Focus, Clarity, and Facing Reality: A Note to Founders

One of the biggest patterns I see in early-stage companies — and even in more mature startups — is a lack of focus driven by an obsession with technology. CEOs often tell themselves they don’t have enough resources to scale, yet somehow try to do everything at once. The result? A diluted strategy, a blurry message, and a lot of wasted motion that leads nowhere.

The Illusion of "Great Tech"

I’ve worked with enough tech companies to recognize the familiar story:“Our product is revolutionary. Our stack is cutting-edge. We do things differently.”

Yes, I get it — and maybe it’s all true. But here’s the uncomfortable reality: no one cares until you’re generating pipeline. Your amazing tech only matters once your prospects believe you can solve their problems. No one outside your team wakes up caring about how elegant your code is. They care about the value you deliver — clearly, immediately, and on repeat.

Stop Chasing Everything

Trying to sell to everyone at once is the fastest way to sell to no one. What I see too often is this: a CEO outlines five different directions to the marketing team. Meanwhile, marketing is frustrated because budgets are thin and priorities are unclear. It’s not a marketing problem — it’s a focus problem.

You need to double down on:

• The markets where your value is strongest

• The segments where you beat competitors with ease

• The channels that give you the quickest path to traction

  
  

Build a healthy pipeline in one clear direction. Convert. Show results. Then — and only then — expand to new markets or new segments.

Your Message Is a Mess

We live in a world full of noise. People don’t have time to guess what you’re offering. And yet, I see so many startup websites with vague, fluffy headlines that don’t say anything. You land on the homepage and still don’t know what the company actually does.

If you don’t say what you sell, no one will buy it.

You don’t need to explain all your products in two lines — you need to say one thing well. Be clear, be loud, be specific. If you do that, the right people will explore further. But don’t hide behind jargon and abstract slogans. You’re not building a puzzle. You’re building a business.

The Market Doesn’t Care About You — Yet

Let’s be real. Your competitors may have bigger budgets, stronger brand awareness, and more trust in the market. They might speak louder and position better — even if their tech isn’t as good. That’s life. You can complain, or you can play the game.

Know your competitors. Study their messaging. Understand their market position. And then make sure your value proposition is sharper, clearer, and more relevant.

Fall in Love With the Problem, Not Just the Product

It's easy to fall in love with what you've built. But building a business is not about your product — it’s about solving real problems for real people in a way they immediately understand.

So step outside the echo chamber of your team. Get out of your own head. And start speaking the language of your customers — not the language of your dev team.

Bottom line: If you want to win, get focused. Get real. And say what you do in a way that actually matters to someone.