Are founders too obsessed with branding before they have a product?
I’ve seen founders spend weeks (sometimes months) polishing logos, color palettes, and taglines before they’ve written a single line of code or spoken to a customer. On the other hand, I’ve also seen startups whose brand presence got them credibility, early press, and investor meetings even before launch. Personally, I like good optics. The visual promise, even before interacting with the...
Do You Really Need a Co-founder?
Most startup advice says: “don’t go solo.” It’s practically gospel, especially if you want to raise money. But I’ve met plenty of founders who started solo and stayed that way. Some thrived. Some flamed out. Some figured out how to build a support system around them without giving away half the company. So now I’m wondering: Have you ever gone solo? What worked? What didn’t? And if you had a...
How Do You Create Moats in a Services Business?
SaaS founders talk about moats: network effects, tech IP, etc. But what about service businesses? How do you build a moat when anyone can claim they do what you do? If you're running a studio, agency, or consulting firm, what makes your offer defensible long-term? Is it process? Brand? Speed? A community? IP? I run a service business that supports founders through strategy, design, and...