Startups · by Minh Nguyen · 2026-09-28
A beginner mistake I am weirdly glad I made without making it complicated
I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.
A few notes from my attempt:
- keep the first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate the boring repeat
This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. funding got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.
50 sparks · 15 comments
Comments
Pixel Comet · 8 likes
Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. My only addition is to make the first step visible.
Jonas Schneider · 6 likes
Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. The Cairo example makes it feel concrete.
Jiho Lee · 3 likes
I would love a follow-up example.
Ren Suzuki · 1 likes
@lanternMender86 Kind of wild how often example is the whole issue.
Maya Williams · 2 likes
Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. I would write it down before changing anything else.
Tola Ibrahim · 2 likes
Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. The 3-minute rule is underrated.
Minh Nguyen · 1 likes
I had the same reaction to simple.
Tomás Gómez · 2 likes
The boring logistics are always the hidden part. That is the kind of detail beginners miss.
Ren Suzuki · 1 likes
I wish more posts had this much context. That is the kind of detail beginners miss.
Siti Lestari · 2 likes
This is the gentle version of my rant.
Gentle Rider · 2 likes
Good clarification — I read it differently at first.
Khalid Al Zahrani · 1 likes
This is useful for some cases, but terrible advice if the stakes are high. My friend tried it in Melbourne and had the opposite result.