Pankaj Bhakat’s Post

The #1 reason startups fail? (it isn't what you think) Part 1 of 2. Most founders blame: - The market. - Their competition - Or the lack of funding. But after seeing hundreds of startups fail, here's the uncomfortable truth: It's usually the founders. Here's why: 1. They Build Too Much, Too Soon. Instead of solving one pain point well, they chase a grand vision nobody asked for. 2. They Ignore Customer Feedback. Being emotionally tied to their initial idea, they resist pivoting when the market screams for change. 3. They Scale Prematurely. Rather than perfecting their product with 10 loyal customers, they rush to reach 1000. 4. They Burn Cash On The Wrong Things. Building fancy features instead of focusing on product-market fit is a fast track to failure. Stay tuned. Because there are 3 more KEY mistakes founders make which lead to failure. Keep an eye out for Part 2 of 2. Coming soon.

Recently, I've been approached by interested investors on a daily basis. While I truly enjoy telling the story of Esgrid, I often wonder why the most important questions aren't asked. Like most early-stage startups, I'm usually asked fairly standard things: ❓ What problem do you solve? ❓ Who is your ideal customer? ❓ How big is the market? ❓ Who are your competitors, and how do you differentiate? Honestly, I'm not sure what unique insights these questions provide. If I were a VC, here’s what I’d ask early-stage B2B startups: ❓ Tell me about your last deal—how did you find the customer, and why did they choose your product? ❓ Tell me about the latest feature you launched—what value does it create, and how will it help you grow? ❓ How are you spending the money you've already raised? What has been the best use of funds, and has there been any waste? ❓ How is your team doing? What was your latest hire and why, and what has been the most challenging moment so far, and how did you overcome it? By asking these questions, you’re more likely to get unique and honest insights into a founder's thinking, beliefs, and actions. It’s far harder to tweak these answers than to manipulate a market size or competition in a pitch deck.

😡 I believe the obsession with unicorns is damaging the startup ecosystem. Not every startup needs to be a unicorn; many can thrive as sustainable businesses. Unfortunately, the pressure to grow bigger and faster often leads founders to the brink of disaster, all in pursuit of what VCs want. As a result, we’re missing out on: 1️⃣ The chance to see smaller startups build, grow, and succeed. 2️⃣ Opportunities for more founders to gain experience while creating solid companies. 3️⃣ The ability for founders to develop their skills without the rush. Founders, here’s my take: → It’s okay to skip the unicorn chase. → It’s okay to make a meaningful impact with a smaller ICP. → It’s okay to generate a few million dollars a year. → It’s okay to create something more manageable. Focus on the journey, the skills you gain, and the outcomes you achieve. 👉What do you think? Should it be unicorn or bust? —— Hi, I’m Anthony. I help founders escape pitch deck hell. Check my bio for pitch deck resources. 😉

Startups don’t fail because of one big mistake 👉 they fail because of 1,000 small ones. The details you ignore today become the cracks that break everything later. Here’s something anyone can apply: focus on the basics. Talk to customers more than you think you need to. Fix that one process everyone complains about but no one tackles. Follow up on the lead you think is 'too cold.' The real value isn’t in big ideas 👉 it’s in consistent, small wins that compound. Nail the fundamentals, and everything else will follow. 🚀

I’ve built startups for 20 years that are used by millions of people and this is what I’ve learned: 1. Start with a problem you care about that someone you are interested in will pay for. 2. Build an audience before you build a product. 3. Ignore VC until they chase you.

Why Startups Fail to Gain Traction: The Illusion of Product-Market Fit Gaining traction is the goal for any #startup, but far too many companies struggle to achieve this crucial milestone due to a fundamental issue: poor customer discovery. Customer discovery -is the art of deeply understanding your target customers' needs, pain points, and behaviors - is the foundation for building successful products. Without it, startups risk creating something nobody really wants or needs. Many fall into the trap of mistaking early positive signals for true product-market fit. But these can be deceiving - representing a niche rather than widespread need. The consequences are severe: 🚫 Low adoption  🚫 High churn 🚫 Misaligned marketing 🚫 Wasted financial and human resources Common mistakes include: ✅ Relying on assumptions vs research  ✅ Limited/biased sample size ✅ Failure to iterate based on evolving needs Recognizing these gaps in your customer discovery is key. Only then can you correct course and build something the market truly wants. Struggling to gain traction? Take a critical look at your customer discovery process. The solution may lie in better understanding and adjusting to real customer needs. Want to learn more .. if you are in #NYC on June 6th join John (Jack) Nolan and I for a conversation on how to address revenue challenges .. https://lu.ma/zgf7659c #startups #customerexperience #productmanagement #entrepreneurship #strategyovereverything #sales #nytechweek #founders #gtm

Two things to remember if you want to scale a startup well - Remember them, and you have a shot. Forget them, and you’ll struggle. 1. Companies with strong acquisition have solved the DEMAND problem. 2. Companies with strong retention have solved the ACTUAL problem. - You have NO business with only 1 - You have A business with only 2 - You have a GREAT business with 1 and 2 Don't get discouraged if you've only nailed demand. That's momentum. But acknowledge the gap, prioritize product, and keep pushing. -- 🚀 Join 2,000 startup growth people ➡️ moonwater[dot]studio/scale-mba

How long it took from idea to product-market-fit Some startups fail because they build products nobody needs In B2B, it normally takes two years to start feeling product-market fit Here’s an overview of how long it took 24 of today’s top B2B startups to get to 1. a live product, 2. their first customer, and 3. their first feeling of PMF. Key takeaways: 1. The median time from idea to feeling product-market fit was roughly 2 years 2. From a working product to feeling PMF typically took 9-18 months 3. Most companies got an alpha product out the door in 1-3 months 4. A few companies—Figma, Airtable, Slack—took 4+ years to find PMF The journey to PMF starts by finding just one company to truly love your product Credit: Lenny Rachitsky Credit: Lenny Rachitsky Stay updated with The Startup Anatomy for top content on: 🚀 Startups, Founders Story 💸 Investors, VC, Startup Angel Funding

Is your focus solely on the product, or are you prioritizing your customers too? 🎥 Why Consistent Customer Engagement Matters for Startups?👇 Tech Startup Founders, how much time do you spend talking to your customers on a weekly basis? ---------- Like this? I'm Petra Wagner, and I specialize in helping Tech Startups effortlessly boost their sales while relieving the stress and pressure of selling Click my name + follow + CHECK FREE 3-step Sales video to Increase Sales & Scale your Startup

Looking to join an early-stage startup as a student/graduate? Here’s my advice: Develop your SALES skills. Being comfortable with sales bolsters your existing skill set and makes you infinitely more valuable to most startups. Why? Every single startup NEEDS revenue to survive. That’s literally it. If you can contribute to a startup’s revenue in any way by booking calls or closing clients, you’ll KILL it. Believe me, it’s not good enough to say that you’re not ‘comfortable’ doing sales. No one is truly immune from doing sales at an early-stage startup. Not even the founders ⚡️