Startups Cannot Tolerate Toil

Startups absolutely cannot tolerate toil and hidden agendas of their teams. They cannot tolerate lack of direction.

They cannot build what has not been validated.

And they absolutely cannot lose track of what their engineering teams are doing.

If you're operating without some layer of transparency - standups, some refinement, some deep working sessions - all of which do everything but guarantee the clarity around where you're bleeding most of your money - it's gonna be a rough ride. Your engineering must return for you - to the greatest extent possible. And if it's not, you must find out why - as soon as possible.

I know because I've seen it over and over. Founder is looking for another raise or is intimidated by engineering, and takes their eye off the ball - and the product stays stuck. Investors get nervous. Customers churn.

You'd be surprised how common this incredibly difficult situation is.