Sick of success stories? Here’s what really happens

I’m tired of only hearing success stories—let’s talk about the real challenges founders face. Here’s ours: I left my dream job in 2022 to bootstrap a gamified fantasy basketball platform. We hit €50k ARR and raised €725k by late 2023 to scale across Europe. But by mid-2024, the product wasn’t performing in new markets. We weren’t ready to scale. After strategy sessions, we revamped the product with a new vision: creating engaging, playable sports experiences. In September 2024, we relaunched with a small budget and improved based on user feedback. **Key insights since launch:** • Retention is strong(we have D1 45%, D3 37% up to D14 23%), but monetization is weak. • CPI exceeds LTV, and ROAS isn’t viable. We're testing constantly with premium features to increase ARPDAU. • Resources are tight (€70k, mostly for salaries), making scaling tough. We can use around 1-2k€ marketing budget per month to run ads to validate if the product is good enough. The pressure is mounting—both on the team and me personally, as a CEO with a baby at home. I nearly burned out in December. **Our big questions:** • Should we pivot to B2B (white-label for leagues/sportsbooks)? • Can we validate B2C monetization before funds run out? • Should we switch markets, sports, or start a new product? Time is running out, and we need clarity. Strong B2C traction, a pivot to B2B, or a bold new direction—what’s the right move? Any advice or perspective would mean the world.