Note: This is just from my short experience. I could be wrong on some of these. Just some collections of thoughts from VSBRO. Don't all apply universally, but tried to pick ones that do.

VSBRO was a social app my friends and I made over the past few months. It was made as a spoof of VSCO (we said VSCO but for Bros). We went from 300 user to 20k users in one night and got to 115k in 3 weeks. We were the #3 social app and #21 overall app at our peak plus were featured in Forbes. We ended up shutting the app down because it was fostering a very nasty and sexist community — one that we never intended.

• You'll never be fully ready

  You will be waiting forever preparing. Just do it.

• Team > Product > Growth

  Best teams build the best products and the best products grow

• Do the right thing

  It wont be easy or popular

• Second guessing is normal

  No one is a mental fortress. We are all human

• Be honest with yourself

  The worst lies are the ones you tell yourself

• Ask for help

  You can't do it yourself. If you try to, you will fail

• Ask for more help

  People are more willing to help than you think

• Engineering isn't everything

  It is a skill set that allows you to build product.

  Don't put engineering over product (aka overengineering). A company is one with a product, not just cool tech.

  Engineering will help you scale so make sure your team is technical enough or can learn.

• Take a builder over just an engineer

  Every single time. Builders will learn the engineering that it takes to build and scale.

  Builders want to learn anything and everything.

• Ship Ship Ship

  A stale product is a bad one.

• Chemistry > Momentum

  Momentum is important but comes and goes. Let it be your guide.

  Chemistry will always be there. Let that be your foundation.

• Some decisions no one can make for you

  They won't be easy. But no one knows the implications and situation like you. People can give advice but no one can make a tough decision for you.

• Don't ignore red flags

  Its tempting. But they are there for a reason.

  They won't work themselves out. No matter how much you want to believe it

• Mo money, mo problems

  Money can cause new problems. Only raise money for 2 reasons in my opinion.

  1. To keep lights on

  2. You will get there regardless without money, but money will get you there faster, before others do

  Money doesn't solve most core problems of your business

• Preseed round isn't ideal (unless YC and/or a SAFE)

  Be scrappy and find a way to survive without funding super early.

  It will give you way more flexibility and less responsibility at a time where you need as much flexibility as you can get

• Don't be scared of investors

  They have to invest money, it's their job

• Don't try to go viral

  It obscures what is really happening. It doesn't mean you reached PMF

  It means you got lucky. You keep chasing it but shouldn't.

  Grow fast but steady. Streaky growth won't last and it'll drive you crazy.

• Don't stay up late for the sake of it

  Just get a good night sleep. You most likely aren't getting a lot accomplished

  You only have so many productive hours in a day.