23 things learnt from founding a Tech company..
by Startacus Admin
Cally Russell, young entrepreneur and founder of new social shopping platform Mallzee gives us his pointers (23 of them) on the things he has learnt from founding a Tech Company...
In the lull between the Christmas and New Year when it was still unacceptable to work or email people (well in the eyes of my girlfriend and family anyway) I came across what might be the best 
blog of 2012, Jason Goldberg of FAB sharing 90 things he has learnt from founding four tech companies.
I've founded one and a half companies, my first was really a lifestyle business and Jason's blog made me think what have I learnt during my voyage. What pearls of wisdom have I learnt in 2012 that I could share? There must be a few, right? We've had some great success stories, won some awards and 2013 is looking like a great year for Mallzee.com with a growing team, exiting our private beta and shiny new offices.
So, totally ripping off Jason's idea I thought I would write the 23 (a quarter of Jason's 90) things I've learnt from founding one tech company...
1.Think big - It's a very British trait to think small and be conservative but in reality your startup needs to have a desire to be a global player. As, no matter what you're doing there will be someone somewhere else working on the same problem and if you don't think big they'll beat you in the long run.
2. Niche it - Don't be afraid to target a niche to begin with and grow from there. Succeeding in a niche area can give you the breathing space to really spread your wings.
3. Work with others - It'll make your company better and can open up all sorts of opportunities, but make sure they're the right people.
4. Learn from others - the best teachers can often be your peers. Get together with them regularly and discuss everything. I do this at least once a month and its massively valuable. Extra external eyes on a problem can really help overcome it.
5. Hire awesome people and total opposites - Awesome people make an awesome company. Find them and infect them with your love of your startup. They don't all have to agree with each other all the time though, so long as they respect each other. Our team is full of polar opposites but they compliment each other and work well as a team.
6. Exercise - A fit body equals a fit mind.
7. Travel - The world is full of of opportunities, don't be afraid to go and find them. I try to go somewhere outside of our home cities at least once a month and meet new people. Ryanair and Easyjet make this possible and having an international network will do you wonders in the future.
8. Play team sports - Playing football or any team sport is a great way to develop teamwork and leadership. If you're a quiet person trying to be a CEO it can also be a great opportunity to find you're voice.
9. Ship early - The only way you'll know if its right is with customer feedback.
10. Traction in one year - Show traction in one year or pivot. That's what we did and its been the best move we ever made.
11. Team - Build one. I started off by myself but its now a team effort and believe me it's a lot easier and a lot better.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Bring! is a digital grocery tool that simplifies grocery shopping for you and anyone you are shopping for.
In a bid to help brands during the current pandemic, the GreenJinn grocery app makes some rapid changes to its service
Coronavirus & furloughing employees. Nichola Hailes of Payfit looks to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the job retention scheme.
For startups entering the food industry, here's why accurate labelling on ready-to-eat food products is important.
Whether you’re looking to create a frugal startup, or it’s already up and running, here are 4 tips to reduce costs while keeping the work environment pleasant.
The Belfast-based startup that provides a fully managed 24/7 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for securely storing and sharing assets, packages and containers.
The insolvency technology startup secures funding to help support the UK's most vulnerable consumers to avoid bankruptcy
Darren Hockley, MD of Delta International on how millennials may be helping businesses face the current COVID-19 pandemic
The innovative startup that's enabling businesses to connect with their customers via personalised handwritten communication
The lowdown on the Estonian startup that has created a multiplayer game to help kids practice math facts in a fun way...
Published on: 14th January 2013
.png)
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Cerebreon the Irish deep learning startup raises £1.5m in seed funding 31st Mar 2020 The insolvency technology startup secures funding to help support the UK's most vulnerable consumers to avoid bankruptcy
- Chivas Venture divides this year's $1m Venture Fund between 26 global Startups 23rd Mar 2020 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chivas Divides its $1m No-Strings Venture Fund Between 26 Startups
- The open-source design of emergency ventilators for COVID-19 patients 20th Mar 2020 World Wide Community of over 500 designers engineers & medics finalising prototypes for safe scalable manufacture & rapid field deployment..
- Positive-ish reaction from small business and startup community to UK Chancellor’s Corona budget 11th Mar 2020 New UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak just delivered his first UK Budget. We took a look at first reactions from small business and startup leaders.
