This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Alex Cloudstar
Navigating the Noise: Finding Real Wisdom in Startup Advice
Every time you scroll through Twitter, LinkedIn, or Reddit, you’re bombarded with an endless stream of startup advice.
- Build fast.
- Validate early.
- Talk to customers.
- Ship daily.
- Raise venture capital.
- Never raise venture capital.
- Bootstrap.
- Hire a co-founder.
- Go solo.
It’s overwhelming—and let’s be honest, much of it is unhelpful.
Not because the advice is inherently wrong, but because it’s often stripped of context, rendering it ineffective.
Understanding the Pitfalls of Startup Advice
Startup advice can often feel like autobiography in disguise. For example:
- “You should raise money early”—that worked for them.
- “You should never raise money”—they bootstrapped and want to validate their choice.
- “Ship fast and break things”—that might fly in consumer tech, but try that in fintech, and you might find yourself shut down quickly.
Everyone shares their personal story as if it’s a universal truth. But your situation is unique. Your skills, resources, timing, energy, and market dynamics differ from theirs. Blindly following advice can lead to missteps.
My Journey: Overwhelmed by Advice
When I first began developing SaaS projects, I was a sponge for information. I consumed all the “must-read” materials, emulated playbooks, and listened to podcasts as if I were downloading cheat codes.
What was the outcome?
I froze.
An avalanche of advice led to inaction. Conflicting strategies made me second-guess every decision. It felt like trying to follow ten GPS directions simultaneously—resulting in a standstill at the intersection of overthinking.
The “Do It All” Trap with CoLaunchly
During the development of CoLaunchly, I encountered the same dilemma. One group insisted on a crystal-clear ideal customer profile (ICP), while another advocated for a messy launch with the intent to refine later. Some said to avoid marketing until reaching $1,000 MRR, while others claimed that your first 100 users should come from marketing efforts.
Which path should I choose?
I attempted to do it all—tight positioning, imperfect features, marketing experiments, and conversations with 100 potential users. The result? Burnout and slower progress than if I had committed to just one approach.
That’s when I realized that advice can become a trap if not properly filtered.
The Problem of Context in the Digital Age
Social media thrives on virality, not nuance.
- “Here’s a 7-step playbook to $10k MRR.”
- “Just DM 100 people; that’s how I got my first 50 users.”
- “Cold email is dead. Long live cold email.”
These sound simple and actionable, but startups are far more complex. The reality is that context is messy. What often gains traction online are:
- Obvious insights dressed as revelations (“Talk to your customers”).
- Survivorship bias (“We focused on community, and it exploded”).
- Unhelpful platitudes (“Play the long game” when your rent is due this month).
What Works: A Practical Approach
So, what’s the alternative to this chaotic landscape of advice? I’ve distilled it down to three key principles:
Run Small Experiments
Instead of chasing elaborate plans, I focus on testing small, manageable actions. For instance, when launching the waitlist for Cross Write, I created a simple landing page, shared it, and observed who signed up. This approach yielded real data, far more valuable than endlessly scrolling through growth threads.-
Filter Advice Through Your Context
Now, I apply a filter to all advice I encounter. I assess:- Does this apply to my stage?
- Does this align with my strengths?
- Does this fit my market? If the answer is yes, I might test it; if no, I move on.
Learn by Doing, Not Consuming
The most valuable lessons have come from my mistakes, not from reading. I’ve learned from launching features nobody wanted, wasting time on ineffective marketing channels, and experiencing zero signups from a launch I thought was a sure hit. These painful but instructional setbacks have shaped how I approach my next project.
The Ironic Twist
Yes, I recognize that telling you “don’t listen to advice” is, in itself, a piece of advice. However, my intention isn’t for you to follow this blindly. I encourage you to test it within your own context.
The true skill lies not in identifying the perfect advice but in learning how to:
- Spot what might resonate with your unique situation.
- Ignore the noise.
- Conduct experiments swiftly.
- Press on, even when contradictions abound.
The Key Takeaway
Most startup advice lacks context, rendering it less useful. The only playbook that truly matters is the one you create through action.
So, stop collecting advice like trading cards. Start gathering experiments.
Test. Learn. Repeat.
That’s the real game, and it’s the only one truly worth playing.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Alex Cloudstar