Pivoted to SaaS, Found Product Market Fit, but Drowning in SBA Debt, I will not promote I’ve been grinding on my startup since before 2020. It started as a service based business, and I was all in on that model for years. But I made a lot of mistakes which mainly, I scaled up a team I didn’t actually need. By the time I realized it, I had already racked up about $300K in SBA loan debt. Last year, I finally pivoted to SaaS, and it changed everything. I found product market fit, and MRR is starting to pick up. The problem is my cash... 2 4 replies
Where do you find people who wanna turn an idea into an MVP fast? I will not promote Note: i used chatgpt to structre my words better and fix grammar issues but it's all my thinking Basically the title A lot of startups fail because they spend way too much time and money building a full product before even knowing if people actually want it. That’s where an MVP comes in. it’s a small, lean version of the idea that lets founders test, get early users, and prove demand before going all in. I’ve built MVPs for two people in my network + my own projects, helping... 3 18 replies
What would be a better version of YC ? - I WILL NOT PROMOTE Hey everyone, This post is to get your thoughts on what would be a better version of YC or other established programs that help pre-seed and seed startups. What would truly level up support for founders at this crucial stage? Help with tech development, help with finding quality team, or something else entirely? So what is good about YC, what isn't good and what would you like to see if someone would launch a similar program? 2 0 replies
Pre-seed investors fell through. Is it ok/a red flag to reach out to others who investors I previously rejected? (I will not promote) I previously thought I was going to successfully close out my pre-seed round so I told some interested investors that I wasn’t accepting any more investments. Unfortunately, some investors pulled out at the last second and I find myself in a situation where I need to raise additional funds to replace the flaky investors’. Is it a red flag to investors if I reach back out to them saying I need to raise more after all? 3 0 replies
Profitable Startup Seeking CTO, i will not promote i will not promote I’m the founder of a startup years in the making. Our product can disrupt a large emerging market. Our bootstrapped business is profitable and gaining traction, and is very inexpensive to run monthly. Our product is an IoT (hardware + software) and we operate on a SAAS business model. Our MVP is rough around the edges, but with the assistance of a marquee customer, our product was recently redesigned to be 3d cut/printed, solving operational problems and setting up for mass production and scaling. Our... 2 3 replies
*I will not promote* What comes after the ideation phase for a B2B SaaS startup? \*I will not promote" Let's say I've noticed a big pain point or opportunity in a specific sector. Afterwards, I come up with an idea of a software solution to address that issue or opportunity. I then reach out to professionals in the industry, and I receive positive feedback for the idea. Not only from multiple professionals, I also receive validation from learning about company/government incentives that are encouraging solutions that are similar to my idea. My team and I are currently developing a proof of concept (PoC) with... 5 0 replies
Is the Hemp Industry in India a Viable Startup Opportunity?(Ofc i will not promote) I will not promote Been looking into industries that are still kinda untapped or have low competition, where being an early mover could actually make an impact. One thing that caught my attention is the hemp industry in India. With global demand growing for hemp-based products (textiles, CBD, bioplastics, etc.), is there real potential for startups here? Also, how exactly do Indian laws separate industrial hemp from marijuana? Any major legal roadblocks to watch out for?" On that note, what do you guys think about the future of marijuana... 1 2 replies
Created the Shopify Alternative in a 3rd world country “I will not promote” Built a Shopify alternative I’ve been a long-time follower of this subreddit and have always valued the insights shared here. Today, I’m reaching out to share our story and seek advice or guidance on potential next steps for our business. Four years ago, we set out to build a local e-commerce platform tailored to the unique challenges of operating in a third-world country where global solutions like Shopify fall short. Shopify, while a fantastic platform, doesn’t provide localized support or integrations here, and the costs of running a Shopify... 3 0 replies
Successful startups who didn't rely on giving up equity / investor funding? [I will not promote] I'm curious to hear from successful startups who have NOT gone down the route of equity investors—those who take shares in exchange for funding. - What's your story? - how did you do it? - how old were you when you started? - what drove you to do it? - how many businesses did you start before finding the right one? - anything else worth sharing I mostly hear about companies securing investor funding where they give up shares, and I’m really interested to learn how many businesses managed... 1 9 replies
How do you actually plan your week as a founder? (i will not promote) "i will not promote" As an entrepreneur, I constantly hear advice like *"focus on getting customers"* or *"focus on fundraising."* Great advice, but pretty vague when it comes to actually structuring my week. For those of you running a startup, how do you decide what to prioritize day-to-day? Do you have a specific system, framework, or approach that helps you break down big goals into actionable tasks? Would love to hear how you approach tactical planning! (*Not here to promote a time management app—just genuinely curious about how other... 1 4 replies
