I learned that without customer feedback, I had no idea what to build, which was a critical lesson I missed in my previous startup.

I advise focusing on understanding your target users and the problems they face, and then providing solutions that align with your product's capabilities.

The key lesson I learned is to follow your customers rather than investors, as they are the true indicators of what will be successful.

I realized the importance of talking to users and seeing their problems in real life, not just taking their words at face value.

Instead of focusing solely on their vision, founders should find users with problems they are willing to pay to solve, and work on fixing those issues.

I learned that being passionate about a product can hinder sales, as it’s crucial to communicate its value simply and effectively to customers.

I realized that I enjoy inspiring others and catalyzing ideas rather than being the one to build the product, which has shaped my career path.

I often find myself balancing the desire to create content I enjoy with the need to engage with my audience and meet their expectations. I take a lot from the fact that I witnessed many user and creator interviews at Patreon, which helps me understand how users relate to a product. Many people don't know what they want, but their expressed desires indicate underlying problems in user experience that need addressing.

Founders should prioritize understanding what users want and learn from successful companies, rather than just copying their surface-level traits.