Lessons from Our First Six Startups
Six startups, six sets of lessons. Here's what building in public has taught us.
1. Ogt.ai - Start with What You Know
Our first startup was a personal AI assistant. Lesson learned: Build for yourself first. You understand your own problems better than anyone else's.
2. Bad Community - Community is Everything
Building a creator community taught us that features don't matter as much as the people. A vibrant community with basic features beats a dead community with perfect features.
3. Haslink - Simple Wins
A URL shortener might seem boring, but it reached 100 users fastest. Simple products that solve clear problems win.
4. Zangy - Innovation in Delivery
AI phone reminders aren't new as a concept, but the delivery method (actual phone calls) was the innovation. Sometimes the "how" matters more than the "what".
5. Memoir - Emotional Products Connect
Preserving family memories hits different. Products that touch emotions create stronger user connections than pure utility tools.
6. Track Link - Learn from Competition
We studied every link tracker on the market before building. Understanding competition helps you find gaps.
Key Takeaways
- Ship fast, iterate faster
- Talk to users from day one
- Don't be afraid to pivot
- Simple problems have big markets
- Emotion beats logic for user retention
What startup should we build next? Let us know!