Entrepreneurship Success Guide

In 1992, I arrived in Silicon Valley from Iran with $700, unable to speak English and knowing only a handful of people. My first home here? An attic above a yogurt shop where I worked. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. That attic was the foundation of a journey that would lead me from working at a car wash to becoming a seed investor in some of the world’s leading companies, like Dropbox and DoorDash. Here are a few lessons from that journey: 1. Solve Real Problems, Not Just Big Ideas The best entrepreneurs are deeply connected to the problems they’re solving. It’s not about chasing the “next big thing” but addressing a real, specific issue. Start with a problem you’ve experienced firsthand and understand deeply. 2. Perseverance Is Key I’ve learned that building anything worthwhile is hard, often unpredictable. Setbacks are part of the journey, and success comes to those who adapt and keep pushing forward. When I struggled, it was my commitment that kept me going. 3. Strong Co-Founder Chemistry Matters Founding a company is a long, challenging journey. Teams with a history of working well together tend to weather storms better. Chemistry and mutual trust among co-founders are invaluable assets. 4. Be in It for the Right Reasons The best founders think long-term. Their drive isn’t just about quick financial wins; it’s about making an impact. Focus on creating value—whether that’s through happier users, meaningful jobs, or industry transformation. 5. Stay Paranoid (in a Good Way) A little paranoia can be healthy. The best founders plan meticulously, double-check every step, and make decisions carefully. Yet, this caution is balanced with kindness—a quality I look for in leaders who inspire loyalty in their teams. 6. Never Give Up My journey began with hope and the belief that I could make something of myself. Today, I’m grateful for that hope and resilience. From that yogurt shop attic to investing in groundbreaking companies, I’ve learned that every humble beginning holds the potential for greatness if you stay focused, work hard, and never, ever give up.

Uri Levine is the co-founder of 10 companies, including Waze (which he sold to Google for $1.1B) and Moovit (which he sold to Intel for $1B). He’s also been on 20 different boards, including a dozen he’s still on, and has advised over 50 startups on all things product, growth, hiring, and M&A. Most recently, he's the author of "Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs" which was described by Steve Wozniak as the “Bible for entrepreneurs.” In our conversation, we cover: 🔸 Why falling in love with the problem is so important for entrepreneurs 🔸 The 3 phases of a startup, and what to focus on during each phase 🔸 Tactics for telling a compelling story when fundraising 🔸 Why firing is more important than hiring 🔸 How Waze iterated to achieve product-market fit 🔸 Much more Listen now 👇 - YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gxWJb_Rg - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gDg4EmqF - Apple: https://lnkd.in/ge8uXpRJ Some key takeaways: 1. You need to “fall in love with the problem” that you’re solving. This is the biggest driver of startup success. It will help you deliver value to users, tell a more inspiring story about your company, and recruit a team. “Falling in love” means feeling enough passion about the problem that it can drive you to persist through hard times. 2. The ultimate measure of product-market fit is customer retention. If customers keep coming back, it indicates that your product or service is meeting their needs and providing value. Achieving product-market fit requires patience and iteration. With Waze, the team went through countless iterations, incorporating user feedback to improve the app. Uri stresses that you must “keep trying different things until you find the one thing that works.” 3. The first and last slides in a pitch deck are the most underused. They show onscreen the longest—while you get set up and while you take questions afterward—so they should contain your strongest point. Don’t waste this valuable real estate on showing your company name or “Thank you.” 4. Use the “30-day test” to maintain a high-performance team. Create a reminder to ask yourself this question 30 days after someone joins the team: “Knowing what I know today, would I hire this person?” If the answer is yes, tell the person you’re excited about them and give them more equity—you’ll gain a lot of loyalty. If the answer is no, you need to fire them immediately, to avoid the inevitable damage they will cause to you, your team, and themselves. 5. Watch users, especially those who use your product in unexpected ways. Different people use products differently, so observing a diverse range of users is key to building the right solution. Uri also advises focusing on those who didn’t convert to uncover barriers and points of friction.

