It's been about 1.5 years since we started building this company.
We've hit some meaningful metrics, figured out the right direction, and my co-founder and I have found our rhythm.
It feels like one chapter of this entrepreneurial journey is wrapping up and another is beginning.
At these chapter transitions, I reflect on things I wish I'd known at the start. More for myself than anyone else.
I wrote similar reflections at the end of Chapter 1 here. That was about figuring out which direction to walk.
Now this last chapter, Chapter 2, was about how to walk efficiently in that direction.
On reflecting, what I might do differently... I kept coming back to this idea of: known versus unknown unfairness.
"Unfairness" doesn't quite capture the contours and colors of what I'm trying to convey. But it's the closest equivalent I can think of. It's provocative enough to be catchy in my head without perverting the intended meaning.
When you know these things exist, you can work around it instead of blindly slumbering through them.
Also you tend to look around and see others gliding through the same challenges. It might seem unfair, but it's really just many self-imposed blind spots you need to undo. Or at least it was so in my case.
I'm not magically gliding now, but being aware of these patterns makes me much more deliberate going into Chapter 3.
So here are the six "unfairnesses" I wish I'd known:
- Distribution: A decent product with exceptional distribution will beat an exceptional product with decent distribution.
- Networking: Who you know matters
- Politics: Who you serve isn't who you sell to
- Pricing: The best time to raise your price is right at the start
- Boundaries: Protect your time ruthlessly
- Support: People who ask for help get help
Distribution Beats Product Excellence
A decent product with exceptional distribution will beat an exceptional product with decent distribution.
I've heard this a hundred times from indie hackers and bootstrappers. But it still took me a while to actually internalize it.
Nothing like lived experience to really understand something.
Plenty of excellent articles have been written about this, so I won't rehash that here and keep this brief.
People can't buy what they don't know exists.
If you build what you think is a great product, as the founder, you're obligated to show it to the right users.
Or at least that's what I've deluded myself into believing. So far, it's been a useful delusion.
If possible, build distribution into the product itself. In my case, it wasn't feasible.
Going forward, I have decided to put time on my calendar solely for working on that distribution.
Who You Know Matters
Distribution gets your product seen so it can reach the right people who need your product.
Networks get you seen so you can reach the right people when you need help.
Who you know matters. It makes the journey easier.
But what about advice like "build a great product and network will emerge" or "build something so good they can't ignore it"?
Those are great pieces of advice for exceptional founders at the tail end of the spectrum.
I'm an average founder. I know who I am. And I am perfectly happy with that.
Which means, yes, who you know matters.
The irony is, personally I'd rather just sit at home, happily yap with my AI and code and build and not meet people.
But when you're a bootstrapped founder, you're not only a craftsman. You're also a salesman. You're a marketer. You're a network builder.
You solve problems. And a good efficient way to solve problems is to have a network of people you can rely on, leverage, and get support from.
You don't have to reinvent a wheel all the time (although sometimes for builders that path is deceptively seductive).
Also the best time to build relationships is before you need to "use" them.
If I had to do it all over again, I might start doing some thoughtful networking at the beginning.
Who You Serve Isn't Who You Sell To
I think this applies to B2B in my limited experience. And not universally... but often enough to distill it as principle.
Who you sell your product to has different incentives than the person who the product/services is ultimately serving.
This creates tension.
Sometimes, you need to make the buyer look good to their boss. Other times, your tool might disrupt their entire job or position, something they've been doing for years.
So they might resist, albeit in a convoluted way.
Some understanding of politics will help you understand what might seem like bewildering behavior for your engineering autistic brain.
This is frustrating if you just want to build great products.
But it's the game. You need to close deals. You need a way to serve the end user.
There are certain sacrifices you need to make. And appeasing this intermediary is one part of the game.
I'm still learning this game. I think eventually I don't want to deal with this at all. But for now, it is what it is.
The Best Time to Raise Your Price is Right at the Start
Pricing your product/services is like salary negotiations for your jobs. Your biggest leverage is at the start. After that, you're anchored.
When you're desperate for those first clients, you'll be tempted to undercharge.
We landed early clients at rates that made sense when we had zero credibility. A year later, those same rates became weighing anchors.
If I had the confidence I have now (honestly, the product didn't change, just my belief in its value) I would have charged twice/thrice as much.
You need clients to build credibility, but you also need sustainable rates. Be aware of this dynamic.
Don't trap yourself with unsustainable rates early on.
Protect Your Time Ruthlessly
Energy, ideas, money, all flow through time. So once you have a working product, as a bootstrapped founder, time will likely become your single most important bottleneck.
My earlier instinct was to say yes to every business opportunity (or casual meeting) that seemed good. Which served me well in Chapter 1.
But most opportunities take longer than you think. Now I am learning to be ruthless about this.
Have the courage to say no to good opportunities that don't align and have the "courage to be disliked". I now under-commit slightly.
People actually respect you more for being clear about your boundaries.
People who ask for help get help
This might seem like stating the obvious when I write it like that, but among the six things here it was probably the hardest one for me.
I grew up in a dysfunctional family. The thing about such challenges is you get this double-edged sword.
I learned to be very self-reliant. Much of my financial independence journey and doing this company in a bootstrapped way came from the drive not to depend on anyone, which has served me well in many ways, and I'm actually grateful for it.
But it's also created maladaptive behaviors.
Through therapy, I realized there's a difference between healthy independence and cutting yourself off from help when you actually need it.
I also learned that building things with other people is actually enjoyable (when you find the right people).
It was a mental block I had to work through, but once I did, asking for help became much easier.
Looking Backward to Move Forward
Those are the things I wish I'd known earlier.
Chapter 3 starts now.
I'm focusing on distribution and building systems that actually scale.
Hopefully see you at the next chapter.