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What’s the one thing you wish someone told you before starting your business?

r/Entrepreneur
8/15/2025

Content Summary

The post discusses the key lessons entrepreneurs wish they had known before starting their businesses. The main themes include focusing on value and audience rather than design, the importance of iteration, the need for a repeatable sales system, and the challenges of isolation, impostor syndrome, and mental health. Many commenters emphasize the importance of market validation, selling skills, time management, and building a strong support network. They also highlight the necessity of adaptability, avoiding overinvestment in untested ideas, and prioritizing real customer feedback over perfection.

Opinion Analysis

Mainstream opinions in the discussion emphasize the importance of focusing on value, validating ideas early, and building a repeatable sales system. Many agree that isolation and mental health challenges are significant hurdles for entrepreneurs. There is a strong consensus that iteration and adaptability are crucial for success. Some debate the role of design versus functionality, with many arguing that over-investing in design can be a waste of resources. There is also discussion around the importance of selling skills and the need for community support. While most agree on the value of validation and iteration, some express skepticism about the effectiveness of entrepreneurship communities and programs, suggesting that real support often comes from personal networks and experience.

SAAS TOOLS

SaaSURLCategoryFeatures/Notes
[No specific SaaS tools mentioned][N/A][N/A][N/A]

USER NEEDS

Pain Points:

  • Lack of clear customer understanding leading to product failure
  • Difficulty in setting professional boundaries and managing mental health
  • Impostor syndrome and isolation
  • Challenges in building a repeatable sales system
  • Overemphasis on design and decoration over value and audience focus
  • Need for market validation before full commitment
  • Importance of selling skills and time management

Problems to Solve:

  • How to build a successful business without wasting resources on unvalidated ideas
  • How to maintain mental health and avoid burnout
  • How to create a sustainable and predictable sales process
  • How to validate a product idea before investing heavily
  • How to effectively sell and manage time

Potential Solutions:

  • Focus on value and audience, not design
  • Build a repeatable sales system
  • Validate the product early with real customers
  • Prioritize selling skills and time management
  • Emphasize adaptability and iteration over perfection

GROWTH FACTORS

Effective Strategies:

  • Focus on value and audience rather than design
  • Iterate frequently based on feedback and metrics
  • Build a repeatable sales system
  • Validate the product before full development
  • Prioritize adaptability and learning from mistakes
  • Emphasize customer feedback and continuous improvement

Marketing & Acquisition:

  • Use social media (e.g., Instagram) for marketing
  • Leverage community engagement and networking
  • Focus on personal branding and content creation
  • Utilize word-of-mouth and referrals

Monetization & Product:

  • Avoid spending too much on design or decorations at the start
  • Focus on product-market fit and validation
  • Emphasize recurring revenue models
  • Avoid hiring expensive in-house teams; consider outsourcing

User Engagement:

  • Build communities (e.g., through Reddit, local events)
  • Engage with other entrepreneurs for support and insights
  • Encourage transparency and sharing of experiences
  • Promote collaboration and knowledge exchange among founders