5 Lessons Learned During our First Year as a Start-up

​There’s nothing easy about starting a new business. We started with a kernel of an idea, little cash, and an enormous learning curve. We are two moms who ditched our corporate careers to put our experience in design and marketing to work to create an amazing product that we would have a blast sharing with the world. After years of making other products look good, we wanted to create something so amazing it would shine on its own. We set out to break into one of the most competitive industries there is. Here are few things we learned during our first year out. 

1 Focus is Everything

The details that you have to tend to when you are starting up are ENDLESS! When you only have two people to tackle product development, marketing, and business issues, focus is everything. It’s easy to blow the day working on all the fun things which may or may not be the most critical things.
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One thing that has helped us stay focused is to dedicate a portion of every day to our most critical tasks. As a business, I mostly work on all things related to business and marketing while my partner manages all things product. No matter what I have on my list for the day, I try find three things I can do get us closer to our sales goals. Whether it is making progress on a campaign, reaching out to prospects, or getting our products listed in new places, I find three things I can get done on top of everything else on my list for the day. 

2 Ask for Help

Never be too proud to ask for help. Starting up is a monumental task. Seek out people who can help get you where you want to be and graciously accept any support you can get. Go through your contact lists. You’ll be surprised at how many people you may have in your own circle who can give you a contact, offer advice, or help in some way. Some will come to you on their own, but for the most part it is up to you to reach out and make the ask.
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One thing that helped us was to create a short list of things we needed help with. Early in our journey, we had a lot of people get in touch who wanted to help us in some way, but we weren’t sure what we needed or how to use them. Now we have a list of things in mind that we can ask for if someone makes an offer. 

3 Don’t Be Afraid to Switch Gears

It’s great to have a plan, but don’t be afraid to throw it away when things aren’t working. There is no way to know in advance what barriers or opportunities might present themselves. If something is not working, make a change – even if it means starting over completely. Constantly evaluate your product, delivery methods, and marketing approach and be open to course corrections that will get you faster or better results. There’s a lot of trial and error involved in starting up. Growth comes from failure as much as it does from success.

4 Get Early, Awkward Exposure

One mistake that many start-ups make is waiting too long to get their product out there. It’s typically not feasible to completely perfect your product before you start showing it to potential customers. Exposing your product before you’re ready will help attract early customers and allow you to get good feedback that you can incorporate into your final, perfected product.
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We knew we had a long road to developing a beautiful product and attractive e-commerce site. We also knew we probably weren’t going to get everything right on our first go-round. We intentionally published awkward marketing materials and unfinished products very early in our journey. We got great feedback that helped us make design decisions and shift our marketing in a better direction. We also built up a fan base that became our first customers once we were ready to start selling. 

Our first Instagram post showing our first plastic models. Only four of these initial designs made it into our final collection

Several iterations later, more refined but still not perfect

5 You Have to Keep Going ​

There is nothing quick about starting up. It's a long game. Sometimes painfully long. Some days will feel hopeless. Some days you will want to pack it all in and walk away, but those times are fleeting. Just when everything seems so very wrong, you will have another victory. No one is going to push you past the hard parts. You have to push yourself and keep going. Every single day.