The kind no one puts on LinkedIn.
Myths That Quietly Kill Good Founders
"Most people in this room are statistically more likely to build a bad startup than a good one. And that has nothing to do with intelligence."
"Any new business is a startup"
A startup is a search for a scalable, repeatable business model, not a "small company."
If you already know how you'll make money, you're probably not a startup.
"I have a billion-dollar idea"
Ideas don't fail — execution does.
The market doesn't reward originality; it rewards usefulness.
"Every startup is the next Google"
Most successful startups solve boring, painful problems and improve something by 10–20%, not 10x.
Boring problems pay better than sexy ones.
"Funding = validation"
Funding is just fuel, not proof.
Customers validate. Investors speculate.
"Fail fast, fail often" sounds cool
Failure is emotionally exhausting, financially painful, and often slow and quiet.
Failure teaches — but only if you survive long enough.
"Solo genius founder"
Most startups fail due to co-founder issues, not tech or market.
A bad co-founder is worse than no co-founder.
"Best product always wins"
Right timing beats everything.
Markets open doors that talent alone cannot.
"Hustle means doing everything"
Good founders ruthlessly prioritize. They say no to features, customers, investors, ideas.
Growth comes from subtraction, not addition.
"One startup — rich or bust"
Most founders build multiple startups, learn incrementally, and improve odds over time — just like engineering or research.
Experience compounds faster than luck.
"Entrepreneurship = starting a company"
Entrepreneurial thinking applies everywhere:
Entrepreneurship is a mindset, not a job title.
Don't ask: "Should I start a startup?"
Thank you.