Welcome back to NoteLoft Newsletter - the shortcut for founders who want to go from MVP to scale. Every week (ish - I’m working on it), my goal is to share what actually works when building software, so you can spend more time on deals, growth, and going to Pilates.
If you need help taking your product from MVP to scale, get in touch! We’ve grown our tech team, and we can’t wait to help you.
Let’s get into it!
You guys know I hate LinkedIn, but I came across this post that I have to talk about. Its for people who want to climb the corporate ladder, but I think it applies to us founders too:
Because it’s really about playing the comparison game, which is a losing game.
So many of you compare yourselves to founders who have resources you don’t, and wonder why you aren’t where they are. And by resources I don’t mean just money, though it obviously helps, but there are so many more than that.
The founders who I see doing incredibly well have supportive partners who listen to them weigh options after a long day. They’ve often got 2 or 3 failed startups under their belt, so they know what mistakes to avoid. They always have a thriving network, and some have active social media accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers.
There are some ways to offset what you don’t have. Here are some things I would focus on:
Move faster. This is a speed game. You’ve got to learn to move quickly in the right direction. Avoid moving quickly in the wrong direction
Talk to more potential customers. If you haven’t found product market fit yet, aim for 100. That’s two to three calls every day for a month, or about a call per day for the quarter.
Hire experts. This might mean hiring the right engineer (I’m doing a workshop on this topic tomorrow; you can sign up here), or hiring a social media expert to help you grow your distribution channels, or hiring a housekeeper so you can work while someone cleans your home.
Shorten your feedback loops. Don’t spend 6 months building something you’re not sure people want. Show people the ugly version; the imperfect version, the cringe version. Send the rough landing page. Ask for feedback before you feel ready.
Track your analytics. How are people using your software? When? What screens do they avoid or use the most? Once you have that data, figure out what it means, and how you can leverage it.
talk soon,
LaToya
