Start where you already are

Why every founder already has what it takes to build something extraordinary..

Author

Oliver Stafurik
November 16, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

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Founding a startup often feels like entering a game where everyone else seems to be using hesoyam. Their skills, connections, and résumés appear better, leaving you stuck with a growing list of doubts.

Why It Matters: The truth is, no founder starts with everything. Success comes from leveraging what you do have — your mindset, network, and grit — to build something meaningful.

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A lack of everything

Every founder faces the same ghosts: no money, no network, and a never-ending list of skills they don’t have. Some hover their MBAs, technical degrees, or glowing résumés but it makes absolutely 0 difference (unless it intimidates you).

What about YOU? You’re just trying to make it through the day without second-guessing every decision.

The irony? Most founders, even the most successful ones, start(ed) exactly where you are — scrappy, scared, and underqualified.

Your lack of resources doesn’t disqualify you; it’s the starting condition.

Build confidence in what you already have

Instead of fixating on what you don’t have, take stock of what you do.

  • Your story matters. Why are you solving this problem? Your unique experiences, no matter how unconventional, offer insights competitors can’t match.

  • Your skills are more transferable than you think. Maybe you’re not a “salesperson,” but if you’ve ever convinced anyone of anything, you already have the foundation for pitching. My hot take: majors in niches like psychology and literature are the most useful and transferrable ones (I did computing).

  • Your network isn’t just LinkedIn. Your friends, mentors, and even acquaintances can help you grow. Starting small is okay.

In the end, you only need to convince your customers. And they don’t seem to care about your background — they care about whether your solution works better.

It’s tempting to compare yourself to outliers — Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos — but their sanitised PR stories won’t help you. Real startup stories are messy, full of pivots, and rarely linear.

  • Seek unfiltered accounts: Look for interviews, blogs, and podcasts where founders share their failures, doubts, and unpolished truths.

No one has a perfect roadmap. What matters is your ability to keep adapting.

📩 Get a free pitch deck

Raising soon? I’ll send you over Passionfroot’s pitch deck that raised over $3M, just refer one friend via your personal referral link: https://foundersfuel.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

Additionally, I’ll add you to a private founder community where I post valuable resources daily.

You’ll never be the best at everything. But you don’t need to be. You just need to focus on getting good enough in a few keys skills.

Founders don’t have time to master every skill.

You’re not training for conquering the world from the get-go; you’re solving one tiny problem at a time.

TL;DR: So how do you start where you are?

  • Focus on the next milestone. Whether it’s building an MVP, landing your first customer, or raising a seed round, aim small and win big.

  • Lean into your uniqueness. Your combination of skills, experiences, and perspective is what makes your startup different.

  • Take one deliberate step every day. Action breeds momentum, and momentum is what builds startups.

✈️ How I Can Help

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