Over the years, I’ve launched companies, advised others, raised capital, missed signals, hired wrong, scaled too fast, pivoted too late—and learned a few things in the process. Recently, I had the chance to give a guest lecture at Harvard on what it really takes to launch and scale a startup.
Here’s a condensed version of what I shared—less theory, more scar tissue.
1. The Myth of the Perfect Idea
Most people wait too long to start, thinking they need the idea. Truth is, your first idea probably isn’t the one that works. And that’s okay.
The founders of YouTube started with a dating site. Slack came out of a failed video game. Airbnb got rejected by dozens of investors before the world caught up.
Great companies don’t emerge from perfect ideas—they emerge from persistent founders who are obsessed with a small, overlooked problem and are willing to listen, adapt, and evolve quickly.
Start small. Start obsessed. Start anyway.
2. Validation Isn’t What You Think It Is
Early-stage founders often mistake interest for intent. A friend says, “I’d totally use that!” or a customer replies, “Let me know when it’s live!”
That’s not validation.
Real validation looks like time, money, effort—commitment. A pre-order. A referral. A workaround. If someone is solving the problem without you, that’s a signal.
Build scrappy prototypes. Get real feedback. Watch what people do, not what they say.
3. Your Job is to Be a Signal Processor
In the early days, everything feels like noise. Metrics are small. Feedback is conflicting. You’re constantly wondering, “Is this a real insight or just noise?”
The best founders develop a kind of radar—they can sense patterns early. They don’t just listen to feedback, they decode it. They don’t overreact to every data point, but they don’t ignore smoke either.
Learn fast. Move fast. Let your ego get out of the way of the signal.
4. Your Role Will Keep Changing
The skills that get you from zero to one are not the same skills that get you to ten.
At first, you’re the builder, designer, marketer, customer support—all of it. But if you’re growing, your job becomes less about doing and more about enabling.
Suddenly, you’re managing people. Then managing managers. Then setting vision, hiring execs, shaping culture.
Every six months, your calendar should look different. And if you don’t actively evolve, your startup will outgrow you.
5. Hiring Is Where Startups Break
Startups don’t die from competition—they die from internal drag. And most of that drag comes from hiring the wrong people.
At the early stage, a bad hire isn’t a setback—it’s a time bomb.
Look for ownership mindset, adaptability, and speed of learning. Hire people who run toward problems, not away from them. And remember: culture isn’t what you say—it’s what you tolerate.
6. Distribution > Product
A great product without a distribution strategy is a tree falling in a forest.
Founders love to build—but often neglect how the product will reach the customer. Distribution isn’t just ads. It’s strategy, channels, timing, partnerships, communities.
Ask yourself early:
- Who needs this right now?
- Where do they hang out?
- What do they already trust?
- How will they find out about you?
Don’t just find product-market fit. Find product-channel fit.
7. Founder Psychology Is 80% of the Game
No one talks enough about the emotional cost of building something from scratch.
The highs are high, the lows are existential. You’ll doubt yourself constantly. You’ll pour everything into something that most people won’t understand for a long time.
Protect your mental health. Build a tribe of other builders. Get outside your own head. Journal. Reflect. Don’t fuse your identity with your startup—it’s not you, it’s a thing you’re building.
8. Fundraising Is a Game of Narrative and Status
Raising money isn’t just about traction or spreadsheets—it’s about story, timing, and social proof.
Warm intros beat cold emails. FOMO beats logic. Being the 5th meeting in a week beats being the 1st in a month.
VCs are in the pattern recognition business. Your job is to become a pattern they can recognize—without losing your authenticity.
It’s a game. Know the rules. But don’t let them define you.
9. Luck Is Real (But You Can Make More of It)
Yes, talent and execution matter. But so does timing. So does luck.
Survivorship bias is everywhere. Many great founders didn’t “fail”—they just didn’t get lucky enough.
You can’t control luck, but you can create more surface area for it:
- Publish your journey
- Show up where collisions happen
- Help others before asking for anything
Luck favors the visible. The curious. The consistent.
10. Your Real Advantage: Speed of Learning
At the end of the day, startups don’t win because they know more. They win because they learn faster.
The best founders build tight learning loops:
Build → Measure → Learn → Adjust → Repeat
They get feedback quickly. They don’t fall in love with their own ideas. They evolve with the market—not against it.
If you’re learning faster than the competition, you’re winning—even if it doesn’t look like it yet.
Parting Thoughts
I closed my Harvard talk with three things I hope every founder remembers:
3 Hard Truths:
- No one cares about your startup until you succeed—get over it.
- Most of your assumptions are wrong—prove them fast.
- Building is easy. Focus is hard. Focus wins.
3 Mantras That Helped Me:
- Strong opinions, loosely held
- Default to action
- Be relentlessly curious
One Ask:
If you’re thinking about launching—start.
Not when it’s perfect. Not when you’re “ready.”
Start where you are, with what you know, and with who you are.
That’s how every story begins.
Want help applying any of these ideas to your startup? Feel free to reach out or drop me a note—I always love hearing what people are building.