Hiring UX/UI designers - I will not promote Where do you find good UX/UI designers and 3D designers/modelers? In the past, I've used the on-demand work sites with very so so results even after reviewing resumes and portfolios. I've also listed ads on CraigsList in tech hub cities in the US and that actually proved fairly effective but again, it required a LOT of sorting through resumes to find people that can deliver. Just curious where people now are finding designers.... Not sure if it violates the I will not promote but my needs are web app... 4 0 replies
Phishing (I will not promote) The volume of phishing attempts right now is huge. My finance team almost just paid an invoice for executive coaching (that never took place); I’m seeing a ton of fake Docusigns, either attempting me to sign SOWs or as a means into systems. Be vigilant. 5 0 replies
Should I take this offer or just walk away? i will not promote Hey everyone, I could really use some outside perspective on a startup offer I’ve been negotiating. I’m a designer with experience in plush toys, branding, and product development. A small startup reached out to me to design their brand’s characters, logo, and plush product specifications. They initially offered me 20% equity and profit sharing after breaking even, but I made it clear that I wanted some upfront compensation since this is a lot of work, and I can’t afford to take on unpaid projects. After some back and forth,... 3 0 replies
I built a bookkeeping tool for freelancers—here’s how it’s going so far "I will not promote" I launched Nobooks, a bookkeeping service that works via text messages. Instead of apps or spreadsheets, it just pings you when something needs to be categorized and automatically handles 1099 & W9 filings. We’ve got paying customers, but I’m still figuring out growth. If you’ve scaled a niche SaaS before, what worked best for you? Cold outreach? Paid ads? Partnerships? Also happy to share any lessons learned on launching a bootstrapped SaaS. 2 0 replies
Podcastors need data about their audience. I will not promote I have never missed filling up the Acquired podcast survey every year. If you have ever you can clearly see that they want to build a profile of who you are, and if you have been a long time listener you'll often hear Ben say it's a challenge to get information about their listeners to share with their advertisers. I am thinking of a kind of a tool that can help podcastors to understand their audience and build a community. There's Discord and Slack for engaging with the audience,... 5 0 replies
"I will not promote" Looking for Advice on Improving a WhatsApp Study Group System for Motivation & Accountability Hello, guys! My partner and I have started a WhatsApp study group aimed at helping people stay motivated and focused on their personal projects, studies, and skill development. While the initiative has been great so far, we’ve been facing a few challenges, and we’d love some advice or suggestions from others who may have experienced similar issues. Why We Chose WhatsApp: Our group consists only of Latinoamerican people (I’m Peruvian and so is my partner), and we initially invited a couple of friends to join. In Latin America, WhatsApp... 3 0 replies
How to validate a B2B idea - I will not promote I have an idea for a B2B SaaS kind of a product. I think it will be possible to build an mvp for it fairly quickly, but I've seen on this sub before that it is better to validate the idea before starting development on it. But I am confused as to how I can validate my idea. I can think of putting up a landing page and a form to collect interest, but this doesn't seem quite right for b2b. How else can I do this and if... 1 0 replies
22M needs some life changing advice (I will not promote) I’ve had my bachelors degree last year and dropped out of engineering cycle this year as it doesn’t align with what I have in mind for my future. I have an idea for an app that I want to bring to life, but I’m afraid that without any experience in business nor app development I would just ruin it. I’m thinking of studying a masters degree in entrepreneurship and strategies for about 2 years, would that be the good choice to make or there is another path I can... 4 5 replies
what would you do? i will not promote Hi . Me , i am 17 years old boy studying in college. About 2 months ago, I got my pc .And now I am doing a 6 months course on web-development . But Idk for some reasons alongside continuing study and the course the freetime i get , i just feel I need to do something .I feel i am getting behind . The web is full of people talking about money and all. I am little too confused about it . I know get-quick-rich is not realistic... 4 0 replies
Pre-seed investor expectations are changing (I will not promote) I had a reality check conversations with some founders about the realities of pre-seed funding yesterday and I have this conversation weekly. Founders that hear about “pre-seed,” especially before 2021, believe that you can get funded based on your idea and MVP. It’s becoming more rare as development becomes easier. Yes, in pre-seed, there will always be that friendly angel that believes in you somewhere and writes that early check. But if you’re banking on raising money before getting a customer, it’s been a rude awakening. More pre-seed investors... 3 0 replies
