Being in "Founder Mode" from YC to Reality: 6 Lessons for First-Time Founders

It's been almost 15 months since graduating from YC, and here are 6 lessons I've learned as a first-time founder that I wish I'd known earlier.

1. Focus! Focus! Focus!

In the past 12 months, I've learned some hard truths about building enterprise products. We spent months building free pilots for startups or enterprises who seemed excited about our product but had no real intention to pay. One particularly memorable instance was with a promising fintech startup – we customized our entire workflow for them, only to hear "we'll consider it next quarter" after weeks of back-and-forth. Later, after chatting with my most inspiring sales leader Ryan Kaiser , I realized a product needs not only to build deep value for the enterprise but also to solve the decision maker's pressing personal problems.

That experience taught me a crucial lesson about focusing on customers who can and will commit to writing checks. This clarity helped us make tough decisions, like turning down a potentially large but resource-draining POC with a Fortune 500 company that wasn't ready to commit. These choices weren't easy, but they allowed us to focus our limited resources on building deep technological moats and serving customers who truly valued our solution. Sometimes, the best strategy is knowing what not to do.

As one of my most admired mentors, Philip Kuai , always asks, "Consider your position in the industry value chain 3-5 years ahead: How will you maintain that position? What's your monetization strategy?" This question has since become our north star for product decision-making, especially when investors ask about our long-term vision. This shift wasn't just about better economics – it forced us to build deeper technological moats and truly differentiate our offering.

2. Competition Is Normal—Don't Copy Others' Shitty Features

Competitors are always the "elephant in the room" that founders keep thinking about.

I used to have the same confusion, so at the YC reunion dinner, I asked my favorite partner Michael, "How do you deal with potential competitors?" His response made me laugh and cleared all my doubts: "At your stage, there's no reason to worry about competitors. And copying each other's shitty features won't help you find PMF (product-market fit)."

Competitors are inevitable, but it's easy to fall into the trap of obsessively watching them and copying whatever feature they launch. Don't do it. Chasing each other's superficial features leads to a product that's a mess of compromises—and likely misses what customers really want. Focus on your own users and on solving their problems effectively.

3. Build a Strong Team

Strong execution capability creates compound effects that accelerate company growth. My great mentor, Di Wu , who successfully exit to Nvidia, once said, "A team that can execute together effectively is invaluably more productive than average performers." I experienced this via our first major product launch - we had a team of six working around the clock, and despite being relatively small, we shipped features faster than big tech companies that had teams three times our size. The secret wasn't just individual talent; it was our ability to execute together seamlessly. Looking back, these experiences taught me that it's not about the number of people - it's about finding the right long-term partners who share your vision for the next decades.

Just like my favorite leadership coach Bree Al-Rashid taught me about team “building a high-performance team isn't just about hiring smart people” - it's about creating an environment where shared purpose, strong execution, and clear leadership come together to create something truly extraordinary. I've also learned that strong leadership isn't about being everyone's friend; it's about making tough decisions and setting clear boundaries. This balance of clear direction and collaborative culture became our secret weapon in scaling the company.

4. Cofounder Breakup Is Normal—Don't Panic, Just Try to Prevent It

At the 1-year YC founder reunion, I observed a hard truth: over 20 companies from our batch (which had 230 startups) experienced cofounder breakups.

I was one of them.

Going through a cofounder breakup was one of the hardest times of my life. I had constant headaches, struggled to sleep, and lost 7 pounds in just a week. Worse, it happened while we were wrapping up fundraising. The shame I felt when communicating with the investors who trusted me was overwhelming.

Thankfully, our YC partner Michael stepped in to help prevent things from turning into an all-out war. I learned that cofounder breakups are quite normal, and there's a formal process to navigate it: signing a release, settling the shares, and (hopefully) keeping the friendship intact. Thanks to Michael and YC's guidance, everything was resolved in about a month.

Looking back, I understand why people say "finding a cofounder is like finding a life partner." Ask yourself: Do you truly know what your cofounder is passionate about? Have you done the deep work together to achieve a common goal—beyond the fun stuff? Have you weathered any tough times together? These questions matter more than you think.

5. "Evolving" Rather Than "Pivoting"

Startups change—FAST. The majority of my YC batchmates are now working on products that are quite different from what they started with a year ago. The key lesson here is to evolve, not just pivot.

What's the difference between evolving and pivoting? Evolving means staying committed to understanding and solving the core, "burning problems" faced by your customers. It's about iterating with purpose—building on what you learn and diving deeper to create meaningful solutions. Pivoting, on the other hand, often means jumping from one superficial problem to another without truly addressing the root cause. Evolution is about depth, while pivoting can sometimes be a sign of flailing without direction.

6. Hire Slow, Fire Fast

In the past 12 months, I made a few costly hiring mistakes that taught me the true meaning of "hire slow, fire fast" (Paul Graham's famous essay). We brought on an employee who looked perfect on paper—a former senior from big tech with an impressive track record. However, warning signs appeared within weeks. Despite his expertise, he consistently missed deadlines and showed little initiative in solving critical problems. I failed to address the situation quickly, hoping things would improve naturally. That reluctance cost us months of runway and created tension within our small team. Others started picking up his slack, leading to burnout and frustration. When we finally parted ways, the relief in the office was palpable.

This experience taught me that crossing certain red lines (e.g., poor character, lack of effort, insufficient problem-solving abilities) requires swift action. Similarly, we learned that having overqualified team members can be just as problematic. Overqualified employees often feel undervalued while the company struggles to justify their compensation against their contributions. Now, when I see these patterns emerging, I remember the cost and act promptly to protect both the team and the company's culture.

Founding a startup is a mirror - it clearly shows you what you are good at and bad at. It forces you to confront your weaknesses and leverage your strengths in ways you never imagined. Through my journey, I've learned that success isn't just about having a great idea or raising money - it's about resilience, focus, and the ability to learn and adapt quickly. These lessons remind us that the path of entrepreneurship is never straight, but each turn and obstacle presents an opportunity to grow stronger and wiser.

And that’s the beauty of being in founder mode. :)