10 signs and indicators that your startup is likely to fail.

1. 10 SIGNSTHATYOUR
STARTUP IS LIKELYTO FAIL
Friday, October 4, 13

2. 10 SIGNSTHATYOUR
STARTUP IS LIKELYTO FAIL
AKA
You are going down the sh*t creak, with no paddle
Friday, October 4, 13

3. 1.YOU HAVETROUBLE HIRING
There is a big difference between “we cannot find a developer” and “No developer
wants to work with us”
Friday, October 4, 13

4. 2. SCALING BUT NOVALIDATING
Scaling only applies when you get to the product market fit. Once you have it - you will
know it.
Friday, October 4, 13

5. 2. SCALING BUT NOVALIDATING
Scaling only applies when you get to the product market fit. Once you have it - you will
know it.
Premature scaling is the MAIN KILLER of startups
Friday, October 4, 13

6. 3.YOU HAVETROUBLE SHIPPING
If you are not shipping you are not learning. If you are not learning you are not validating
and if you are not validating you will fail eventually.
Friday, October 4, 13

7. 4. NOT WORKING FULLTIME
Part time effort - part time success. If you do not believe in your idea enough to
commit 100% how will you sell to potential hires and investors?
Friday, October 4, 13

8. 4. NOT WORKING FULLTIME
Friday, October 4, 13

9. 4. NOT WORKING FULLTIME
Friday, October 4, 13

10. 5. MORETHAN 3 COFOUNDERS
Plan to “loose” 20% of equity at each round of financing. Successful companies will have
3-5 rounds of funding on average by the time they exit or (way less often) IPO. How
much do you think you will be left with at the end? People loose motivation.
Friday, October 4, 13

11. 5. MORETHAN 3 COFOUNDERS
Friday, October 4, 13

12. 6. EVERYONE LOOKSTHE SAME
This happens when few buddies get together to work on a “cool startup by bros”.
Everyone has the same skills and big gaps end up unfilled.
Friday, October 4, 13

13. 6. EVERYONE LOOKSTHE SAME
This happens when few buddies get together to work on a “cool startup by bros”.
Everyone has the same skills and big gaps end up unfilled.
How can you tell?
Friday, October 4, 13

14. 6. EVERYONE LOOKSTHE SAME
Business heavy founding teams are more likely to succeed with a startup that requires
enterprise sales, but technical heavy founding teams are more likely to succeed with a
self-service consumer Internet startup.
Friday, October 4, 13

15. 7. NOTECH COFOUNDERS
Without a tech cofounder you are building your house on sand. Business guys/gals
have traditionally had a lot of trouble hiring developers, estimating cost structure of
build etc.
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16. 7. NOTECH COFOUNDERS
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17. 8. NO PIVOTS ORTOO MANY
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18. 8. NO PIVOTS ORTOO MANY
Friday, October 4, 13

19. 9. IGNORE FEEDBACK
So easy to fall in the trap of ignoring customer and mentor feedback or fall in the
confirmation-bias trap.
Friday, October 4, 13

20. 10. FALLING IN LOVE WITHTHE
STARTUP STAGE
Friday, October 4, 13