It's crucial for founders to understand the 'idea maze'—the history of what has been tried before them—to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Many founders work on the wrong thing before discovering the right one, often internalizing a fear of failure.

Founders fail when they don't try enough things, often getting stuck doing the same thing repeatedly without abandoning proven false hypotheses.

Founders often deal with an incredible fear of failure, which can lead to negative emotions before important events like pitch meetings.

Young founders often lack historical knowledge about previous companies in their field, leading them to mistakenly believe that if they haven't heard of a similar company, it hasn't existed.

Founders often psych themselves out by worrying about competitors, especially when they see a competitor raise significant funding, leading them to feel like they are failing.

The fear of a negative reaction can paralyze founders, causing them to focus on an idealized version of their launch rather than the reality of getting their product out there.

First-time founders often make the mistake of solving problems they don't care about, which can lead to a loss of motivation and ultimately failure.

It's common for founders with expertise to feel fearful and second-guess their ideas, while those without expertise may be overly confident in their assumptions.