I backed 34 startups as an angel investor and almost 30 as a VC.
Here’s what the winners do in Week 1.
Not what you’d expect.
The ones that fail? They’re in stealth mode, perfecting their pitch deck, scheduling advisor meetings, and building features nobody asked for.
The winners? They’re already talking to customers.
Here’s the pattern I’ve seen:
Day 1-2: Ship something embarrassing
One founder launched with a Google Form and WhatsApp. Another used Typeform + Zapier. Ugly? Yes. But they had paying customers by Friday.
Day 3-4: Get told why their idea sucks
Winners call 20 potential customers and hear “no” 19 times. They take notes on every rejection. The 20th conversation changes everything.
Day 5: Kill their first product
The best founder I backed killed his original idea on Day 5. Why? Because customers told him what they’d actually pay for. He listened.
Day 6-7: Ship version 2
Based on real feedback. Not assumptions.
The founders who succeed don’t wait for permission. They don’t need the perfect team, tech stack, or business model.
They need one thing: velocity.
I’ll take a founder who ships and learns in Week 1 over one who theorizes for 6 months.
Every time.
Because here’s what I’ve learned after all my investments: The winners know that Week 1 sets the DNA for Year 1.
Start how you intend to continue. Fast, focused, and obsessed with what customers actually want.
