Ondrej Vlcek’s Post

4 years and 2 days ago, I came up with the idea for Rampz. Looking back, I wish we had done things a bit differently. We probably would have launched 2 years ago had I known what I know now. However, being the optimist I am, I believe everything happens for a reason. Every obstacle we faced, every door closed, has led us to here. Optimism is not to be under-appreciated, especially in a start-up environment. It is this optimism that keeps the flame alive, making work not feel like work, and driving towards that end goal at all cost. As long as we don’t give up, we will keep exploring this path. Eventually, I hope the path leads to financial freedom. One behavior that applies to all of life really, but has been top of mind with this entrepreneurial venture, is to hope for the best, but plan for the worst. I know this next year or 2 may not be easy, though I am optimistic as can be, as every inventor probably is. That being said, we have planned our growth conservatively. We’ve been very diligent in setting up a strong foundation that will help us in the future when we do hit our targets, but we are constantly expecting the worst-case scenarios. We’ve run the numbers, and we’ve run them again and again. Business is all about survival. I don’t plan on being one of the 9 out of 10 start ups that fail. I won’t allow it. We’ve worked too hard and sacrificed too much.

First time working in a startup? 🚀 Two years ago I came up with the decision that I should quit a great job which I loved in order to dive into the startup world. Here are 3 simple things I've learned that will make you achieve the results. 1. Admit that sometimes you don't know what you are doing and it's ok. Just try to find people who can give you relevant advices. 2. When you come up with a problem, always come up with a potential solution. It helped us to start our startup, it helps us to overcome the circumstances. 3. Ask people how to make their life and work easier. Because you build the product not for companies, but for people who work in these companies. P.S. On this photo my co-founders and I 4 years ago together in San Francisco.

What is the Secret to Building a Successful Startup? Some might say it's about having the best idea or getting the right funding. But let's not disregard the significance of grit, persistence, and resilience. The journey of building a startup is filled with ups and downs. Only those who stay dedicated and push through difficulties are able to turn their vision into reality. Believe in what you're doing and stand behind your vision. That's your secret sauce. --- Dear professionals around the globe, I'm Fredrik Persson from Sweden. Craving more of these insights? Just hit 'Follow' and ring my bell 🔔. A little about me: I've embarked on multiple entrepreneurial journeys. Always up for connecting and bouncing ideas off each other. 🚀

In my career, I’ve worked at lots of startups. Some were founded by folks with conviction and empathy, but little experience operating. Other founders were well connected, with a talent for working with VCs, but had difficulties managing people. Regardless of the skill mix, here are 2 gigantic red flags to look out for in a startup’s founders: 1. Not being involved full-time 2. Not involved in building or selling If a founder isn’t fully dedicated to the company, and they’re not contributing to product development or revenue generation, that’s a sign telling you to find another company ASAP.

How I got 500k in 9 Months ⚡️ Taking a startup from idea to launch is a rollercoaster. But with grit and hustle, it can be done faster than you think. I went from a napkin sketch to securing seed funding in just 9 months. Here's how: ➡️ First, I identified a clear market need and validated demand through customer interviews. This gave me confidence I was solving a real problem. ➡️ Next, I assembled a scrappy but brilliant team who complemented my weaknesses. Alone we were weak, together we were mighty. ➡️ Then we rapidly built an MVP to put in front of customers and iterate. I pitched 50 prospects in 1 month and incorporated all the feedback. With demonstrated traction and product-market fit, I was ready to raise. I leveraged my network to connect with investors and closed a $500K seed round. 💰 The journey from idea to launch is a rollercoaster. But with relentless execution and customer focus, it can be done faster than you think. Believe in your vision and make it happen. The world needs your startup! ✅ Zero to one begins with a single step. - P.S. What was your biggest learning taking a startup from idea to launch?

If you're joining an early-stage startup, your goal should be to make your job redundant. I know it sounds weird, but hear me out: Once your company gets some traction and their first customers, it's time to build the customer journey. Your job is to set things up so they run smoothly without you needing to be there all the time. To develop repeatable processes and materials that are either embedded into your product or part of an efficient self-serve motion. Miss this focus, and you risk ending up with a company that struggles to scale and a product that can't be self-sufficient.

What a great Medium post by Hunter Walk ! It's all about timing! 🕰️ For years, "selling too early" was seen as shameful in the startup world, but it turns out that knowing when to get a good deal and exit is just as important as continuing to build. As we reflect on the past decade, we honor the success of those who took the right offer at the right time and got a great deal for their companies! #EntrepreneurLife #SellingSmart #StartupSuccess Congratulations to the founding team of Honey (a Punch Financial client) and the other companies (Mirror by lululemon and Frame.io) in this article!! 😍😍😍 What do you think? Is it all about timing?

I got off the phone yesterday an entrepreneur who spent 20 years building a SaaS product for a market SeeSnap is going after. He sold that company for 8 FIGURES. It's so refreshing to speak BEEN THERE DONE THAT, IN YOUR MARKET FOUNDERS. What's different, they understand The market The challenges The competitors The product and what it solves The hiring and team challenges that happen (early days) How hard and iterative PMF is How hard GTM is How hard getting to "sticky" users is They understand pre-seed vs seed, vs series A (or bootstrapping) They understand hardship. They understand why some people need to STOP 🛑 advising your startup. (we actually talked about how 2 investors cost him a much bigger exit) These meetings are like AIR for exited founders like me. I need them, I can't live without them, I need more of this daily.n

🔥It’s Hot Take Thursday 🌶️ Analysis Paralysis is the destroyer of startup culture Did you know that ideation is the foundation of all startups? It all comes before the MVP and well before maturity It’s part of the reason I joined this wild world of innovation, opportunity, and layoffs But once you remove the foundation that is ideation… You lose Your house of cards crumbles to the ground just like so many others 1️⃣See problems and opportunities 2️⃣Brainstorm around the problems you identify 3️⃣Do research to test your assumptions about the market and your idea ✨Bonus: Have fun and learn So if you’re a startup, let ideation be the foundation for which you grow Make changes, break things…and don’t let over analyzing be the baseline for every decision Otherwise, you’ll never make any #analysisparalysis

I’m surprised to still see so many founders say that they’re working at a stealth startup. If someone else on the market is already selling a similar product, it's a bad idea to keep it a secret. By not talking about it you are passing up on free exposure. If you're working on something new that no one else has done before, it's also a bad idea to keep it a secret. What you're looking for is validation and you can only get it by getting real feedback from real people. Unless you’re working on a truly revolutionary and secretive product it’s probably better to build in public.