What is the most underrated skill for startup founders in 2025?
by•
Everyone says execution matters most.
But I think it’s execution in the right way
The kind that runs experiments, not marathons.
It’s easy to “move fast.”
It’s harder to design motion that actually teaches you something.
The best founders I’ve met don’t just build features but they build experiments:
test one variable at a time
measure feedback honestly
kill bad ideas fast
It’s not about doing more.
It’s about doing just enough to learn what’s worth doing next.
So if you ask me, the underrated skill isn’t execution
it’s experimental execution.
What’s yours?
What’s the boring but powerful skill that’s quietly shaped how you build?
676 views
Replies
I'd say knowing when to ignore advice - including from investors, mentors, and even users.
Everyone's quick to say "listen to your users" or "take feedback seriously," but the hardest skill is filtering what actually matters for your specific context. Not every feature request deserves a sprint. Not every investor insight applies to your stage.
AI Context Flow
Knowing that rest is also strategic. We all get too consumed in the hustle culture.
@hira_siddiqui1 very true.
@hira_siddiqui1 I learned the hard way that 'always on' just means 'always overwhelmed.' When I was grinding 24/7, I lost the ability to focus on what actually mattered. I realized that rest isn't a detour from success, it’s the fuel for it. You can't build a clear product with a cluttered mind.
AI Context Flow
@salih_abdul_rahman exactly! also, you can grind non-stop for 6-8 months but after that you start getting more sick, your family starts being alienated from you, and your quality of life starts decreasing.
It takes 7-10 years to build a successful company, how can you survive that long with constant hustle?
minimalist phone: creating folders
To be visible and make yourself different.
When there is an AI overpressure, and each product can be replicated, you need to find a way to stand out, to be unique.
Execution without a hypothesis is just expensive motion. I’d add that prioritization under uncertainty is another invisible superpower.
RewriteBar
Distribution and selling become easier as building gets cheaper and cheaper.
But you also need a good eye for design and product management so you can instruct the AI on what can be improved.
Auto-Hashtag API
WIllingness to do the most mind-numbing work, like customer service, that you might not have someone else to do, and the stoicism to keep doing this when things look really bad.
Planning if you have ADHD :)
Theysaid
For me, it’s context switching with clarity.
MVP Tester
I would have to say, "selling before building".