8 harsh lessons from 15 years of entrepreneurship: 1. Systems > Hustle I wasted years grinding 16-hour days. I thought: • Motion equaled progress • Working harder was the answer • Burnout was the price of success • Effort mattered more than results Build systems that work while you sleep or you'll never sleep. 2. Audience > Products I've launched to crickets more times than I can count. My biggest mistakes: • Failing to validate before building • Building products nobody wanted • Neglecting audience for product perfection • Creating solutions for non-existent problems Build the audience first. The products will follow. 3. Focus > Options I had chronic shiny object syndrome. I was guilty of: • Starting more than I finished • Being unable to say no to interesting ideas • Chasing multiple opportunities simultaneously One focused year beats five scattered ones. 4. Team > Talent I tried to be the hero who did it all. My costly errors: • Hiring too late and too cheap • Trying to be good at everything • Micromanaging instead of delegating Hire your weaknesses. Double down on your strengths. 5. Profit > Revenue I celebrated vanity metrics while ignoring what mattered. My financial blindspots: • Paying myself last, if at all • Scaling costs faster than revenue • Reinvesting without analyzing ROI • Confusing top-line growth with success Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash flow is reality. 6. Consistency > Perfection I waited until things were "ready" (they never were). My perfectionism cost me: • Launching too late • Overthinking every decision • Missing countless opportunities • Fearing criticism more than obscurity Ship it messy. Iterate in public. Perfection is the enemy of done. 7. Leverage > Labor I traded time for money for far too long. My leverage failures: • Undervaluing my knowledge • Missing the power of one-to-many • Starting from scratch on every project • Creating custom solutions for every client Create once. Sell infinitely. That's how wealth is built. 8. Personal Brand > Business Brand I hid behind my company name when I should have been the face. My branding mistakes: • Trying to sound like everyone else • Separating myself from my business • Not realizing my story was my advantage • Building a faceless entity in a relationship economy People follow people, not companies. You are the media company. Everything came together when I: • Led with my personal brand • Prioritized profit from day one • Built systems that ran without me • Hired specialists before I felt ready • Launched imperfect products quickly • Created scalable intellectual property • Grew an audience before selling anything This is the roadmap. Save yourself 13 years. __ Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Matt Gray for more. Want to learn how systems beat hustle? Join our community of 172,000+ subscribers today: https://lnkd.in/eP4EQciw

"How did you go off on your own?" I'm hearing this question more lately. Not because I'm an expert at it. But, because I think my story might be relatable. I was "just a sales rep" who decided to go off on their own after 18 years as a W2 seller. One of the toughest parts of being a solo business is managing your time. So, in lieu of 23 coffee chats where I repeat the same advice over and over...here's how I did it. It doesn't mean this it the "right" way. Just what worked for me. 1 - Build Your Network Before You Need It Be active on on social channels and communities where your future clients are. You don't need to post everyday. Engage with others' content, sincerely. Get comfy putting what you believe out there for the internet to rip apart. Doesn't have to be a post. Could be comments. You'll get some hate comments. That's ok. You're not for everyone. A lot of the feedback is helpful for pre-empting future client objections. You'll build a network of people who start associating your name with a problem you want your future business to solve. 2 - Study Great Marketing Pay close attention to what stops your scroll. Pay even closer attention to copy that causes you to think differently about your own beliefs and assumptions. I'd argue that Marketing skills matter more than Sales skills when you launch a biz. Who cares if you can close, if you can't open? Study human psychology and perceptual curiosity. Those two things alone will help you avoid sounding like version 239 of companies that already exist. 3 - Look Within Your Company Ever heard the term "intrapreneur"? It's someone who takes initiative to create and drive new ideas inside of their current org. I did this at Challenger when I pitched creating the Chief Evangelist role. It gave me the chance to speak at Sales Kickoffs under the Challenger brand. It helped build my decision confidence that this was something I wanted to do full-time. It was still scary to go off on my own, but less scary because it wasn't a complete unknown. 4 - Don't Send Generic "Pick Your Brain" Requests to Other Solo Founders If you want to tap the experience of others, lead with something specific you like that they'e done. Instead instead of asking to pick their brain (painful, not specific, who knows what you're walking into) - be ultra-specific about THE thing you want to more deeply understand. The more specific you are, the more you sound different from everyone else asking for time. It shows you've taken initiative. Worst case - they say no to a call, but you made it easy for them to shoot you a few thoughts back over email/DM. 5 - Do Stuff For Free Before You Do It For $$ I know we don't like this one. But, client testimonials and proof are your best friend. You'll work out the kinks in a much lower pressure environment. I did a LOT of stuff for free before I ever started charging $.

