Early Stage Teams

The 0→1 Velocity Trap: Why Products Drift Instead of Fail
February 23, 2026
A fully loaded roadmap doesn't guarantee compounding value. Learn how to maintain clarity of mind, respect your foundational strategy, and catch product drift before it eats your runway.
Why Your 18-Feature MVP Will Fail to Launch
February 9, 2026
Most founders treat an MVP like a stripped-down version of their final vision. That is how you build an inadequate product that takes too long. To ship something that matters, you need to define exactly one core flow—and ruthlessly cut everything that doesn't block it.
Refusing to Choose is the Most Expensive Mistake You Can Make in a 0➞1 Build
February 2, 2026
Refusing to choose is far more dangerous than moving slowly. If you haven't explicitly ranked your project sliders, the universe will rank them for you.
Early Traction Can Hide a Broken Business Model
January 19, 2026
Early traction answers one question well: does anyone care? It answers a much harder one very poorly: does this work as a business? This piece examines why teams defer unit economics, how early momentum masks structural risk, and why waiting to confront viability is one of the most expensive mistakes a startup can make.
Customer Conversations Are Not Validation
January 12, 2026
Early customer conversations can be useful — but they’re often mistaken for validation. When anecdotes replace evidence, teams move faster with more confidence, not less risk. This post explains why that’s dangerous, how it quietly distorts early product decisions, and what “validation” actually has to do at this stage.
You Don’t Have a Product Strategy — You Have a Guess
January 5, 2026
Early-stage teams often mistake motion for clarity. When a product thesis isn’t defensible, every downstream decision becomes noisier, slower, and more expensive than it needs to be.