DK Consulting’s Post

For big company engineers getting into startups. One thing I've learned is that when you're building a zero to one product is that you're optimizing for a completely different set of tradeoffs when you make design decisions, and *most* of the time, it makes sense to do things very differently than you would do in a larger org. At big companies a lot of times you're optimizing for reliability and scalability. Every system needs to be ready to handle lots of real user traffic as soon as it's ramped into production. Makes sense. At startups though, until you get to PMF, the one thing you're optimizing for: speed of learning. CEOs and product folks can do a lot by doing customer interviews, but the reality is nothing beats getting a product in the customer's hands and see them actually use it. It isn't until you deliver something useful that you can measure the "pull" that product actually has. It's the ability to ask the question: "If I took this product away from you today, how painful would it be 1-10?" At early stage companies you're hunting for 9s and 10s, but you don't really know until you actually get something working in customers hands. Winning this game often comes down to how fast you can turn over and test different product concepts. Right now the process we're following is 1-week sprints. I'm hacking on a new product and the rest of the team is doing research. As the leader on tech I'm significantly time boxing and saying "what can I deliver in the next 4 days so we can demo to customers on Friday". It's looping this process over and over again that gets us closer to feeling what we need to feel for PMF. This significantly differs than the strategy that we had at Coherent which was to build in 2-3 months a fully featured product, after a bunch of user research and intuition. Lessons learned. Eventually we'll settle on a product concept and I can double down a bit on architecture and building a fully featured product, but for now it's just hacks on hacks on hacks until we can get sparks of something working. The way it should be.

Tomorrow is the i2E, Inc. demo day and it inspired some reflection. Over the last few months we have been able to turn ViziSmart into a functioning reality. A fellow Founder asked me recently: "I'm curious. How were you able to progress so quickly? I always struggle with turning ideas into reality." I answered: "I leverage exceptional resources and people." It's something that has been a game-changer for our startup. Even better? All within a few short months. It's not just hard work. It's not just passion. It's not just funding. I surround myself with phenomenal mentors and team members. Together we take an idea and turn it into a functional product. Let's consider our startup's journey. Delusional knowing → Idea solidified Phenomenal co-founder and mentor → Team expanded Flow diagram → Designs created Pre-seed funding → Dev team hired Functional product → Reality achieved and ready for Pilot testers Use this system with your startup ideas and you have a high-growth company. Oklahoma is lucky to have resources like OCAST and i2e 🩷 When you have so many exceptional and kind hearted people around you to bounce ideas and ask for guidance, phenomenal things are possible. i2e gave us a beautiful gift which means a lot to me. It is a symbol of persistence and resilience. I will treasure it forever. If you found this helpful, share it with a fellow founder who needs inspiration. Mirna Abyad Baloul Menka Goyal Steve Gecu

Struggling to find a technical cofounder? 🤯 We've got you covered. We came across an insightful article that outlines six effective strategies to help you find your perfect match. This resource could be just what you need to take your startup to the next step! ➡️ Read it now: https://buff.ly/4aHAS8K #Challenges #Startups #Cofounders #Tips

Unpopular Opinion: "Best Practices" Aren’t Universal We love talking about "best practices" in programming, but the truth is, they’re often context-dependent. What works for one project or team might not work for another. 🚀 Small startup? Large enterprise? The best approach will vary. Blindly following "rules" like microservices without adapting them can actually slow you down. ⚙️ It’s more important to understand why these practices exist and when they should be applied. Not every project needs the same playbook! 🧩

Humility is a advantage in a world filled with gargantuan egos. Look at any modern-era startup and you'll notice something. The ones that actually stand the test of time are those run by people who refuse to live within their own hype bubble. Humility isn't about playing small. It's about understanding your strengths, acknowledging your weaknesses, and learning. It's about realizing that no matter how much you know, there's always more to learn.

DevOps isn’t just about automation—it’s about building a foundation that allows your product to thrive in the long run. Without it, magic won’t happen. Shutdowns will. Don’t make this mistake. Let’s talk about how to ensure your startup’s success by building a scalable, resilient infrastructure. Comment below or reach out—I'd love to help you avoid these costly errors.

Horses for Courses - Product & Business skillset differences at scales. The kind of Product skillset you need for a new or growing startup is vastly different from the Product skillset you need for a Large company. The primary difference between the two is: For Small and Medium Size Companies: You have to deliver outcomes → building things that “actually work” You have to hack everything → building things “fast” For Large Companies: You have to deliver projects/roadmaps → ensure things get built (doesn’t really matter if they work or not) You have to comply to the process → ensure you are following processes, and you are not hacking anything These two differences are primarily the reason why large companies can’t really innovate, because their execution is poor by design - they follow tons of processes, which is fair, they can't risk what they have achieved by bringing chaos in system. That’s why Strategy starts taking bigger and bigger role in large corporations, so that you leave as little as possible to the execution. So, if you want to be in startups, or become an Entrepreneur → Learn execution and hacking and if you want to be a career veteran in Large Corporations → Learn strategy and stakeholder management If you can learn Execution and Strategy both, then you will be a force to reckon with, whatever the size, stage, or industry that you are playing in. #productmanagement #strategy

Tech startup failure #3: The ‘One and Done’ Mindset Building good software is not an event, it’s a process that should be continuously iterative. A disturbing number of founders fall into the trap of believing that once the initial product is launched, the hard work is done. Finding product/market fit requires regular updates, improvements, and adaptations to meet evolving user needs and technological advancements. Prioritize feedback, invest in continuous integration and delivery, and embrace agility and uncertainty. Remember, launch is the beginning, not the end. And make sure to be well capitalized beyond launch.

I’ve been talking about how important it is to put structure in place when establishing a startup. It can mitigate costly errors and inefficiencies during the challenging early growth stages. When it comes to developing technology, creating policies and procedures that support the process can help. Throughout my time working as a CTO, I’ve discovered these policies and procedures fit within twelve categories. Last week I shared that development workflow and processes, architecture and design, and technology stack decisions are the first three areas where you should develop structure. This week, I’ll share the next three areas: 4. Security – how will you manage access control and vulnerabilities? 5. Quality assurance – keep on top of bugs and conduct checks on your tech’s performance under pressure. 6. Documentation – stay on track with development and ensure you have a track record. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share the rest of the categories where you need to create policies if you want your business to grow efficiently. #PoliciesandProcedures #TechStartups #TechSMEs #StartupFounders ------------------------------------------------------------ Hi, I’m Tim. Founder of Scryla Consultancy Ltd . I help SMEs and startups develop agile technology strategies that align with business goals creating significant value for founders and investors. Like what you’re reading? Sound the 🔔on my profile to get regular updates! Or + Follow if we aren’t connected.

🔍 Do You Really Know What a CTO Does at a Startup? It's More Than Just Code! Ever wondered what a CTO truly does at a startup? This role is dynamic and evolves with the company. Our latest article dives deep into the multifaceted responsibilities of a CTO, from technical leadership to strategic decision-making. Discover how the CTO's role shifts as the startup grows, the importance of choosing the right tech stack, and the key differences between a CTO and a VP of Engineering. Learn about the daily challenges, the essential skills needed, and the journey to becoming a successful CTO. Whether you're aiming to step into this role or just curious, this read is packed with valuable insights. https://lnkd.in/eCuM9wNb #StartupLife #CTO #TechLeadership #Engineering #CareerGrowth #TheGeekLabs