Don't quit your 9-5 to go "all in" as a solopreneur until you have 4 things: - Proven offer - Clients paying you - Results and case studies - Consistent lead gen systems Give yourself 6-12 months to build skills and undeniable social proof before you leap. In 2019 I quit my job, spent a fat chunk of my life savings, and failed at going solo. I had 0/4 essentials above. Didn't know how to write. Didn't know how to sell. Didn't know how to build. In 2022 I made a successful transition from 9-5 to building a full-time creator income. But I worked for 12 months alongside my 9-5: • Testing ideas • Growing on LinkedIn • Finding proof of concept I'm confident everyone who reads this can build a full-time income as a creator. But only if you set yourself up for success. That's why I write weekly guides giving actionable strategies for making the leap. Need a good place to start? Read this: https://lnkd.in/e-RX6KFj

92% of healthtech founders make the same mistake: They wait until their product is perfect before launching. Founders spend months building - refining features, fixing bugs, polishing UX. But when they finally launch? – No users – No feedback – No market pull Because they were optimizing for perfection - not market validation. The best founders don't wait to sell. They start before they're "ready." Here's the exact playbook that works: ▶︎ 1. Build your target list first Identify 100 specific people who feel your problem daily. Whether its a diagnostic tool or a workflow software, be as specific as you can. ▶︎ 2. Find them where they already socialise Join medical/health groups on LinkedIn, attend conferences, follow their publications. Don't cold email - engage with their content first. Comment thoughtfully on their posts about industry challenges. ▶︎ 3. Share one painful problem you've discovered each week Example - "I noticed ICU nurses spend 40% of their shift on documentation instead of patient care." Ask if others see this too. You'll get replies from people living this problem daily. ▶︎ 4. Turn conversations into 15-minute calls When someone engages, offer: "I'm exploring solutions to this exact problem - would you spare 15 minutes to share what you've tried?" Most say yes because you're asking for expertise, not selling. ▶︎ 5. Test demand before building Mock up a landing page. Show what the product might do. Then ask: “If this existed, would you pilot it for 30 days?” Real demand = budget, pilot interest, usage. Founders who do this aren’t waiting to get “fundable.” They’re testing their demand and product from day 1. Because your goal isn't to impress investors. It's to find 100 people who can't live without what you're building. So if you are still in the pre-launch stage, DM me what you’re building and I’ll send a few ways to test it fast. #entrepreneurship #startup #funding

I have yet to meet a seller who doesn't want to run their own business one day. You may aspire to build some huge empire or choose to keep it small and simple. No matter what you're aiming for, the best thing to do is start thinking about it now while you can put your business network and variable income to work Here are 10 moves that helped me go from strategic account seller to a business operator using LinkedIn: 1) Document Look back on your past 3 years and start writing down what you know now that you didn't then. 2) Invest Use some of your commission checks to invest in your personal brand. Teaching myself new skills and outsourcing some components to specialists helped speed things up. 3) Create Consistently put out content from what you documented in step 1. Just start, and keep going each day. You'll get better! 4) Find Hone in on your tribe. Who will benefit from your journey? Who is where you were 3 years ago? 5) Build Assemble a small community for that tribe. Don't be afraid of being polarizing. Identify your enemy (mine is Hustle Culture) and talk about an alternative path. 6) Learn Understand what is important to this community. Offer free mentoring sessions. Answer questions in comments. Respond to DMs. Understand what they care about. 7) Collaborate Connect with and support other leaders in your niche and your community to keep tweaking your content. 8) Monetize Turn your content into simple digital products (like an ebook). Reward your early community members to get feedback and reviews. Promote your product weekly across your community (which will continue to grow) to generate some income. 9) Enhance Turn that first product into a more sophisticated product, like a digital course. Repeat steps above. 10) Scale Once your passive income gets to a viable level, begin your transition plan from intrapreneurship to solopreneurship. There is no better time than now to start your path to owning something meaningful. Owning your calendar is pretty awesome. The internet gives every seller the opportunity to become an entrepreneur. The barriers are low and the rewards are immense. What's holding you back? 🐝

