Typical cliches: “Fail fast, fail often.” “Every failure is a lesson.” “We almost ran out of money three times.” “If you’re not embarrassed by your first version, you launched too late.”
Typical cliches: “Hire people smarter than you.” “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” “Hire slow, fire fast.” “Our people are our greatest asset.” “We look for culture add, not culture fit.”
Typical cliches: “Raise when you don't need to.” “Pick the investor, not the valuation.” “Focus on customers and the money follows.”
Typical cliches: “Obsess over the customer.” “Talk to your users every week.” “Do things that don't scale.” “Solve a problem you have yourself.” “Product-market fit is when you feel the pull.” Plus the classic Henry Ford “faster horses” quote, which he probably never said.
Typical cliches: “It's a marathon, not a sprint.” “Being a founder is lonely.” “There's no such thing as work-life balance, only work-life integration.” “I'd do it all again.” “Surround yourself with people who challenge you.” Lately you'll also hear a lot about therapy, coaching and protecting sleep.