How do you become a founder?

I started small. By myself, self-funded with an idea of how to improve law enforcement training. I kept my full time job until I was ready, cash flow wise, to leave and take the company on as a full time venture. Anyone can do this. Have an idea and work hard to develop the idea and then build a network to help support it. And always, help others along the way.

No, I started alone in 1998 I was a 17 years old , fully bootstrapped, less than a dollar in pocket, only using by IQ, brains , hardwork and sleepless nights to start business and sustain, collaborate and grow. Later on, for sure I start business with cofounders with me. But now I don't take someone who is like me, rather someone who is different and can fulfil what I don't have .

To be a successful founder, you need imagination informed by your insight about a market, stamina / optimism, and the ability to inspire amazing people. Imagination helps you to find a new or better approach to an important problem. Stamina & optimism allow you to whether the rough storms that are inevitable in any new business. The ability to inspire gets you real talent - money just gets employees. Of course, from a practical standpoint, capital, domain knowledge, and a great network are also part of the recipe but they aren't enough if you're missing the most important ingredients within yourself.

Validating your idea is invaluable for the success of your startup. Founders need to go through a cycle. They decide to build a product following their unique idea, thinking it can solve a problem. But once they launch the product, they eat the humble pie. They learn what they thought was cool to build was not necessarily what the user wants. Good founders are able to break out of the confirmation bias, suspend assumptions and listen to what users say about problems they are facing, and start the iteration again.

Validation of Idea comes before any other efforts we add on developing the idea. When we get an idea as human being sometimes we miss the importance of risks assessment, sustainability & feasibility study in excitement. Even before getting a co founder or partner for the startup, it’s important to incubate Idea and assess what’s the problem you are trying to solve, what kind of partner you need to complement the development, what are the resources required in what phases and respective sources of the resource, identifying target market & audience, assessing competition and potential alternatives for the customers and the Value you are planning to deliver for the customer.

Validating the idea for our startup involved extensive market research and customer interviews. We developed MVP and tested it with a small user group. The feedback was invaluable and leading to changes and adjustments in our concept. This step was important to ensure that we were building something that address a real need in the market.

Becoming a founder is like going on an exciting journey where passion, innovation, and a problem-solving mindset come together. Founders are adaptable, learn from challenges and adjust strategies along the way. Simply put, you become a founder when you take the plunge, turning your idea into a tangible business.

Keep in mind that your first version should be very simple. It's the MVP (Minimum Viable Product), start very small and already delivered to the user to use, only then will you be able to set the right direction in your product evolution.

When We launched Fatewise, our digital marketing agency, we made sure to concentrate on the essential features that our clients needed the most. His strong technical background allowed us to develop our services efficiently, while our iterative approach ensured that we continuously improved based on client feedback. Remember, it's all about delivering value and staying adaptable!

Once your idea is validated, move on to building your product. Depending on your technical skills and resources, you can code it, hire developers, or use no-code tools. Concentrate on core features that provide value to your customers. Avoid unnecessary complexities. Follow agile principles, releasing your product in small batches, gathering feedback, and enhancing it based on user data.

Tailor development to your technical skills and resources – code it yourself, hire developers, or use no-code tools. Embrace agile principles for iterative development, releasing in small batches and refining based on user feedback. Leverage user analytics to make data-driven decisions. Additionally, consider a Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) approach, ensuring not just functionality but a delightful user experience to enhance product adoption and satisfaction.

This is one of the critical part of your business (the product). Don’t rush into the market, make sure your MVP solves the intended problem, in whatever way you decided. When you launch, go with your feedback process, so as to know how to improve and satisfy your customer. Know this, you’re your first customer (can you use your product/service?)

In today’s crowded marketplace, the key to growing your audience isn’t just visibility - it’s providing value at every touchpoint. Whether through educational content, meaningful engagement on social media, or personalized customer experiences, the focus should be on building trust and demonstrating the value your product brings to their lives. Growth metrics matter, but the real magic happens when your customers feel genuinely connected to what you’re offering.

Beyond the mentioned strategies, focus on content marketing to establish authority and engage your audience. Leverage SEO techniques for better online visibility. Utilize email marketing for personalized communication and customer retention. Collaborate with complementary businesses for cross-promotion. Attend industry events and network to expand your reach. User-generated content and testimonials can add credibility. Regularly analyze and refine your marketing strategies based on key performance indicators for sustained growth.

mostrar como lan?ar um programa de indica??o, oferecer descontos ou testes gratuitos que sejam eficazes e vantajosos para os seus clientes e para a sua startup, usando técnicas de gamifica??o, recompensa ou escassez.

Define your target audience, create valuable content, engage on social media, utilize email marketing, collaborate with influencers, optimize for SEO, run targeted ads, and encourage user referrals to grow your audience effectively.

Building an audience and creating a buzz around your startup is crucial. Develop a robust online presence through social media, content marketing, and networking. Engage with your audience, listen to their feedback, and adapt your product accordingly. Make them part of the initial development stages responding to their inputs. Create a community/fan base that will organically promote your product. Building a community around your brand can be a powerful asset. Optimise for SEO. Lastly, adapt to your target audience in geographical, and cultural terms on the basis of how they consume content.

poderia mostrar como fazer um pitch deck, um plano financeiro e um valuation para a sua startup, usando modelos, ferramentas ou dicas. Você poderia contar algumas histórias de sucesso ou fracasso de startups que conseguiram ou n?o levantar fundos, e quais foram as li??es aprendidas. Esses detalhes poderiam tornar o seu texto mais completo, interessante e educativo.