We built the perfect product. Nobody wanted it. Ouch. That stings, right? But it's a pain many tech leaders know all too well. Our grand vision? Shattered. Our carefully crafted features? Crickets Yet in that moment of failure, we stumbled upon an unconventional (yet effective) approach to true product-market fit. Here's the unconventional playbook we wish we'd had from day one: 𝗕𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 Dive into customer struggles. Get your hands dirty. Pro tip: Shadow users like a ninja. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 Pitch your idea before writing a line of code. Create a landing page. Run ads. See who bites. 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 Forget page views. Focus on real user value. Track how people actually use your stuff. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 Build WITH your audience, not just FOR them. Host workshops. Create user forums. Get messy together. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 What are people really trying to do? Map customer journeys. Align your product to their goals. 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧? - 42% of startups fail due to misalignment with market needs (CB Insights). - Pivoting strategically leads to 2.5x more funding and 3.6x faster user growth (Startup Genome) - Premature scaling without product-market fit increases failure rates by 70% (Startup Genome) So, pause. Reflect. Are you solving a real problem, or just adding to the noise? Slow down to speed up. Validate ruthlessly. Let the market guide you. What's one assumption about your market you haven't truly tested? How can you validate (or invalidate) it this week? Share your insights. 👇

Why most side hustles fail before they even begin: People underestimate the most critical phase—transitioning from a job to hunting to eat. It’s the hardest leap in entrepreneurship. Here’s how I made the jump—and how you can too: 1. The truth about the leap: Most people think the hardest part is launching. It’s not. The hardest part is rewiring your brain from: → Security to uncertainty → Someone else's rules to your discipline → Predictable paychecks to unpredictable income The leap isn’t about logistics—it’s about identity. 2. Here’s why most fail: They quit before they’re ready or dilute their potential. → Quit too early? You’re in survival mode. No time, no money, no energy. → Wait too long? Your job sucks up your best hours and creativity. You need momentum before you leap—but most side hustlers don’t build it right. 3. What worked for me: I jumped with a plan—and 3 critical rules: ↳ Rule 1: Start building skills while you’re still employed. Don’t wait to “figure it out” after you quit. Build momentum on nights & weekends. For me, that meant honing my writing, networking with founders, and studying marketing. ↳ Rule 2: Treat your job like your first investor. I didn’t quit until my side hustle was paying at least half my salary. Your 9–5 is fuel: → Pay down debt → Save 3–6 months of expenses → Invest in tools, courses, or coaching Don’t quit emotionally—quit strategically. ↳ Rule 3: Build relationships before you need them. Your network will make or break you when you go full-time. I started connecting with other founders, clients, and mentors long before I was “ready.” By the time I quit, I already had people to learn from, work with, and lean on. Entrepreneurship isn’t solo—it’s social. 4. The first year was harder than I expected. Even with momentum, I faced: → Unpredictable income → Imposter syndrome → Self-doubt But here’s the thing: If you build the right habits before you leap, you’re prepared to survive the storm. The goal isn’t to avoid risk—it’s to reduce unnecessary risk. Here’s how you can start today: If you’re working a 9–5 but dream of building something of your own: → Pick a skill that solves problems for a specific audience. Start offering your service—even for free—to build proof and confidence. Save aggressively and track your progress. Connect with people who’ve already done it. Momentum is the bridge between side hustle and full-time freedom. Remember: You don’t need a perfect plan, but you do need a strategic one. The leap is scary, yes—but staying stuck is scarier. If you’re building your way out right now, keep going. The freedom on the other side is worth every ounce of uncertainty. What’s the hardest part of transitioning for you right now? Let’s talk about it. シ Are you leveraging LinkedIn to build your business? Find out if your brand is unignorable: The UNIGNORABILITY Assessment 📹 filippo.galluzzi ♻️ Smash that repost button! ♻️ 🔔 Follow for the daily goodness ✔️

5 Key Lessons from Successful Entrepreneurs at Startup Summit 👇 I founded Startup Summit in 2017 and ran it through 2022. Over countless fireside chats I did with tech founders, here are the top 5 takeaways shared on building a thriving startup: 1. Solve a Real Problem, Not a Trend. Startups succeed when they address genuine pain points, not hype. Ask yourself...Would people still need this 5 years from now? 2. Talk to Customers Every Single Day. Early founders often said their biggest breakthroughs came from listening to customers, not assumptions. Feedback = fuel for growth. 3. Build a Team That Balances Your Weaknesses. You can’t do it alone. Surround yourself with co-founders and early hires who bring skills you lack. Collaboration accelerates success. 4. Cash Flow is King. Forget vanity metrics. Successful founders focus on managing cash flow and getting to revenue ASAP. Burn rate kills more startups than competition. 5. Resilience Beats Perfection. Every founder faced failures and pivots, but what made them successful? Relentless adaptability and the ability to learn fast under pressure. These lessons are timeless, straight from the trenches of early-stage tech startups. What’s the #1 lesson you’ve learned as a founder? #StartupSummit #Entrepreneurship #startups