My journey in startups began 10 years ago, and I've launched 18 startups, most of which failed. Briefly on why they failed:
1. Contract Online my first startup in 2015, which was supposed to be an online service for remote signing of contracts for any transactions between individuals. A kind of analogue of a secure transaction. For this startup, I even managed to attract a business angel who invested $16,500.

Reason for failure: I had two lawyers on my team who discovered in the process that the legal framework at the time could not provide reliable grounds for protecting our users in remote transactions. The contracts would not have been considered legally signed.
2. Natural Products In 2015-2018, I became very passionate about healthy eating, but in the process, I discovered that products in all chain stores are full of chemicals, and stores with truly natural products are inaccessible to the majority. Hence, the idea emerged to create my own online platform where you could order natural products directly from farmers at affordable prices.

Reason for failure: For several years, I tried to launch this project, even trained as a baker of natural bread and tried to create my own farm, but in the process, I found that few people are willing to pay for truly natural products, even if these products were only 20-30% more expensive than market prices, and not 2-3 times more, as in premium stores. Hence, the market was so small that all my attempts were doomed.

Hey everyone

I m Manoj Verma, a business & tech consultant who has spent 15+ years helping startups and global tech companies succeed.

Now I m building AI-powered tools to make early entrepreneurship easier and safer.

My first product is IdeaForge, new way to validate and plan your startup idea. It turns a rough concept into a clear report (market signals, risks, Lean Canvas, next steps) in minutes. You can try a demo right away and get 2 free runs for your own ideas.

3 days ago, I was wondering what the future of universities would be in this AI world (and education in general).

I didn't know that YCombinator was going to bring an alternative solution:

Traditional professions like doctors, judges, and the like need specialised academic guidance (certificate) + experience. I agree.

But what about technical and humanities? So far, everyone has argued that a university will bring contacts (I'm not arguing, that's true... but the same can be done with hustling/projects).

Hi everyone

I ve just launched a new tool as part of the Indie10k ecosystem: the Idea Validator for Solo Founders.

The Problem

I often met people with the mindset:

"I'll work hard until I'm 30, and then I'll enjoy the fruits of my labour."

Many people wanted to get into the Forbes 30 Under 30.

Tons of great products that we know and use everyday are the result of pivots. You know, sometimes the original idea just isn't working and you have to find a new niche and quick, other times you stumble on a use case that changes the whole game.

Have you ever pivoted? What's the story behind it? How successful was the pivot? I'd love to hear your stories, and potentially feature them in our newsletters!

Tons of great products that we know and use everyday are the result of pivots. You know, sometimes the original idea just isn't working and you have to find a new niche and quick, other times you stumble on a use case that changes the whole game.

Have you ever pivoted? What's the story behind it? How successful was the pivot? I'd love to hear your stories, and potentially feature them in our newsletters!

Hey decision-makers, risk-takers !

How many tough choices are swirling in your mind right now?
We all feel lost when facing big risks like a career shift, startup dream or a personal leap especially when AI offers no real guidance? You re not alone. In this tech-driven world, it s easy to feel overwhelmed without a clear path to tackle life s hardest moments.

What if you could ditch the digital noise and use a method that feels personal, guiding you with proven questions to conquer those decisions offline?
That s why we created The Hard Choice an app that s less about tech and more about empowering you to write your way to clarity with 7 expert steps, built from years of research.

Take a look https://thehardchoice.netlify.app/ Would love to hear your thoughts!