Starting a business is no small feat. It requires vision, resilience, and a clear sense of direction. But sometimes, in the early stages, you feel more like a flag flapping in the wind—pulled this way and that by everyone else’s opinions and ideas. That was me in 2020 when I launched my first startup. Now, looking back with the benefit of hindsight, I can clearly see what went wrong and, more importantly, what could’ve been done differently.
The Emotional Aftermath of Closing a Startup
It’s been a year since I ended my startup journey. The decision wasn’t easy—it was emotional, heartbreaking even. I had so much hope, so many dreams wrapped up in that business. But as they say, “hope is not a strategy.” In Poland, we have a saying: hope dies last. That phrase stuck with me during the toughest times, especially when I refused to admit that things weren’t going according to plan.
For a long time, I told myself everything was fine. I clung to hope, like the woman from Beckett’s play, reassuring myself that I didn’t need help or a change in direction. But after months of healing, reflection, and some brutal honesty, I realized that hope alone didn’t save my business. What I really needed was direction, confidence, and action.
Now, I’m ready to break down the biggest mistakes I made in a series of posts. And we’re starting with mistake number one, something I call "the flag in the wind."
Mistake #1: Being a Flag in the Wind
In 2020, I was full of ambition but lacking the one thing that every entrepreneur needs—confidence, clear vision and experience. I was like a flag in the wind, swaying back and forth based on what everyone else thought I should be doing.
A study from Harvard Bussines School tracking over 2000 startups showed that 65% of startup failures were due to management problems, including inconsistent decision-making and lack of clear direction.
The Problem with Being Too Open to Influence
When I first launched my startup, I didn’t have much business knowledge or experience. I had an idea to create a productivity chatbot, and I was convinced that everyone would love it. But when it came to the actual features, I didn’t have a clear idea of what the product would do. My explanations were vague, full of wishy-washy statements like, “It’ll help people manage their time better,” but I had no clue how that would happen.
Then the pandemic hit, and like many others, I pivoted. I shifted focus to solving loneliness, thinking that would be a more relevant problem to address during lockdowns. But even then, my ideas were still fuzzy, lacking the concrete details that a successful startup needs. To this day, I sometimes wonder how I even made it to the final round of that pitching contest—was it because of my gender or because my idea had actual potential?
Trusting Others Instead of Trusting Myself
Things took a turn when I met someone who was genuinely interested in my project. We started working together, and slowly, the idea became a bit more defined. However, there was still chaos in how we implemented it. Everyone I spoke to had their own ideas, and instead of filtering them through my own intuition, I agreed to all of them.
I saw everyone as more experienced than me, and I placed too much trust in their opinions. Deep down, I knew many of the suggestions didn’t make sense for the business. But I lacked the confidence to stand up for my vision. I thought, “They know better than I do,” so I went along with everything. In hindsight, that was a huge mistake.
The Consequences of Being Directionless
Looking back, I can see how much damage this lack of direction caused. I wasn’t leading; I was just reacting. I didn’t have a clear path for my business or a concrete strategy for how to make it work. I was a flag in the wind, blown around by others’ ideas instead of following my own gut.
This led to an unsustainable business model. I wasn’t passionate about the ideas I was executing, and worse, I didn’t believe in them. The constant shifting of focus left me burnt out and confused. My mental health started to suffer as I grappled with the realization that I was no longer in control of my own business.
Research by Francesca Gino found that when entrepreneurs seek excessive external validation, they experience a 30% decrease in creative problem-solving ability. Their study of 124 startups showed that founders who constantly sought approval made 40% fewer innovative decisions.
What I Should Have Done Instead
So, what’s the lesson here? How could I have avoided this and more importantly how can I avoid those mistakes in the future?
1. Trust Your Gut
The biggest takeaway is that I should have trusted my own intuition. Yes, it’s important to seek advice and learn from others, but at the end of the day, you’re the one steering the ship. If an idea doesn’t feel right, you need to have the confidence to say no. To be honest saying no is still something that I struggle with.
Instead of bending to everyone else’s opinions, I could have started small. I could have fleshed out the original chatbot idea, tested it, and refined it based on real feedback. That way, if it didn’t work, I wouldn’t have invested too much time or money into it. It’s okay to start small and grow from there.
A good book that explains that concept is The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. It is tried and tested methodology that shows that startups experience a 60% higher success rate than those using traditional business planning approaches, according to a study by the Startup Genome Project analyzing over 3,200 high-growth technology startups.
Furthermore startups that use lean methodology reduce their time to market by 50%, with the average development cycle dropping from 12 months to 6 months, as reported in an analysis by Techstars accelerator of their 1,000+ portfolio companies.
2. Clarity Is Key
Vague ideas get vague results. I should have spent more time clearly defining my vision, my product, and my goals. The more specific you are, the easier it is to create a roadmap to success. Looking back, I realize how important it is to clearly articulate what your business is about, even in the early stages.
That would spare me some problems later down the road. If I had the clear vision, I would know with whom I should work with and how can I bring my vision to life. I would have confidence and roadmap that would lead me to success.
3. Start Testing Your Idea Early
One of the things I’m doing differently now is using social media to test my ideas before fully committing to them. I’ve set up Instagram accounts around different topics I’m interested in pursuing as startups. I post daily and gauge the response from my audience. This way, I get a feel for what works and what doesn’t before sinking a lot of resources into the project.
Around month ago I've also decided to try LinkedIn as a tool that could potentially help me test my ideas and spread the vision further. I took Lara Acosta course on personal branding and started 30 days challange.
I got some DMs and comments telling me that my idea is intresting or messages of encouragment that I should keep going.
The beauty of social media is that it’s free and allows you to experiment. In this day and age, with tools like ChatGPT, you can quickly generate content with the right prompts and make adjustments based on what resonates with your audience. Testing your ideas this way is an effective way to avoid wasting time on something that won’t work.
Moving Forward: Lessons for Future Entrepreneurs
If you’re starting a business or even just thinking about one, take it from me—don’t be a flag in the wind. Trust your gut, stay clear about your vision, and don’t be afraid to start small. You don’t need to have everything figured out right away, but you do need a direction.
Now that I’ve learned this the hard way, I’m applying these lessons to my current ventures. I’m taking my time, testing ideas on a smaller scale, and trusting my instincts. And I hope that by sharing my mistakes, you can avoid making the same ones.
Stay tuned for the next post in this series, where I’ll dive into the second mistake I made on this journey—one that had just as much impact on my mental health as this one.
FAQs
What’s the biggest mistake you made with your startup?
The biggest mistake was being too easily swayed by others' opinions instead of trusting my own intuition and vision. I let others dictate the direction of my business instead of staying true to my original idea.
How can entrepreneurs avoid being a 'flag in the wind'?
Trust your gut and stay clear about your vision. While feedback is important, you need to filter it through your own understanding and goals. Start small, test your ideas, and grow from there.
What are some practical steps to take when starting a business?
Start by defining your idea clearly, even if it’s just for yourself. Test it on a small scale, like using social media platforms to gauge interest. And don’t be afraid to pivot, but make sure any changes align with your core vision.
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