The Startup Playbook: Advice for Aspiring Tech Entrepreneurs
What are the foundational principles that underpin success in the fast-paced and competitive world of tech startups?
What crucial lessons have seasoned entrepreneurs and industry leaders learned along the way?
In this post, we’ve gathered insights from those who have built and scaled successful tech companies, asking them to share the single most valuable piece of advice they would offer to aspiring startup leaders.
Their responses reflect a concentrated mix emerging from years of experience, providing invaluable guidance for navigating the challenges and maximizing the opportunities of the startup journey.
Read on!
Jason Hishmeh - Varyence
“Have a plan for your startup, but don’t marry it—divorce rates for rigid ideas are sky-high.”
If I had to share just one piece of advice with someone starting a tech company, it’s this: Have a plan, but don’t cling to it like it’s your grandma’s secret cookie recipe.
Tech moves fast, and sometimes your “perfect” idea isn’t what customers actually need. Be open to tweaking, pivoting, or even completely flipping your idea on its head.
Also, hire people who are smarter than you—and listen to them. I mean, what’s the point of bringing in brilliant minds if you’re just going to ignore their ideas?
Oh, and one more thing: Don’t be in a rush to scale if you haven’t nailed what makes people love your product.
Building a startup is hard, but hey, so is assembling IKEA furniture—except this is way more fun (most days 😅).
Jason Hishmeh
Co-Founder, Varyence
Gene Caballero - GreenPal
One piece of advice I would give to any aspiring entrepreneur would be to get ready to be alone and lose friends.
Immediate family and close friends will always be supportive – sharing on social media, writing reviews, actually using your product, bringing food to the office at midnight, etc.
Second tier friends, like your bar buddies, just don’t understand the work it takes to build something from scratch. They can’t fathom why you are not able to grab a happy hour or grab dinner on a Tuesday because you have to work.
Slowly but surely, these friends will eventually quit asking and become mere acquaintances. Over the span of 4 years, many of my friendships have turned out this way.
Gene Caballero
Co-Founder, GreenPal
Sara Brown - RedwoodRISE Ventures
One of the most valuable lessons we stress to entrepreneurs is that you must solve a problem that truly matters to others—not just yourself.
Validate that there’s a real market need for your solution, and let data guide your decisions at every turn. Often, it’s disorganized operations and weak infrastructure that derail even the best ideas.
From day one, build your processes as though you’re preparing to hand them off, even if you’re the one running the show.
By laying a solid foundation that doesn’t rely solely on your presence, you’ll free yourself to think strategically and focus on growth.
Plus, when the time comes to scale, having clear systems in place makes replacing or augmenting your role much simpler.
Sara Brown
Co-CEO of RedwoodRISE Ventures
Parveen Panwar - Ziva Health
Focus on a few key things that truly matter rather than spreading yourself too thin trying to do everything at once.
Though chasing many different things can become really tempting, focusing on quality and what matters the most will drive success and business forward.
When founders focus on too many things at once, it can really hurt the team’s focus, negatively affect resources, and take focus away from the overall mission of the company. This approach can lead to burnout and confusion in the company.
Katheryn Gronauer - Leadership Coach
Many tech startup leaders I’ve connected with started their business with a passion for the product they are creating. But they don’t realize that the nature of their role will be to secure funding for their project.
The moment you receive funding, the excitement is short lived when you realize the clock is ticking to secure more.
My advice would be to ask yourself if the lifestyle of securing funding and operating the business is what you really want to experience.
If you prefer to work on the tech itself, then consider bringing on help to support the funding and operations of the project, or else you may find yourself on a path to burnout.
Katheryn Gronauer
Leadership Coach, Katheryn Gronauer
Hillel Lowensohn - Healthy Claims Medical Management
The tech industry especially with the emergence of AI is a fast growing industry with a lot of room to grow.
However, when taking the next step and becoming a tech start-up, first start with a well-defined issue, then build your business around it (do some basic research if it’s needed). Ensure your team, product, and strategy align with that mission.
Starting with setting realistic goals, both with time and financials is crucial. What I and every business owner learned is that everything takes time. In the meantime, be aware of any changes in the industry, be willing to adopt any changes if needed.
And most important, “Think big, but start small”. Have a bold vision, but focus on solving a single, specific problem first. Growth comes from executing simple, actionable goals consistently.
Hillel Lowensohn
CEO & Founder, Healthy Claims Medical Management
Nick Scozzaro - ShadowHQ
As a two-time founder, the most important advice I would give is: Always obsess over your customers’ needs.
Growth brings partners, awards, headlines and revenue, which can bring distractions. Don’t lose sight of what matters most—your customers. Focus on solving their problems, listening to their feedback, and building genuine relationships with them. Their success will drive yours.
Also, be patient.
Building a business takes time, and it won’t always feel like you’re winning. Success is hard, and hitting your objectives often comes with setbacks, stress, and tough decisions. Embrace those challenges and celebrate them—they’re signs of success. Growth isn’t linear, and the pain is part of the process.
Stay focused, stay resilient, be humble and remember why you started. Obsessing over your customers and staying patient through the grind is the foundation for lasting success.”
Nick Scozzaro
Co-founder and CEO, ShadowHQ
Federico Spiezia - Sparkr
My most important piece of advice for aspiring startup leaders: Build a strategy that aligns with your strengths and weaknesses as a founder.
For example, my company was in a capital-intensive industry with long corporate sales cycles. As a first-time founder, raising large amounts of capital was harder, and long sales cycles scared investors. As a result, we diluted a lot. If I were to do it again, I’d structure the business model differently.
Many founders think they can tackle any market, but the reality is, your background, experience, and even personality should shape your strategy. Play to your strengths—whether that’s speed, product, or sales—and don’t just pick a business because it looks promising on paper.
Federico Spiezia
Founder, Sparkr
Ilaria Sambi - Automations Consultant
My advice for new founders of tech startups is to be intentional from the start.
Growing a business requires sacrifices and long working hours, and you want to make sure you spend those hours intentionally, focusing on tasks that move the needle, such as being visible online, networking, and approaching potential clients directly.
Your goal should be to eventually focus only on the tasks that require your expertise. Delegate admin tasks as soon as you can, automate the rest, and track your time to continually optimise how you spend it.
Ilaria Sambi
Automations Consultant, Ilaria Sambi Consulting
Hristo Rusev - ScalaHosting LLC
Based on my 25+ years as a serial entrepreneur in the tech industry, I have two main pieces of advice:
Avoid VC money: While it may be tempting for tech startups, it can not only destroy something great before it even begins but also demotivate founders during the mid-growth phase due to equity dilution. Much better options are: family money, friend’s loan, and banking loans. Crowdfunding is also an option to consider.
Avoid seeking marketing shortcuts to boost sales in the early stages: There are no shortcuts, period! The best formula for success is to focus on product or service quality and build a solid reputation on review platforms like G2 and Trustpilot. This way, growth will not only happen naturally, but your SEO will also skyrocket – two birds, one stone!
Hristo Rusev
CEO and Co-founder, ScalaHosting LLC
On behalf of the Techronicler community of readers, we thank these leaders and experts for taking the time to share valuable insights that stem from years of experience and in-depth expertise in their respective niches.
If you wish to showcase your experience and expertise, participate in industry-leading discussions, and add visibility and impact to your personal brand and business, get in touch with the Techronicler team to feature in our fast-growing publication.
