7 Harsh Truths I Learned the Hard Way as a Founder 🚫📉👀 (watch this before launching your business)

We spent two years and a million dollars building the wrong product. The first 500 people to use my link in the description or scan the QR code will receive a one month free trial of Skillshare! Get started today! https://skl.sh/nataliebarbu09251 In this episode of "Just Grow With It," I break down the essential steps every founder should take before starting a business—so you can avoid our mistakes and set yourself up for success. Whether you’re a creator, entrepreneur, or aspiring founder, you’ll learn how to validate your idea, find your niche customer, structure your team, and launch with confidence. 🔔 Subscribe for more founder stories, business tips, and real talk about building startups: https://www.youtube.com/@NatalieBarbu 📧 Sign up for my weekly newsletter: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: Our $1M Mistake & What We Learned 00:35 – Welcome to Just Grow With It 00:51 – The Rella Story: Launching & Learning 01:17 – Subscribe & Newsletter Shoutout 01:49 – Step 1: Write Out Your Idea 02:40 – Why Writing Clarifies Your Vision 04:00 – The Power of Clear Messaging 04:22 – Sponsor: Skillshare 06:01 – Step 2: Tell Everyone About Your Idea 07:04 – Who to Listen to (and Who Not To) 08:08 – Building Community & Getting Feedback 09:25 – Defining Co-Founder Roles & Equity 10:41 – Why Roles & Equity Matter Early 12:21 – Step 3: Find Your Niche Customer 13:16 – The Dangers of Building for Everyone 14:36 – Is Your Market Big Enough? 15:16 – Step 4: Funding Your Business 15:55 – Choosing the Right Funding Path 16:55 – Step 5: Charge Early & Validate 17:54 – Why Monetization Can’t Wait 18:58 – Step 6: Launch Quickly & Simply 20:24 – MVPs & Starting Small 21:08 – Your Startup Checklist 21:32 – What Happens After Launch? 21:52 – Outro & Next Steps If you found this episode helpful, please like, comment your questions, and subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday! #StartupTips #Entrepreneurship #JustGrowWithIt #BusinessAdvice #Founders #StartupMistakes #HowToStartABusiness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices