What advise would you give to your younger self to be better makers/entrepreneurs?

Corvin Deboeser
25 replies
Hey guys, There are so many great makers and entrepreneurs in this community! I was wondering what is your top advise? I'm sure there are loads of people who have awesome wisdom to share πŸ€—

Replies

Ste
Start writing daily.
Ste
@corvin_deboeser So much improved on all fronts since I started doing this. It sucked at first, but once it became a habit I noticed how gradually easier things started falling into place.
Corvin Deboeser
@stelian_dobrescu1 That indeed is so insanely important! It makes so many things easier down the line!
Don't go and join that Corporate you're thinking of joining...
Misha Krunic
Work on time management, take regular breaks, learn to prioritize, learn skills other than development (marketing, writing, etc.).
Simeon Ivanov
Get a reference from other customers for any strategic vendor or partner :)
John Stewart
As a marketer, a lot of the clients that I work with do not follow up with leads. My advice to anyone running a business would be to not fall into that trap. Particularly in B2B sales, companies/people are busy and people won't always respond the first time. Do not be afraid to follow up.
Yaroslava Antipina πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦
Hi Corvin, Thanks for a great question. Recently my son asked me the same one. And my answer was: be more patient) Sometimes all we need is to calm down & think.
Corvin Deboeser
@yaroslava Spot on! I agree πŸ’ͺ🏼 I think I'm not alone saying that I was always impatient to get ahead. Great things take time and everyone operates on their timeline.
Luca Rossi
Don't focus on the product only, but figure out distribution and how to make money too (hey corvin πŸ‘‹)
Corvin Deboeser
@lucaronin That is so true! There is this wonderful saying: First time founders focus on product, second time founders focus on distribution. It's such an underrated problem you'll need to solve.
Corvin Deboeser
Thanks all for sharing your wonderful pieces of advise πŸ™ Here are some things that I'd tell my younger self: 1/ Start building a personal brand - today. 2/ Spend less time learning, more time doing. Dare to be naive and optimistic. 3/ Shut out your ego. 4/ Read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 5/ Actively improve your communication - comms are everywhere. This is the full version of it: https://twitter.com/CorvinDeboes...
Kamila KlavΓ­kovΓ‘
@corvin_deboeser I would rephrase 2/ as β€œLess theory, more practice.” because doing is often the best way to learn something. πŸ’― agree with 5/. Without a good communication, our options are very limited. This is connected to other advice already mentioned: β€’ Start writing daily. You get used to explaining things and it motivates you to fill in the gaps. β€’ You advice 1/ about personal brand. When you build your personal brand, you communicate who you are and what you can do for others.
Corvin Deboeser
@klavikova that's a wonderful way of saying it better! Thanks for the input πŸ™πŸ€© 1, 5, and your advise to write daily really create nice synergies and loops! 😊
Aatishi Sachdeva
I haven’t started yet. I am all in my head so I’ll advise myself to start and make it happen.
Umana Rafiq
Don't go for a corporate job! Trust your instincts
Troy
Learn to sell anything.
GamerSeo
First of all, be less afraid and invest more in marketing.
Emma Foster
Work hard in right direction and with consistency, because consistency is the mother of glory
Purnima Chauhan
I am associated with the food industry and the one important piece of advice that I would give my younger self is " focusing more on customer retention strategies from the very beginning" after the lockdown was lifted the worst impact that I have observed in the business is customer retention failure as it was secondary for me once I started off.
Elena Cirera
In my opinion, the quotation of Tony Hsieh is good for younger makers/entrepreneurs "Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion."
Andrew E
Break down tasks in $10/hr tasks, $50/hr tasks, $100 tasks, and $1000/hr tasks. Outsource anything under a $100/hr task. Build up a community of users prior to launching anything Raise 3x the money than you think you'll need Plan for 3 years of no salary Exercise more Choose partners who are experienced in the field you want to go into Follow the sales. The first version should address the current problem. Later versions can address the problems you think clients want to solve Build a great advisory board Don't get discourage by hearing no. Most people don't have the ability to see what's not there yet Talk to as many customers as possible early and often Don't worry so much about the competition. The world is huge. Do 1 or 2 things great. Don't boil the ocean.