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LEARNING FROM OUR MISTAKES .
Back then we started with our own idea and thought nothing could happen to us. We got a lot of positive feedback, invested a lot of time in research and read a lot about how to make ideas and startups successful builds up. Still, we made some painful mistakes that cost us a lot of our time and money and almost our startup have cost. Mistakes we could have avoided if we had asked for experienced help. We want to save you from these mistakes so that you can concentrate fully on your idea.
ERROR #1 .
You get stuck on an idea
Don't get too focused on your original idea. The euphoria and enthusiasm about one's own idea can easily be overlooked block more lucrative areas. The right team and implementation are much more important. Every successful company has changed and adapted its founding idea over time. So be open. We too started with a different idea and didn't realize what it was for far too long our customers really want. With the adaptation of our idea, the customers finally came.
MISTAKE #2 .
Your idea is a secret
It is very unlikely that someone will steal your idea. Because in the end it all comes down to the team and the implementation and less to the idea itself. It's better to take the risk and tell others about your idea to get feedback than to keep it to yourself and later realize that nobody cares about your idea Interested. We made a big secret out of everything in the beginning but then realized how feedback from outsiders helps to validate our assumptions, Mistake to avoid and to find companions.
MISTAKE #3 .
Your idea doesn't solve a problem
Hard to believe, but unfortunately True: Many people don't think enough about whether their idea will actually solve a specific customer problem. You present your idea briefly before the friends and family who Give the idea a benevolent nod as "interesting". A lot of time and money is then put into the development, only to realize later that the idea does not solve a real customer problem and fails. Therefore: Check customer interest right at the beginning and look at the competition. We have developed helpful interview techniques that allow us to understand exactly what problems our customers are having and what helps them before we invest a lot of time and money in development.
MISTAKE #4 .
The wrong team
friendship or not. If someone doesn't fit into your team, painful decisions have to be made. Think carefully about who you build your idea with. Unsuitable co-founders and employees are extremely dangerous for your startup. Only the best people who complement your skills and are just as motivated as you bring you forward. We too had to part with employees and even co-founders because we trusted our gut feeling too much. we first had to learn how to find, screen and retain the right candidates.
MISTAKE #5 .
You want too much at once
Your first product doesn't have to be perfect - But on the contrary. Bring one quick first version with the most necessary functions to the market and develop she with customer feedback continue. Otherwise you get caught up in wanting to do everything correctly and completely. This costs time and money and you don't know if your product is any good at all arrives We, too, have often developed functions that nobody wanted to use in the end. We've devised methods that allow us to check what goes in the product and what doesn't before we hit the road to develop.
MISTAKE #6 .
You don't have a business model
A business idea is far from being a business model. Many get lost in daydreams and forget that money cannot be earned with an idea alone. Then comes the rude awakening. Therefore: Check right at the beginning who would pay for your product and for what reason. Before we even had a product, we talked to potential customers and used very simple prototypes to check whether customers would pay for it.
MISTAKE #7 .
You ignore your target audience
Many simply work past the needs of their customers without realizing it. Whether your customers like the product is not your decision, but solely that of your customers or users. First get to know your target group extremely well, spend time with them, try to understand what motivates them, what problems they have and what they really want. That opened our eyes and was the cornerstone of our success. We spent days and weeks with our target group, conducted hundreds of interviews and tests.
MISTAKE #8 .
You don't need marketing
If you start talking to your customers early enough and use their feedback to create something they love, chances are they'll tell their friends and your product will spread on its own. Still, it's important that you don't rely on and be fooled by Think about a strategy right from the start on how you can successfully market your product. We learned that too work well without expensive traditional marketing and have developed methods to acquire customers cheaply or even completely free of charge.
MISTAKE #9 .
Invest a lot of money
staff, offices, a Company - all this costs money. Yes until you need that, must die Realizing your idea doesn't have to be expensive. Finding out with a first product whether your idea works and even winning the first paying customers is possible with 90% of all ideas with your own limited financial resources (bootstrapping) - however only if you yourself stick to an absolutely customer-centric and data-driven product development process. This makes it much easier to get external financiers and build your startup.
MISTAKE #10 .
Don't ask for help
Of course you burn for your idea and are absolutely convinced of it. This very often means that you only see what confirms your own idea and ignores any criticism. It is inevitable that you will make mistakes, especially if you are still inexperienced - we speak from experience. Constructive and objective feedback from the right people helps you to recognize risks, wrong decisions and wrong assumptions before it is too late. Have your idea checked by experts and get help - an investment that is guaranteed to pay off.