Startup 101: Don’t Fall for the Frills

Productivity lessons learned from a failed startup.

Why do startups fail? It’s a loaded question for entrepreneurs like me, who have poured their heart, soul, and countless hours into their big ideas. While we may pretend that it’s bad luck, the harsh truth is that we likely misdirected our energy. Perhaps we pitched to the wrong investor, or perhaps we chose the wrong team.

But in my experience, many entrepreneurs, myself included, get stuck on the little details rather living in the forward-thinking mindset all entrepreneurs need. It’s tempting to spend hours of your precious time setting up and using your project management system or color-coding your paperwork. Those seem like easy, necessary tasks and they feel good, but they don’t help your productivity. You’d do better by spending that time to grow your business!

Let me tell you a story about the worst moment with my art business.

We were excited to participate in a major street festival. It cost us to participate, but the exposure seemed worth it. Hundreds of organizations were going to be out there with booths, and I wanted ours to stand out. I ordered extra merchandise, flyers, and a custom vinyl banner and canopy.

The morning of the event, I spent two hours setting up by myself…