Solo Founders: Building Alone is Brutal

“Has your cofounder been out there validating the product? Lining up potential customers? Usually what happens is the effort contribution tips once you're about to launch and the tech founder's effort relaxes and the business co-founder's effort goes into overdrive. The equity split doesn't matter if it all goes to zero. You brought on a co-founder for some reason apparently. Without this co-founder could you sell it? Do you have connections to get in front of decision makers? Bui”

Does it work 100% the time?

“Exactly. If you're not creating your own thing, you will never be safe. You need to become an entrepreneur also if you want to ever feel like you have some control”

“You don’t do shit with anybody until you do a weekend founders retreat where everything is discussed and agreed to in depth. In some cases you may have to do multiple retreats. And draw a salary. If I’m doing most of the work, I’m drawing a salary. If money bags wants 50% for doing basically nothing, I get a salary on top of my 50% at the very least.”

“My current plan is to leave in about a year. The reason I’m staying that long is because I genuinely care about them and want to leave in the best possible way, giving them plenty of time to prepare rather than dropping the news with only a few weeks’ notice. Soo.. you want to stay for a year so they have plenty of time to prepare, but you're not sure you want to tell them that they'll need to prepare?”

“The wearing all the hats stage is heavy for sure. But chasing freedom over money is exactly why people keep doing the hard part.”

“Second time is always scarier. The first time anything above zero feels like a win, but second time around you know what the bar is and you're constantly comparing this time to your past success. Half the time you're questioning if your previous success was just a fluke or luck.”

“Hi everyone, I’m a solo developer, and over the past year I built custom software for a diamond business. While building it, I realized that many of the problems weren’t unique to that one business. Inventory management, approvals, payments, stock tracking, reports, backups, audit trails—they’re challenges shared by many diamond businesses. So I removed all client-specific data and branding, redesigned a large part of the application, added many more features, and turned it into a standalone pro”

“Honestly, it doesn't feel bad all the time. I have been building more actively than ever. I have been doing kaggle competitions, working on passion projects, and taking interesting courses on YouTube. But often my mom or my dad would say something with pity about their "most talented child" sitting at home all day when everyone in the house goes work and that just wrecks me. Pardon the venting.”

“The biggest red flag isn't being the only developer. It's having production responsibility without an agreed on-call process. If the business depends on you after hours, that needs clear expectations, backup, and compensation not just goodwill.”

“From what you're saying, it sounds like there's a cultural mismatch. If I were you, I'd resolve it quickly because sooner or later the problem will turn into a nightmare that will keep you up at night. Face it and fix it right away, so you can minimize the damage.”

“Don't ever go into business with friends. Ever. You are NEVER the exception.”

“Perhaps consider bringing on a Co-CEO? It's more common than you might think. You could then outline and separate the tasks you feel are holding you back or that you aren't particularly adept at solving and make sure the new candidate excels at them. I'm not sure if we can post links in here but I listened to a well-structured episode on it by the Freakonomics guys, just search for them and the title Are Two C.E.O.s Better Than One? Anyway just a thought, congratulations on your succ”

“honestly the "stuck" feeling at your stage is usually a delegation problem, not a business problem. sounds like you built something that runs on you personally being there 60 hours a week, so hire yourself out of the day to day first, then the clarity on what's next comes way easier once you're not buried in the operations”

“Yeah I think thats my biggest fear. They do have their own dedicated IT team and 2 SWEs so it isnt completely no tech”

Crazy low

“One of the hardest but most crucial parts of building a business is knowing when it’s time to step aside from certain head positions. Funny thing is that you are still likely to do great as a CEO of somewhere else or a new business you build but for you to be feeling this about your current position, it seems like it’s time to make a change.”

“You’re at the point where the right move is usually optimize the current business before adding more complexity . I’d focus on building systems, delegating the bottlenecks, and getting clear on your role as owner/operator first. Once the store can run cleaner without you, you’ll know whether the next best step is e-com, a second location, or something else.”

“Startup specialist consultant, pre-scale G2M, ~10 years experience. A very common pattern is that the founder is not the eventual CEO. Some very, very few are able to make the transition, but in many cases what got 'em here won't get 'em there. Here's what most people don't realize: pre-scale and post-scale aren't just numbers or milestones. They're a phase shift. I usually put it in terms of quantum physics vs. Newtonian physics. Problem is, nearly all the advice, th”

“After working for 4 different startups, let me just say this - I will ALWAYS assume equity is going to zero. If you're cool working a year after that assumption, by all means, else - do something about it. Don't burn bridges, de-risk the move, be respectful regardless of what you chose and you'll be fine”

“You already figured out that it won't happen while working in your country. So your best bet is selling your services/products to a global audience. Very doable from anywhere if you're good enough at one thing and know how to sell it.”

