Startup Reality Check

You’re drowning in startup advice from people who’ve probably never signed a lease, met a payroll, or stayed up wondering how to make next month’s rent. They’re selling you Silicon Valley fairy tales about “unicorns” and “hockey stick growth” while you’re trying to figure out if you can afford to hire your first employee.

Here’s the truth: I’ve launched businesses with nothing but determination and a credit card. Some failed spectacularly (hello, $450K skincare disaster). Others succeeded. The difference wasn’t following some guru’s “10-step startup formula” – it was understanding what actually matters when you’re building from zero.

In this section, we tear apart the startup mythology and rebuild it with battle-tested reality. You’ll learn why “product-market fit” is consultant theater, how to bootstrap when everyone says you need VC money, and which corners you can actually cut without killing your business.

No fairy tales. Just the raw truth about starting a business from someone who’s done it several times – wins, losses, and expensive lessons included.