Dr. Gilbert Guzman – The $1M Lesson I Learned by Not Launching My Startup

BIO: Dr. Gilbert  A. Guzmán is a business strategist and systems thinker. He is the founder of IntraQ AI, a SaaS solution designed to eliminate knowledge gaps within the workplace, and the author of Atomic Impact: Systems for Transformative Productivity.

STORY: In 2012, Gilbert  envisioned a portable charger vending system for airports, universities, and theaters—a “Redbox for power.” He over-engineered, over-researched, and waited for “perfect”—while another company launched the same concept. By the time he moved, they dominated airports with a first-mover advantage.

LEARNING: Jump in and get things going. Don’t be afraid to fail. Iterate, and get your product to market.

 

“Don’t be afraid to iterate. Maintain the course, and you’ll see your product through.”

Dr. Gilbert A. Guzmán

 

Guest profile

Dr. Gilbert A. Guzmán is a business strategist and systems thinker. He is the founder of IntraQ AI, a SaaS solution designed to eliminate knowledge gaps within the workplace, and the author of Atomic Impact: Systems for Transformative Productivity, which you can get for free using the code: Stotz.

With a doctorate in business and experience leading large teams, he helps organizations boost productivity through practical systems built for real-world constraints. His work bridges people, data, and technology for lasting operational success.

Worst investment ever

In 2012, Gilbert  envisioned a portable charger vending system for airports, universities, and theaters—a “Redbox for power.” Users would rent charged batteries and return them to kiosks for reuse.

Ironically, Gilbert is a very impatient man, but when it comes to business ideas, he takes his sweet time, sometimes too long. This is exactly what happened with the portable charger idea.

Gilbert over-engineered, over-researched, and waited for “perfect”—while Fuel Rod launched the same concept. By the time he moved, they dominated airports with a first-mover advantage. He invented the wheel but didn’t roll it.

Lessons learned

• Jump in, do what you need to do, stay up late, work hard, do the research, and get things going. Ultimately, everything will come to fruition.
• Manage your risks.
• You can earn back cash, but you can’t earn back lost time.
• In startups, a bad launch always beats no launch. Waiting for no flaws means 100% flaw: no product.
• You can’t be a risk-averse leader.

Andrew’s takeaways

• MVPs beat masterpieces because if you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you launched too late.
• The market doesn’t care who invented a product—it cares who shipped it.

Actionable advice

• Don’t be afraid to fail. Iterate, get your product to market, and find out if it makes sense and is relevant.
• Don’t get scared of the big names, the Googles of the world, and think that they will crush you.
• You don’t have to be horizontal. You can go vertical. You can find a niche and dedicate your time to it.

Gilbert’s recommendations

Gilbert recommends his e-book Atomic Impact: Systems for Transformative Productivity (remember to use code Stotz for a free copy).

He also recommends visiting his