Unlocking Startup Success: Wisdom from Experienced Tech Players
Ever wished you could sit down with a bunch of successful tech founders and get their best advice?
Well, we at Techronicler did the next best thing!
We asked experienced tech leaders and executives to think back to when they were first starting out.
What’s the one piece of wisdom they’d pass on to someone taking their first steps in the startup world?
This post is all about those hard-earned lessons – the ones that really shaped their careers and helped them build amazing things.
Think of it as mentorship in a blog post!
Read on!
Colin Breavington
The most valuable advice I’d offer an aspiring tech startup leader is to shop around for advice!
Every “expert” you meet will have strong opinions on how to solve your challenges, often rooted in their own experiences. But no matter how impressive their background, their approach may not be right for your startup.
Beware of those who had success once and assume their formula can be copy-pasted. Startups are unique, and what worked in one context may fail in another.
Most importantly, seek out people willing to talk about their failures. You’ll learn as much—if not more—from what didn’t work as from success stories.
Those who struggle to acknowledge their failures likely haven’t been truly tested, so take their advice with caution.
Real experience comes with scars, not just success.
Frank Fernández
No matter how much capital you have, whether bootstrapping or investors, keep your costs as low as possible.
Pay for good talent but don’t waste your money on frivolous things.
You’re running a business and don’t know when you will need resources to grow or survive.
Frank Fernández
Founder, ChatterKB
Diane Roberts
Based on my experiences, the single most valuable advice for an aspiring tech startup leader is to prioritise a deep understanding of both the problem you’re addressing and the market and customers you aim to serve.
Many startups, in their excitement, rush into building a product without fully grasping the underlying need or validating its market viability. This often results in a brilliant solution with no users.
Your technology, no matter how innovative, must solve a genuine problem, and your business model must resonate with your target audience.
Developing a strong understanding of both will form the foundation of your company’s success, guiding critical decisions and ensuring long-term relevance.
Diane Roberts
Founder, XPinnovates
Tracey Newell
I grew up in Silicon Valley, and learned early on that focus always wins.
Standing out in a crowded market can be difficult, and spreading yourself too thin is a company killer. Instead of looking at the market you’re serving as a giant opportunity, pick an industry to focus on, or a specific market segment.
The more specific the niche the better, as you’re not really selling a product but actually solving a problem for your potential customer.
As you focus, your messaging will naturally become more tailored and differentiated for your potential audience.
And lastly, the more focused you are on a specific market, the more momentum you’ll gain.
The old adage that “success breeds success” is true, and as you build traction in your targeted area, expansion will become natural over time.”
Tracey Newell
Advisor & Author, Tracey-Newell.com
Erik Wright
As a professional entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, I’ve learned the importance of customer-centricity regularly by engaging with clients and meeting their unique needs in varied markets.
Fostering a strong team culture is vital because it encourages creativity and collaboration, enabling us to adapt to market changes and plan for future growth. With New Horizon Home Buyers, we emphasize building a cohesive team while leveraging data to remain agile.
A clear understanding of customer needs is essential for any startup leader, ensuring solutions are aligned with their expectations. By focusing on customers, you’ll drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.
With a background rooted in transforming properties into more valuable assets, I’ve navigated the real estate scene by focusing on effective online strategies. Balancing a forward-thinking approach with solid team foundations has driven our success across multiple states.
Erik Wright
Founder & CEO, New Horizon Home Buyers
Jeremy Woolf
This might be counterintuitive, coming from a brand marketer, but don’t overinvest in branding. Your product/platform/solution will inevitably evolve as you go from initial concept to MVP and seek the elusive product-market fit.
Throughout this process, you’ll gather feedback, refine your idea, and ultimately crack the code. If you spend too much on branding, you’ll find yourself constantly rebranding as your company evolves. Build a fundamental brand that’s flexible enough for you at your early stage.
Once you’re clear on who you’re trying to sell to, what you’re selling, and why they’d want to buy it, lock down things like your value proposition, brand imagery, and so on.
Amanda Gore
Develop your ‘soft skills’: a few of which are authentic, clear communication; emotional intelligence; a caring heart; and self awareness.
Leaders forget that they are leading people – we are too focused on B2B or B2C and we forget that we are leading humans.
Humans have not changed in the last 1000 years in what really matters to them! They want to be seen, heard, valued, feel they are appreciated and make a difference, are cared for, grown and developed and acknowledged.
A leader who works on those soft skills can tackle these critical components of a leaders job:
- Change people’s behaviours which you can do in a heartbeat if you tell them a story that touches their heart. Become great storytellers.
- Help people believe in themselves because belief in your own ability is a better predictor of success than any level of skill.
- Create an environment in which people can be the best they can be – joy filled and fear free.
Amanda Gore
Speaker, Coach, & Author, AmandaGore.com
Matthew Franzyshen
Make sure you have the soft skills needed so you can build a team of people that can productively collaborate and adapt.
Build your communication, conflict resolution, and active listening skills just as much as how you would your hard skills.
With how fast innovations happen in the tech world, the last thing you want is a disconnected team that can’t sit down to brainstorm solutions in a productive way.
Making sure everyone is comfortable voicing out their opinions and insights makes sure everyone is empowered to brainstorm openly.
This helps unlock the potential for you to think up creative solutions and derive fresh perspectives that can drive your company forward.
These interpersonal skills help create a team dynamic that supports growth and adaptability.
Matthew Franzyshen
Business Development Manager, Ascendant Technologies Inc.
Marcus Clarke
Focus on distribution as much as product development. Too many tech startups build brilliant solutions but struggle because they treat marketing as an afterthought.
In the early days, I’d advise founders to validate demand with real customers before sinking resources into the building. When launching, don’t just rely on organic growth—leverage partnerships, strategic content, and targeted outreach to reach the right audience quickly.
We worked with a SaaS startup that spent a year perfecting its platform but had no real launch strategy. By the time it focused on SEO and demand generation, competitors had already gained traction.
We helped it pivot by refining its messaging, optimizing its content, and executing an aggressive outreach strategy. Within months, it saw a fourfold increase in qualified leads.
The bottom line is that a great product is useless if no one knows about it.
Prioritise visibility from day one.
Marcus Clarke
Owner & Lead SEO, Searchant
Jordan Saunders
When I was new to business, I was much more isolated and transactional. I didn’t want to be taken advantage of and I didn’t want to expose my secret sauce.
What a horrible decision this was.
My mindset has done a 180. I believe that nothing meaningful happens alone. Help others and expect nothing in return.
Not only is this tremendously energizing for me, it has also inadvertently created some great opportunities for myself and my business.
Jordan Saunders
CEO & Founder, NextLink Labs
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.