“I’m 27 years old from India and I’m at a crossroads in my career. I have a law degree and an LL.M. and currently work in the legal field. My work involves contracts, due diligence, and real estate documentation. The pay is decent for my experience level, but I don’t see myself staying in a corporate/legal job for the next 20–30 years. My family has a small real estate and construction business. We deal with property transactions and construction projects, and I have the opportunity to join and e”

“Six months ago I had a problem I couldn't solve. I kept looking for a community where founders actually supported each other, not just talked about it. Everywhere I looked it was either people promoting themselves or rooms that went quiet after a week. Nobody was really showing up for anybody. So I stopped searching and just built the thing I wanted. I called it Product Mafia . The idea was simple. A place where builders amplify each other's launches and posts, no clout chasing, no shout”

“I'd ask the senior team privately. They probably already know where the gaps are. And honestly, realizing you might not be the best CEO anymore is probably a sign you’re not a bad founder.”

“explain? I don't need someone baby sitting me I need someone as a fractional cto who can look at potential roadblocks or can go through code and find betters way for us to structure things, architect, or unlock new ideas that translate to ROI for both us and our clients. I'm finding many CTO's I talk to just don't have the capacity to think outside of code. The good ones obviously can -they end up being CEO. I've not only sourced every deal but closed it and onboarded and cre”

“I was in here recently, asking about SOC2 compliance, and priorities. The goal hasn't changed for my company, but the priority is quickly moving to sales, from engineering. Just to help push the mark, and ensure we can make it another 6 months. Right now, I write all the code, I manage the few contractors, I post on LinkedIn like it's my only job, I handle sales and demo calls, I do the research, etc etc. I was hesitant to bring in a co-founder, unless it was a rockstar move, wi”

“Feel you friend. I’m in a similar spot to say that ask yourself if you’re burnt out, or truly just not the job you excel at. If the answer is the former, take a vacation. If the latter, there is zero shame in it and the courage and lack of ego to be able to even ask this question speaks volumes to you. Bringing in a great CEO could be the answer, it could also be disastrous as no one will ever work as hard as you. Do you have options for this possible replacement CEO? And as the other commenter”

“I have been the CEO and Founder for more than 8 years now, and I am starting to seriously think whether I am still the right person for the CEO role. Context: I have posted previously in this community, so some history is already out there. I have successfully raised pre-seed and seed rounds and have grown the team to 20 people. I have a board that I have been managing for the last year and a half, and have senior level management that have recently joined the team. That being said, I have been”

“I am a first time founder and am building a tool related to solving data visibility for Leaders. I have built a lightweight MVP and I know the next step is problem validation but am struggling to get someone to talk to regarding this. I have tried reaching out via LinkedIn DMs, cold emails etc but not getting any traction. Don’t have any friends or family contacts too so kinda stuck and would appreciate any help. submitted by /u/shivi_tribbiani [link] [comments]”

“I am a first time founder and am building a tool related to solving data visibility for Leaders. I have built a lightweight MVP and I know the next step is problem validation but am struggling to get someone to talk to regarding this. I have tried reaching out via LinkedIn DMs, cold emails etc but not getting any traction. Don’t have any friends or family contacts too so kinda stuck and would appreciate any help. Thanks submitted by /u/shivi_tribbiani [link] [comments]”

“Just because he didn’t want to work on the idea doesn’t mean it’s invalidated. Starting a business is a matter of passion and commitment. He doesn’t want to commit himself to that and that is normal and okay.”

Yes, 4 Software Engineers are probably not the best setup for a company.

“As a startup don't try too hard to take advantage of every opportunity at the same time. Focus on your needs and goals first. Alot of startups die trying to capture too much.”

“my founding CTO just split, we were a 2 person company. it wasn’t a good fit after 18 months, we launched 6 months ago. since then we’ve done 25k ish in revenue and are at 5k MRR now our pipeline has grown though to 300-400k closing within 12 months. we were on the later stages of getting our first outside investment from an angel. the understanding from the angel is we would both be quiting our full time jobs and working on the startup full time. lukcily we had a vesting agreement - but lesson”

“Yeah agree 100%. I’ve been excited about this for a while because I know it’s a problem I’m solving for myself but I’m being careful to broaden it just enough to not only be what I imagine the solution looks like because my workflow may be narrower than others. I have a non working prototype already to show at the end of the interview to see if it looks like it might solve the problems we discuss.”

“The curves do look mighty similar, and the opportunity cost is what really hurts even when it all goes decently.”

“I’d call it. Think of it this way, let’s say you own 5% of the business and the business is currently doing $400K ARR. That means you effectively own 100% of a startup doing $20K ARR. I’d bet if you got a good job and built your own side project, you could build something that does better than $20K ARR. and this is on top of better pay at a real company.”

