The Startup Journey Essentials: Build, Evaluate, Reiterate
January’s Atlassian Creators prompt finds me in an interesting position. 10 years after failing two businesses in startup mode and in the process of embracing a journey as part of a new one.
I take failure well, learning and improving for whatever comes next. One side effect of this approach is that I am becoming more cautious and picky about my business adventures to avoid the negative experiences and disappointments I faced before. As a building block of a new company, a person should be a leader, an employee, an advisor, a mental health coach, and everything in between while balancing their daily life.
Every start is stressful, whether starting a habit of getting up early or starting a new business. It takes time to adapt to the changes and make them the new normal. And many times, things go wrong. The core reason I spent ten years running away from being part of the driving force of a new company. Also, I found that I am at my best and the most useful when supporting and elevating the drivers, not fully being one of them. They plan, and I execute, and that’s my perfect place to be.
So, from a doer's perspective, these are my top tips for anyone eager to start their own business.
1. Find your perfect match
If you can start your business alone, congratulations! You are one lucky person, and I sincerely envy you. But that’s a rare case, so make sure you commit to the new adventure with people you know, trust, and respect.
You will probably spend more time with your co-founders than with your family. Never underestimate the value of mutual understanding, honesty, and a pure character match. Being unable to openly communicate with my co-founders quickly burned down one of my previous projects.
2. Start with a strong vision and a clear problem statement
Define the problem your business solves in a way that's easy to communicate. Your vision should be the guiding star, keeping you and your team focused when things get tough. If you have a blurry concept, you have a blurry road, and that's not a positive start.
3. Prepare for scaling early and perfect your tooling
Even in the early stages, think about how your processes and infrastructure can support growth. Automation, documented workflows, and scalable tools will help you scale effectively but also give you the force you currently lack.
Now, at Fun Inc, we put all our knowledge into a well-established process that helps us be informed and aware of all activities and progress, allowing us to move quicker and notice red flags early. We are heavy users of Confluence, Trello, Slack, and 3rd party Marketplace apps, and we use them to not only keep the workflow clean but actively collaborate with our customers.
That’s where Atlassian for Startups can help you with your journey and give you the tools you need to establish the efficient process that supports your company’s growth.
4. Build a strong and adaptable team culture
Beyond the founding team, search for people who align with your values and can thrive in a dynamic, challenging, and high-pressure environment. Encouragement of open communication and a problem-solving mindset early on will ensure proper development of the internal culture and also prevent significant issues from staying under the radar for too long.
Care for your team, but hire a team who cares about you.
5. Focus on building a community, not just a customer base
Fast returns on investment and chasing your first million may not be viable targets when you are just starting. Be open with your customers, listen to their stories, collaborate with respect and understanding. Be honest about mistakes and challenges. Your most loyal customers often become your best ambassadors.
6. Stay lean and focused
Clearly define your priorities and solve one major problem at a time. You may feel like time is not your friend, but investing more time and effort into fixing a broken process will repay you greatly in the future.
7. Don’t neglect your mental resilience and well-being
Set aside time to recharge and manage stress because you often find yourself knee-deep into doubts and black holes. Surround yourself with a supportive network of mentors, peers, and friends who understand your challenges and are ready to give you honest advice or a helping hand.
I will stop here, focusing on what I found most crucial in my startup journeys. There are many essential points to consider (and wildly overthink) before starting your hustle, and many of them depend on personality, career growth, and a person’s readiness to be challenged.
Because of all of the above points, we, as a business, applied to the Atlassian for Startups program - we see great value in having excellent tools to help the company grow with confidence and have its internal process in place from the start.
Starting new things is scary, and it’s exactly what your brain wants. 🧠 🚀
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Teodora V _Fun Inc_
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Putting Pieces Together @ Fun Inc
Fun Inc
Sofia, Bulgaria
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