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The One Question Most Founders Get Wrong
The Growth Insight 🌱
The One Question Most Founders Get Wrong
Want to know why some mediocre startups explode while brilliant ones barely float? It's not about your product. It's not about your team. It's about the current you're swimming in.
Here's the brutal truth: Most founders are paddling in stagnant pools. Sure, you might have product-market fit. Yes, you might be growing. Hell, you might even be profitable. But are you riding a wave that's bigger than you?
The River Theory
Think of business like a river. Some parts rush forward with unstoppable momentum (think AI in 2024), while others are peaceful eddies that look nice but go nowhere (like another photo-sharing app). The magic happens when you find those rushing waters – where technology shifts, market demands, and timing create a storm of opportunity.
Three Signs You've Found Fast Water:
New technology is enabling something previously impossible (Like GPT-4 making AI assistants actually useful)
Mediocre companies are succeeding suspiciously well (Remember when every crypto company was worth billions?)
Customers physically lean forward when you pitch (Watch their pupils dilate – it's a real thing)
The Pivot Paradox
Here's the part most founders miss: You don't have to start in fast water. The best companies often pivot their entire team when they spot a better current. Instagram began as a check-in app. Slack was a gaming company. They saw the rapids and had the courage to change course.
The Hard Questions Ask yourself:
Are you genuinely in fast-moving water, or just working hard to compensate for a weak current?
Is your growth coming from the market's momentum or just your relentless pushing?
If you stopped rowing so hard, would you still move forward?
Remember: Being good in slow water will always lose to being decent in fast water. And no amount of excellence can overcome the drag of a stagnant market.
The Choice You have two options: Keep paddling hard in your quiet pond, or have the courage to seek bigger currents. Choose wisely – your next decade depends on it.
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Until next time!
Vansh