Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Started Out

Building something real is messy, humbling, and brilliant. I’ve been in the trenches for years, building teams, products, and communities that last. This short, practical post pulls together the lessons I wish I’d had at the beginning of my adventures in business bite-sized, simple to act on, and written for anyone building a business today. My current work at GoodShip* and past experience at Mashbo, Tenat, PropertyCloud, IAW and starting my career at Rippleffect are a great example of applying these lessons in practice.

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Foundations : Lay the Groundwork

Look after your health

Good food, some movement, and decent sleep aren’t optional. They're the non-negotiables that will keep you going when things get tough.

Freedom matters more than money

Early on, I chased revenue targets. I later realised that setting goals for your time and autonomy makes every decision clearer.

Take risks early

Your 20s are the best time to bet on yourself. You have time to recover, so make bold moves and learn quickly.

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Launch : Prove It Before You Spend

You don’t need funding to get started

Prove there's demand first. Cash helps, but validation and momentum are what really win. Test your ideas quickly and cheaply.

Know your customer better than they know themselves

Get right inside their world, their hopes, fears, and frustrations. Speak their language, and you’ll build something people genuinely want.

Learn to sell

Selling isn’t something to be ashamed of; it's a practical skill. If you can't sell, a great product won't get very far. Practise it like a muscle.

Fail every single day (on purpose)

Treat failure as feedback. Ship, learn, adjust and repeat. The only true failure is not starting.

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Growth : Get Noticed and Build Trust

Attention is everything

If you can earn attention, hiring, selling, and scaling all become much easier. An audience gives you options.

Build your personal brand

People buy from people. Share what you know and be visible in your niche—it pays off in trust and opportunity.

Network the right way

My best breaks came from genuine connections. Give first, listen more than you talk, and show up. Don't treat networking like a transaction.

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Operations : Work Smarter, Not Harder

Busy doesn’t mean productive

Being swamped isn't a badge of honour. Find the few things that actually move the needle and protect that time fiercely.

Systems and processes are everything

Automate or delegate the repetitive stuff so you and your team can focus on the important bits.

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Team and Adaptation : Scale with the Right People

Hiring is the highest leverage

Hire for attitude and potential, not just for a checklist of skills. The right people amplify everything you do and grow with the business.

Embrace change

Tech and markets move quickly. Adapt or get left behind, learn to use change to your advantage.

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The Long Game : The Reality Check

Running a business is tough and that's normal

It can get lonely, you'll lose sleep sometimes, and trade-offs are constant. Expect it, plan for it, and build a strong support network around you.

Founder Support

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If you are looking for some affordable value led support we’re here to be your co-pilot to help with more than the above and helping you to be accountable via our Fractional Collaboration models.

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