Confession: I almost lost everything chasing these start-up lies.
There has been a new wave of influencer BS online recently, so as someone who has lost a VC-funded business, here is my actual lived advice.
The lies about giving up and failure
"Never give up." Wrong.
Absolutely give up. NEVER put yourself in a dangerous position because of a start-up idea. Trust me, you will have better ideas, ones that are lighter and safer to launch. Do not get into serious financial distress trying to launch a business if you can avoid it, and do not sleepwalk through landmines because some influencer told you not to give up. Giving up is a critical part of the process; you have to learn what works and what doesn't. You will never make a square peg fit a triangle-shaped hole. Cut your losses and walk away. The best entrepreneurs are ruthless at this, and that's why they succeed in the long term.
"Embrace failure." Wrong.
Failure is the absolute WORST outcome you can ever hope for. There are varying degrees of success, and there are varying degrees of failure. The worst failures will leave you on the brink of life itself. I have been there; I was ready to end it all. Do everything in your power to avoid those situations. You only get into them by "never giving up", or by ignoring the warning signs.
The lie about money
"Raise as much capital as you can." Wrong.
This is other people's money, and it comes with a huge price tag on your soul and personal wellbeing. Believe it or not, it feels awful when the funding lands in your bank and you realise, "oh, what have I got myself into here?" Self-doubt creeps in, and it starts to spend faster than you realise. Try to raise as little as you can, work hard to build capital-efficient companies, and avoid burning through other people's cash at all costs.
The lies about work
"Build it and they will come." Wrong.
Never do this; it's so dangerous. Don't do anything based on a hunch. Start small, test, grow. That's the only scalable model for success. Working in silence or in a vacuum is deadly and dangerous. You end up committing way beyond your means to something that probably shouldn't have been built in the first place.
"Hustle 24/7." Wrong.
For the first part of my journey, I was a "busy fool". I would work harder than anyone, but in reality, if you zoom out a little, you are just digging sand on the beach as the tide comes in. Pointless. Nothing will come of it. Your work has to be focused and applied in the right places. You have to find balance; that's the key here. This is not a sprint, it's going to take you a decade minimum. Get into that mindset. The last person standing is the winner, not the first up in the morning.