Starting a software company can feel like stepping into a world of endless possibilities—and hidden landmines. Looking back, there are several things I wish someone had told me before I took the leap. If you’re thinking of launching your own tech venture, these are the hard-earned lessons I wish I knew from day one:
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1. Your First Product Probably Won’t Be “The One”
I thought my first idea would be a hit. It wasn’t. It’s easy to believe you’ve spotted a gap in the market, but until real users validate your product (with money, not just compliments), it's all just a hypothesis. Start small, ship fast, and be brutally honest about feedback.
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2. Coding Is the Easy Part
Writing code is just one part of building a company. The real challenge? Distribution, marketing, sales, support, hiring, and managing people. I underestimated how much time would go into everything other than software development.
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3. “If You Build It, They Will Come” Is a Lie
It doesn’t matter how good your product is if no one knows it exists. Building distribution channels early—through content, partnerships, or even just talking to users—is essential. Waiting until after launch is too late.
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4. Technical Co-Founders Still Need Business Sense
Being a strong developer is an asset, but it doesn’t replace understanding basic financials, contracts, customer relationships, and go-to-market strategy. I had to learn the business side the hard way—and quickly.
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5. You Don’t Need VC Money to Start
There’s a lot of hype around fundraising. But I’ve learned that bootstrapping gives you freedom and focus. Raising money isn’t always the best first move—it brings pressure, expectations, and often forces premature scaling.
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6. Feedback > Features
Adding more features won’t save a product that no one wants. Talk to users. Watch them use your product. Ask what they hate. The answers are humbling—and incredibly useful.
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7. Loneliness Is Real
Being a founder can feel isolating, especially in the early days. There’s pressure to “look successful” while quietly struggling behind the scenes. Finding a support network of other founders saved my mental health more than once.
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8. Done > Perfect
Perfectionism slows you down. Customers don’t care how elegant your codebase is if the product doesn’t solve their problem. Shipping fast and iterating based on usage is always better than endless polishing.
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9. Legal and Accounting Matter—More Than You Think
I ignored these for too long. Incorporation, IP agreements, taxes, GDPR, contracts—all the “boring” stuff becomes painful if neglected. Get a good accountant and basic legal help early.
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10. Your Success Isn’t Just the Product—It’s the System Around It
A software company isn’t a product. It’s a system: customer support, onboarding, billing, analytics, retention, team management. Building the system is harder—but that’s what builds lasting value.
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Final Thoughts
Starting a software company has been the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. Would I do it again? Absolutely. But I’d go in with more humility, more questions, and a deeper focus on users—not just code.
If you’re just starting out, take these lessons as a roadmap—and keep learning every single day.