9 harsh truths I wish someone told me before starting up
And these are the 9 harsh truths that everyone who is aspiring to build a business should know!
Since 2014, I aspired to build a business. I interned at a company called Zippr and was in awe of the founders solving real-world problems. Since then, I have always been close to the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem. In 2020, when I left my job, I was all excited and geared up for the biggest stint of my career—building a business. I was influenced by the fancy news on social media, LinkedIn, and the startup buzz in the news. But little did I know about the harsh reality of being a founder. This is something no incubator tells you, and no social media post truly captures—except from a founder who has been through the journey.
Here are 9 harsh truths I wish someone told me before starting up, and I will be as brutally honest and raw as possible based on my experience:
1. It’s a Lonely Journey
I’m hitting you with the hardest truth first—it’s a f*cking lonely journey. No one can fully understand what you’re going through. Your friends will listen, but they won’t truly get it. Your family? You can’t tell them everything because they’ll start worrying, adding extra pressure. Your partner? Constant work talk might strain your relationship.
At the end of the day, you’re in this alone. Be ready for the ride.
2. Your Mental and Physical Health Will Take a Huge Toll
As a founder, expect to work 70+ hours a week (not mimicking Narayana Murthy sir, but it’s reality). After a long workday, you’ll struggle to sleep because your mind will be racing with business issues. At some point, you’ll experience anxiety attacks or panic attacks.
You’ll eat irregularly—sometimes just to survive. I once got a health checkup at the peak of my business journey and was shocked to see how messed up my vitals were. But through all of this, you have to keep a smile on your face because your team looks up to you.
Your health will be f*cked at least once—both mentally and physically.
3. You Won’t Make Money for a Long Time
Did you leave your $250K USD job or ₹50L INR job to start up? Get ready, because you won’t make a lot of money for a long time. In the early days, you’re surviving on your savings. Even if you raise VC money, you can’t just take a fat salary—your term sheets will have clauses restricting it.
Meanwhile, your peers will be buying homes, fancy cars, and vacationing in Europe. You? You’ll be building for a better future—and trust me, nothing beats that. But if you start drawing comparisons, you’re in for an emotional rollercoaster.
When will you start making money? I’ve covered that in detail in another blog—check it out!
4. Your First Idea Might Fail
Yes, your first idea will probably fail. You could have the best network, top-tier VC backing, and all the money to run the business. But if consumers don’t like your product, it’s game over.
Don’t be married to your idea. If you ignore the market and push forward blindly, you’re setting yourself up for disaster.
5. VC Money: Boon and Bane
Raising your first seed round? Congrats! But know this—you just invited someone new into your business to whom you’re answerable.
VCs help accelerate your business, but they also bring monthly reports, compliance, and investor updates. If you have a bad investor, your stress levels will skyrocket.
I met a founder in Hyderabad who had a terrible term sheet—his investor demanded money back if metrics weren’t met. A regulatory change killed his business, and now he’s stuck in a legal battle.
Lesson: Choose investors wisely! I was fortunate to have some of the best—EF, Courtside, Upsparks, and Goodwater—who truly empathized with founders.
6. 90% of Your Team Won’t Be Loyal
Give them 30-40% hikes, allow work-from-home, and provide all the perks—yet 90% of your team won’t be loyal. I learned this the hard way.
But there’s a golden 10%—the team members who will give their life for the business. Never let them go! Stand by them in their tough times because they’ll stand by you in yours. Huge shoutout to Prakash, Bhargav, Anjali, Vamshi, and Akash for being those people for me!
7. You Will Get Cheated in Business
I thought business betrayal was just a Bollywood movie plot. It’s not. It happens in real life, too.
People will include deceitful clauses in contracts, siphon money from your business, or straight-up scam you. I had terrible experiences despite not being at fault. You will face this too—so be prepared.
8. If You’re in Fintech, Get Ready for a Police Case
Are you running a fintech startup that handles consumer money or processes payments? Then expect at least one police case. Even if a customer gets scammed for ₹100, you’ll spend lakhs in legal fees resolving it.
We faced this and were completely unprepared for the system’s harsh reality. You will, too. So, be ready!
9. Cofounder Relationship = Marriage
Choosing a cofounder based on skills and abilities alone is a mistake. You need someone you can communicate with, solve conflicts with, and trust in tough times.
A strong cofounder relationship helps you weather the worst storms. A bad one? It’ll ruin not just your business, but your personal life too.
I’ve seen both sides of this in my ventures. So, don’t rush into choosing a cofounder—you’ll be spending at least 8 hours a day with them.
The Harsh Reality of Building a Startup
All of this sounds intimidating, right? But guess what—this is the harsh reality of running a business.
I love this quote by Elon Musk:
“Starting a company is like staring into the abyss and eating glass, and that goes on for a long time.”
He’s spot on. Every day, you’ll be solving problems because the things that already have solutions? You’ve hired people to handle those.
But should these challenges stop you from starting up? Absolutely not! These are the realities of business, but they can all be solved. The key is to be prepared and tackle them head-on.
I’ll be writing another blog soon on how to navigate these 9 challenges, based on how I overcame them.
🚀 If you’re a founder struggling with any of these issues or an aspiring founder looking for guidance, feel free to reach out! I’d love to help.
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Keep building, Keep inspiring! Because you are the best!
And if you like my experiences and content and if you think that it will be helpful for other, feel free to spread the word by sharing it :)