The Founders' Hub

Knowledge for every step of the founder's journey

Building a startup means making a series of decisions that are high-stakes, time-pressured, and often irreversible - usually without much experience to draw on. The Founders' Hub is built around the 10 key moments in a founder's journey.

You won't always face them in order, and you certainly won't face them all at once, so we've made it easy to go straight to the area you're wrestling with right now. Each section cuts through the noise with honest, practical thinking written by founders who've been in your shoes.

The ten key decision points for a founder

  • Is this idea worth pursuing?
  • Will anyone actually pay for this?
  • What do I build first?
  • Who do I need to build this with?
  • How do I know when I'm ready to launch?
  • How do I get my first users?
  • Is it working - and how do I know?
  • Should I raise money?
  • How do I scale without breaking things?
  • Do I sell, stay, or step back?

    • Decision 1:

    Is this idea worth pursuing?

    From business idea to product: a straight-talking guide for founders

    James Bloor
    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    The emotional reality of starting: fear, imposter syndrome, and loneliness

    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    Is your startup idea worth building?

    Greg Bloor
    Co-founder
    > View all articles on the topic 'Is this idea worth pursuing?'

    Decision 2:

    Will anyone actually pay for this?

    How to price something that doesn't exist yet

    James Bloor
    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    Why friends and family aren't your users

    Greg Bloor
    Co-founder

    Decoding feedback: enthusiasm vs. intent

    Dan Dovaston
    Head of Delivery
    > View all articles on the topic 'Will anyone actually pay for this?'

    Decision 3:

    What do I build first?

    Can AI build this for me?

    Lee Conlin
    Lee Conlin
    Head of Engineering

    What a good MVP actually looks like

    Lee Conlin
    Head of Engineering

    Scope creep: how to stay focused when everything feels urgent

    Dan Dovaston
    Head of Delivery
    > View all articles on the topic 'What do I build first?'

    Decision 4:

    Who do I need to build this with?

    How to manage a build without a tech background

    Dan Dovaston
    Dan Dovaston
    Head of Delivery

    Studio, freelancer, or in-house: how to choose

    Greg Bloor
    Co-founder

    How to get the most out of working with a digital product studio

    James Bloor
    Co-founder
    > View all articles on the topic 'Who do I need to build this with?'

    Decision 5:

    How do I know when I'm ready to launch?

    Launch strategy: when is your MVP ready for the public?

    Lee Conlin
    Lee Conlin
    Head of Engineering

    Speed vs. perfection: when good enough actually is good enough

    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    What to do when your test flops

    Dan Dovaston
    Head of Delivery
    > View all articles on the topic 'How do I know when I'm ready to launch?'

    Decision 6:

    How do I get my first users?

    Your first customers: a playbook for early relationships

    James Bloor
    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    What growth actually looks like at the early stage - and what it doesn't

    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    Testing marketing channels on a bootstrap budget

    Dan Dovaston
    Head of Delivery
    > View all articles on the topic 'How do I get my first users?'

    Decision 7:

    Is it working - and how do I know?

    Simple metrics every founder should track

    Dan Dovaston
    Dan Dovaston
    Head of Delivery

    Diagnosing churn: where to look when users aren't coming back

    Greg Bloor
    Co-founder

    How to keep your product roadmap focused during growth

    Dan Dovaston
    Head of Delivery
    > View all articles on the topic 'Is it working - and how do I know?'

    Decision 8:

    Should I raise money?

    What early-stage investors are actually looking for

    James Bloor
    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    Should you raise now? Here's what to consider

    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    Growth vs. profitability: what's right for your business?

    James Bloor
    Co-founder
    > View all articles on the topic 'Should I raise money?'

    Decision 9:

    How do I scale without breaking things?

    When you need to rebuild to scale

    Lee Conlin
    Lee Conlin
    Head of Engineering

    Scalability challenges: what to fix first

    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    How to scale a team when it's still your baby

    Greg Bloor
    Co-founder
    > View all articles on the topic 'How do I scale without breaking things?'

    Decision 10:

    Do I sell, stay, or step back?

    Founder burnout: how to spot it and what to do about it

    Greg Bloor
    Greg Bloor
    Co-founder

    To sell or not to sell

    James Bloor
    Co-founder

    The founder's role: when to step back vs. double down

    James Bloor
    Co-founder
    > View all articles on the topic 'Do I sell, stay, or step back?'

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    The Founders' Hub

    Straight-talking advice on building digital products, validating ideas, and not wasting your money. No spam. No fluff. Just the stuff we wish someone had told us earlier.

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