Starting a company, of any kind, is probably one of the hardest things you can do. In the valley of death, there are many ways to mitigate risk, but I’m just going to talk about what I’ve found to be important so far in our journey. These are 3 bite size tips, but I think they’re important:

1.Be passionate about what you’re trying to do. Unless you’ve got the latest tech that’s taken 10 years in a major research lab to create or you’ve made a new marshmallow spread that’s 1/10th of the calories of normal marshmallow spread, you’re going to have targets on your back. You will have cut-throat competition, & you will have to work smarter & harder for longer. Passion will allow you to intensely focus on the things that matter so the chatter is just background noise. This doesn’t mean you’re ignorant; but it means that not matter what the feedback is, you know it will make you better. There are no obstacles, only road bumps, to the group that can’t quit.

2. The Friend Test. This is sometimes said as “Hire the best people”, but in reality if you’re starting something, you‘re not hiring anybody. You need quick feedback on your product, service or idea with some of the smartest people you know before you go to the front lines. This could be a friend, a mentor, or a family member, but it’s important that they are familiar with one aspect of the business of your idea. For example, if you’re talking about bringing a new flavor of ice-cream to market, you might not be talking to a master of creamery, but maybe a former marketer for Ben & Jerry’s. If you cannot convince someone who knows you well and will be honest with you of the greatness or potential of what you’re trying to do, you have no chance with strangers.

3. Foster Collaboration & Creativity. You need to foster creativity & collaboration because great things are seldom if ever done any more in isolation. In the 21st century, barriers to entry are gradually coming closer to the ground in every industry & the only guaranteed long term competitive advantage is to make good decisions quickly. This requires working with people from different backgrounds of all kinds. It can be uncomfortable but it helps give difficult decisions more certainty. If dissent is in the spirit of the greater good of the organization, it can only help the cause or organization. Over time, it also brings teams closer together. Of course, there’ a right way to disagree ☺