10 Uncomfortable Truths
About Startups
The kind no one puts on LinkedIn.
Dinesh Vardharajan
Chief Product Officer, Kissflow
"Startups are the only test tougher than JEE — no syllabus, no answer key, and preparation only gets you to the exam hall."
Startup ≠ Company
"Any new business is a startup"
A startup is a search for a scalable, repeatable business model, not a "small company."
- A kirana store, agency, or services firm can be profitable — but not a startup
- Startups are experiments under extreme uncertainty
If you already know how you'll make money, you're probably not a startup.
Ideas Are Cheap,
Execution Is Brutal
"I have a billion-dollar idea"
Ideas don't fail — execution does.
- 100 people can have the same idea
- The winner is the one who ships, learns, adapts fastest
The market doesn't reward originality; it rewards usefulness.
Most Startups Are Not
Tech Revolutions
"Every startup is the next Google"
Most successful startups solve boring, painful problems and improve something by 10–20%, not 10x.
- Payments reconciliation, logistics tracking
- Compliance, HR, procurement
Boring problems pay better than sexy ones.
Fundraising Is Not Success
"Funding = validation"
Funding is just fuel, not proof.
- Many heavily funded startups die
- Revenue + retention beat press releases
Customers validate. Investors speculate.
Failure Is Normal,
Not Romantic
"Fail fast, fail often" sounds cool
Failure is emotionally exhausting, financially painful, and often slow and quiet.
- What matters is learning fast, not failing glamorously
Failure teaches — but only if you survive long enough.
Your Team Is Your Startup
"One smart person can do it all."
Startup is a lonely journey. You need the team to share the weight.
- Complementary skills
- Disagree and commit — better decisions through healthy conflict
- Shared emotional burden during dark times
65% of startups fail due to co-founder conflict. Choose wisely.
Timing Beats Talent
"Best product always wins"
Right timing beats everything.
- Too early = no market
- Too late = no differentiation
- Same idea, different decade — different outcome
Markets open doors that talent alone cannot.
Startups Are About
Saying NO
"Hustle means doing everything"
Good founders ruthlessly prioritize. They say no to features, customers, investors, ideas.
- Focus beats intelligence
Growth comes from subtraction, not addition.
Entrepreneurship Is a Career,
Not a Lottery
"One startup — rich or bust"
Most founders build multiple startups, learn incrementally, and improve odds over time — just like engineering or research.
Experience compounds faster than luck.
You Don't Need a Startup
to Be Entrepreneurial
"Entrepreneurship = starting a company"
Entrepreneurial thinking applies everywhere:
- Product roles
- Research
- Social impact
- Corporate innovation
Entrepreneurship is a mindset, not a job title.
Don't ask: "Should I start a startup?"
- What problem do I deeply understand?
- What unfair advantage do I have?
- What am I willing to suffer for 5–7 years?
Still, Why You Should
Build a Startup?
Thank you.