I have been in manufacturing since 2006. I currently run manufacturing operations; I'm 44, and I just shipped my first consumer app solo using AI-assisted development. As I am a dad of…

“I’m a solo startup founder, following a corporate career. Under the umbrella of my little company, Incygames Ltd, I’m running a series of product development experiments. Daily View aims to help people understand what is happening today while Role CV explores a different approach to matching people with jobs. I’m also building websites and apps, publishing this weekly blog and sharing a daily update on LinkedIn. I do not know which, if any, will succeed. However, I’m learning to trust the creati”

“I need to frame this. “Self-doubt lies”. I love the idea of writing down fears before and comparing it after. It actually helps your brain realize that the prediction isn’t true.”

I get shocked reactions that I built my HealthTech startup on my own. I guess women aren’t expected to be builders? 🫩

like i don t know the hell i m doing when i believe in it i found relief

“Im feeling immense pressure . I told everyone about this startup I've been working on, and Its been deteriorating my mental health more and more. Im running out of $$.I dont want to let everyone down. but I feel too tired to work, but im too tired to embarrass myself and quit. I dont want to quit on my mission.I feel so alone. I isolated myself from friends and family. I talked to thousands of my users. I dont know what to do.Would like some advice. Kind of feeling doomful/dreadfulI am pretty”

“My stocks went up so much but I didn’t sell because I convinced myself they were “just getting started.” Then the market turned around and gave me a masterclass in unrealized gains. Now every time I open my portfolio, it’s just a museum of money I used to have. submitted by /u/BigBellyBelly [link] [comments]”

“Expectations are sky high and it will continue to be so for the longest of time. They expects the generalist to come on board because GPT can help you club 10 roles in 1 or 10x a developers productivity. Companies like Anthropic and their CEO dont help - as they portray numbers that align. So the people will be expected to wear multiple hats - unicorn is the new expectations.”

Thats good wisdom

“I have 4 years experience, got laid off last year and can't find a job for the life of me. I always wanted to own business, maybe I just liked the idea but I don't know if practicing that would be as nice. Is it lonely to run your own job? Is it harder to develop yourself without a manager and a vision given by your company? What are the pros and cons? submitted by /u/Pure-Car-5298 [link] [comments]”

“Thanks, now I know this will keep happening haha not sure I was ready to jump in but it's too late, I'm gonna figure out how to do it. So far just know what I can do but Codee and I are just not where I though we would be when I chose Hostinger”

Retention is going to be shit with a half baked product though

Also lookup business ethics and non-exploitative behavior

“Two years with four founders and one recurring customer means you're all underpaid volunteers, not a business. The "possibility to scale" has been dangling for months - if you can't name the exact bottleneck blocking growth right now, it's probably not real. Cut the sunk cost loose. A few hundred in sales across four people isn't a product-market fit problem, it's a market problem. Go get that employee career.”

“why would you hire someone that doesn't share your vision?”

“Hey, old post but has disclosing your side project before joining ever backfired? In the same boat and debating whether to disclose it or not.”

“Given the shenanigans founders pull, a side project can develop important skills drinking the startup Kool-Aid won't. It is highly dependent upon the discipline and prep work of the person involved. Plenty who are unsuited for startups think they can get a regular employee job in one. They find the environment chaotic and lacking the structure of an established firm. Don't bother looking for the Easy button -- there isn't one.”

“Context: CMO of startup. A little less than 3 months in, living in a house with 2 other co-founders, 3 interns, and a Brazilian man sleeping on our couch (we love him). As far as scrappy startups go, I think we take the cake, so here's some lessons I've picked up along the way. 1. Spreadsheets, Honey Buns, and Minecraft servers, do not mix Week two, our CEO (finance guy btw) called a house meeting and opened a spreadsheet tracking the correlation between honey bun consumption and product”

“I'm starting a company which an online market place for services within an industry that is around 40b n market value in the US. My profession and career is the foundation of this industry. Now, I'm bringing in a software engineer as a co founder to continue building our platform. Now, is this combination of cofounders the usual for start ups that focus on online platforms and market places? A person well versed on the industry and a software engineer? I'm very into business stuff an”

Lol, you don’t balance. It’s a grind for sure.

“Trying to understand how other founders think about this, because I feel like I'm guessing. Sometimes it feels like I won't know the answer until I spend the money. But even then it feels kinda hard to know what the exact return on investment is and where I should even be investing my money. Are there specific resources that startup founders are using for this? or just an external hire to get someone to manage and allocate and track return on investments? submitted by /u/Form”

“Shorten your hours, drop the 2 hours of least important stuff every day. Your company will survive - there is always more to do and it’s not worth working yourself that hard”