10 things I’ve never heard a successful startup founder say

by Jason Cohen on August 15, 2011

Please stop repeating these ideas! This isn’t how successful companies work.

I built this software for myself, and then it turned out a million people wanted it exactly how I originally envisioned it.
After hiring a few people, being the CEO became a lot easier, and I was able to focus on high-level strategic plans instead of fighting fires.
I wish we had spent less time talking to prospective customers before designing interfaces and writing code.
The decision of whether to form an LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp made a significant difference in my startup’s success.
Selling the company was an easy decision, and everyone in the company was on the same page.
We’re such good actors, our first few customers never knew we were a new company with no employees and buggy software.
Thanks to a software patent we filed, we never had a serious competitor.
Our most effective marketing campaigns were the ones filled with buzzwords and non-specific claims.
My lack of an MBA degree made building a company from scratch harder for me than for others.
I wish I had spent more time reading and weighing the pros and cons of various philosophies instead of just jumping in and doing what I thought was morally and financially sensible.

Just get started, talk to potential customers, and ship stuff.

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