Securing funding is often a pivotal step for startup founders. Explore different funding options, including bootstrapping, angel investors, venture capital, or crowdfunding. Create a compelling pitch that showcases your vision, traction, and potential for growth. Yet, investment is not the only way. Direct sales revenue is also investment capital. I grew my startup only based on sales revenues, so if your MVP is a ready-to-market product/service go for it. Outsource for a few commission-based sales reps, and try your foot in the market.

Tailor your pitch deck to tell a compelling story, highlighting market potential and scalability. Engage with potential investors through networking events, pitch competitions, or online platforms. Establish trust by transparently addressing risks and mitigations. Leverage crowdfunding not just for funds but also for market validation and community building. Consider strategic partnerships for non-monetary support. Always be adaptable to changing funding landscapes.

Too many founders have the mindset of (1) have idea, (2) validate hypotheses, (3) build MVP or pitch deck, and (4) find investors. But what many don't realize is that their founder journey changes substantially with external capital. Taking money from an investor is more like bringing on another partner than it is getting a cheque. You have an additional person you are accountable to. And that person may or may not share your vision and objectives. Further, the clock really starts ticking when you have investors. Because they want to see a big return as soon as possible. So if you're building a venture because you want autonomy, or you want to devote your life to changing the world, raising capital is a decision you shouldn't take lightly.

Think long and hard before you raise funds. If you need a lot of cash to keep your company going, that might be your goal. But it might be better to bootstrap as long as you possibly can. First, because that allows you to focus on your company (no distractions) and secondly, because so it remains your company. You make the decisions. If there are still ways to generate more revenue, explore them. Funding can definitely help you scale faster - but it comes at the cost of giving up (some) control. Are you prepared to do so?

Iterate. Iterate. Iterate. Startup is only going to be about iteration. Iteration of product, ideas and features. So never get too attached with your “vision” or your “idea” of a feature or product. Yours users will validate them, not you.

Agility is part of the DNA of a startup, but self-Awareness from the founders is equally essential. The type of fpunder profile that comes up with the initial idea, drives innovation in an agile way is not necessarily the same person that will help the company scale and become stronger in its operations. This requires self-awareness and understanding of your own limits and motivations.

Ultimately, you have to get going. This sounds banal, but the reality is that most people do not have the required capabilities to turn their idea into a successful and sustainable business at the onset. Paradoxically, getting started is the best way to gain the needed capacity. Once you start, stay humble, and remember you will never get it right 100%. Your job is to reduce the degree to which you are wrong.

Be a Startup Scientist As a Founder, your startup is an experiment. Therefore, you are a scientist. Begin the experiment by studying a particular market. What problem does this market have that needs a solution? Form a hypothesis focused on what solution would best solve that problem. Create a prototype of that solution. Show the prototype to potential user-buyers and watch what they do with it. Make necessary alterations to the solution. Notice that the scientist is a student who's learning how to become an expert with respect to the defined market. That's how you become a successful Founder. You prioritize learning over knowing. You seek to discover the best solution not just to validate your solution. Venture With Vision ??

The journey of becoming a founder will present a "never-ending conveyor belt of challenges" in the words of Dropbox CEO, Drew Houston, but with a mindset of continuous learning and preparedness, you can navigate them all. You have to be prepared to learn new skills within a short time span and execute responsibilities beyond your core skill for your startup to grow. You should view this opportunity as the only way in the world to learn fast by getting things wrong, and then working your way to get them right. Seeking feedback, networking and interacting with your peers will also help you with fresh perspectives and experiences that they have had.

Some of the qualities of great founders include: 1. Focus: They have laser sharp focus on the key problem they are solving 2. Thriving in ambiguity: Great founders are able to navigate through uncertainties and create a plan, cutting through numerous initial assumptions 3. Great storytelling: This is the ability great founders have to tell an impactful story, be it to their customers, co founders, or other stakeholders 4. Team building and nurturing: This is a whole different skill set where you find the right people for the right job and help them grow. 5. Resilience: In the startup world, much like in life, you only fail when you give up 6. Challenging status quo: The ability to keep finding ways of improving and making the society better

A startup is more than just the two founders: - Make sure you surround yourself by the right advisors - When it comes to funding, consider the human side and the type of involvement you will get from your investor (which could be counter productive). They become part of your extended team. - If you decide to work with a software house for initial development, make sure you are aligned. They might not understand your vision, they most likely don't have skin in the game. - Same for marketing. Agencies that don't have skin in the game will only drain your marketing budget, better get that skill in-house.

In my experience, there are no steps to becoming a founder. Even with all the prescribed rule books & steps, you fall, detract, stumble. You become a founder when you do not give up & bounce back harder each time. This journey is about patience, persistence & consistency. Even if you do not have these qualities, you'll develop along the way. So, start away!

Becoming a founder involves a mix of vision, planning, and execution, but the most crucial aspect is building a strong network. Start by identifying your passion and developing a viable business idea. Conduct thorough market research and create a solid business plan. However, networking is key. Connect with industry professionals, potential investors, mentors, and like-minded entrepreneurs. Attend industry events, join online communities, and engage on platforms like LinkedIn. Your network can provide invaluable advice, support, and opportunities. Remember, success often hinges on who you know and how well you leverage those relationships. Networking opens doors that hard work alone might not.

In entrepreneurship, balancing strategic decisions with emotional resilience is key. Embrace failures as learning opportunities and foster a culture of continuous learning. Remember, your decisions might not always please everyone—employees, investors, or clients. Stand firm in your vision, yet remain open to feedback, and prioritize genuine connections and mentorship. Above all, maintain balance; ensure the relentless pursuit of success doesn't overshadow well-being. This holistic approach, acknowledging the complexities of leadership, shapes a journey that's not just successful but also sustainable and fulfilling.