pivot.

Turn to experts and thought leaders on the subject. Ask Mark Ritson for pub and beer recommendations to celebrate the wins ????

Running an idea meritocracy where ‘the best idea wins’ can potentially alleviate this problem before it has a chance to come to fruition. Everybody wants to be a part of something—everybody. So, give them something to be a part of. Right? Being in a leadership position means thinking outside the box, and giving your team the resources/tools necessary to do their job at the highest level. Whatever that is to them. Reading a book like “Principles” written by Ray Dalio can also help solve a ton of problems before they arise. Stop learning the hard way, and living in a reactive state. Start getting ahead somehow.