Strategic Launch’s Post

If only I had known all this sooner! Experience can be expensive, but I’m here to save you some of the cost. In my recent interview with Eugene Gusarov for VECTOR, I shared key lessons for first-time startup founders. Here’s a quick breakdown: ➤➤ Just do it: start small, get your idea out there, and gather real-world feedback. ➤➤ Build a strong team: even the best ideas need the right people to make them a reality. ➤➤ Take advantage of accelerators: these programs can provide valuable knowledge and experience to fast-track your success. ➤➤ Leverage your network: tap into your connections for insights, advice, and opportunities. ➤➤ Stay flexible: be ready to pivot and adapt as new challenges arise. ➤➤ Listen to your customers: their feedback is your guide to improving and refining your product. Curious for more? Check out the full interview below https://lnkd.in/dqHZ4nkP

If you want to achieve next week, then you must show gratitude today, #founders. Leave Fridays eager to return to work on Mondays. You don’t have the best team call of the week on FRI mornings talking about your weekly progress + wins??! It’s possible. If you want to know how + more, contact me today. Get ready to finish each Friday on top of your week. #DoWhatWeValue * * * * * I’m Dale Archer, helping #founders grow + scale better, faster, and smarter. Follow me + DM re: on-demand exec coaching to become a high-performing founder + startup team. 

Why Co-Founders Are the Worst for Startups (Based on My Previous Experience) Let me keep things real with you all - having co-founders create troubles, at least in the early days. Many startups fail because cofounders lack clarity. The biggest issue? Everyone has their own ideas on how stuff should be done. There's constant arguing and fighting over the direction. Instead of getting work done, it's just nonstop power struggles. As per my observation, co-founder conflicts led to failed partnerships and barely any progress. From going through this myself, I truly believe having one main leader calling the shots is crucial when you're just starting out. It allows for faster decisions, a clear vision and the ability to pivot quickly when needed. Now, that doesn't mean going totally solo. My advice? Find a trustworthy mentor - someone who has been there and really knows their stuff. They can guide you without the co-founder drama. At the end of the day, you want to be on the lead position. Too many leaders? That's just a recipe for crashing and burning before you even really get going. Just my tips for learning things the hard way! P.S. Do you think cofounders are important? Yes/No?

Quiz: What Type of Founder Are You? Ever wondered what kind of founder you’d be? 🚀 Are you the visionary who dreams big and inspires others? The strategist who plans every move with precision. Or the connector who builds powerful networks and fosters collaboration? Maybe you’re the problem-solver, tackling challenges head-on with creativity Or the innovator, always shaping new ideas into reality. Each founder archetype brings unique strengths to the entrepreneurial journey. So, what type of founder are you? Share your thoughts and let’s spark a conversation about the diverse paths to startup success! 🌟

I have a plan. It took some doing, and a few false starts, but I've landed back on the thing I'm actually really good at: Helping people grow companies. I took a look at all the stuff I've done to help startups big and small, and the journey I've been on as both a parent and a solo founder. The most important things for me - as a solo founder - is profit. The most important thing to me as a parent is time. Solo founders often have a lot on their plate, so one false move can eat up a day and set you back. Solo founders have to wear a lot of hats. So you have to be versed in moving things forward across your business or at least having a plan you can get others to execute. Solo founders often have the same problems: sales volume, ample time, and someone to bounce ideas off. Today I'm launching FlywheelFounders.com to help solo founders and entrepreneurs in their journeys. I'll be opening a small cohort for end of January - only eight people - each of whom will get considerable time and resources from me for the program. This will be unlike any other coaching, mentorship or community program out there. And by that I mean it will be better. Big words, indeed. Solo builders, welcome. Everyone else, you can read the play by play here.

Silence isn't always golden! Don't underplay the role of constant communication and feedback in building your team. To read an expansive article on the “7 Essential Focus Areas For Early-stage Startup CEOs Leading Small Teams", click here👇 https://lnkd.in/dhYB_3j8 Let us know if this was helpful.

5 steps to find the right co-founder: (step 5 is the most important) 1. Find dreamers / hustlers from: - your college friends - ex-colleaguss - incubators - meetups 2. Talk to them to: - understand their background & passion - know their values & belief system - learn what they're good at - learn what they're bad at - gauge their commitment 3. Rank them based on: - how your skills can complement each other - how likely you'll enjoy working with them - how aligned are the values and belief - how committed they are 4. Choose the top ranking to: - see if the person is keen to work together - align on a problem space to solve - align on responsibilities - align on exit plan 5. Start working on a small project to: - see how productive you both are - see how well you guys work together - see how much traction you both achieve in 2 weeks --- Traction is how you know if the person is the right co-founder for you. Lastly, don't be afraid to break up and move on to the next candidate in your list, and repeat. Thought? #startup

How to Assess your Startup founders' Team

It is funny how employees blame or hold the founders responsible for every small thing, be it their behaviour, be it a decision, but we also need to understand that many founders are 1st-time founders, cut them some slack, they are also learning and growing with the organisation. Nobody is a born founder, if you are working with a founder consider yourself lucky. They give up their sleep, their personal life, and a lot more to build a company! #startup

Insights from a co-founder who scaled to a 150-person company and got acquired. 👀 👇 Here’s what I learned: 1️⃣ Know you early adopters by name Your first clients aren’t just customers, they are your partners. Build strong relationships, help them be successful, establish great trust to be totally transparent. 2️⃣Target the opinion leaders of your target. If you get their buy-in, make them love you, and have them as early adopters, they will do the reach out to new clients for you. 3️⃣Use beta testers Give them early access - they love the feeling of exclusivity. In most of the cases, they’ve already “bought” your product and can provide great feedback. I’m wondering which of these are the most challenging for the first-time founders? If you found this helpful, resharing ♻️ might help someone in your network who's building a startup!