Startups require active marketing; having a great product alone won't attract users unless you actively seek them out.

If you're going to charge for a product, it needs to be self-serve and frictionless for users. Many startups fail because they rely too heavily on founder involvement for customer acquisition.

In startup customer acquisition, the idea that 'if you build it, they will come' is often false; you need to actively find your audience.

In the early stages of a startup, focus on building a great product; nothing else matters until that is achieved.

Focusing on customer needs and building something immediately is essential for early-stage startups.

Startups need to build a product that users love, focusing on a few passionate users rather than a large number of indifferent ones.

Building a great product is the most effective way to create a competitive advantage, rather than relying on patents, which are rarely successful for startups.

Many startups think they can rely solely on self-serve flows and ads for sales, but this approach often overlooks the need for direct sales efforts and effective messaging.

Startups often prioritize superficial aspects like press and hiring over the fundamental work of getting the product into users' hands and iterating based on feedback.