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The key first step is to test ideas on social media by sharing content to gather data on what performs well and what doesn’t. This helps identify topics and areas to focus on.
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Over time, the ideas that consistently perform well on social media can then be developed into products, services, coaching offers, etc.
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If those perform well, they could eventually be turned into a software or startup idea that is more likely to succeed because it has already been validated.
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Building software is complex and costly. Expect to iterate significantly and remove features before launch. It’s better to aim for quality over an MVP and to fail fast by investing in products/ideas.
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The developer interviews highlighted that when starting a startup, it’s critical to have “high agency” individuals on the team who are self-motivated to solve problems without being told what to do. Building software requires constant problem-solving so an employee mindset won’t work.
So in summary, the key takeaways are to test ideas, validate what works, fail fast through iterations, and ensure your founding team has highly driven and autonomous “high agency” members.
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The key lessons discussed are the importance of building a team where everyone contributes ideas and solutions rather than just being “cogs in the machine”. Collaboration is important over working alone.
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Building something from scratch takes much more work than expected, compared to joining an established company. Founding a startup requires laying the foundations.
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Two developers, Ian and Ari, discussed their experiences joining the cortex startup and lessons learned around collaborating with others and the extensive work needed to build a product from the ground up.
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Social media is emphasized as a way to test ideas, build an audience, and validate concepts before fully building products. Writing online allows collecting data on what resonates and may lead to customers or products.
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Some tips provided are to start broadly by creating a topic tree of interests to discuss, framing content for a wider audience rather than being too niche, and using writing online as a way to test different ideas and see what content performs best as a way to guide future direction or products.
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The key is to test ideas on social media related to the startup you want to build. This builds an audience and validates your ideas.
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Create a value ladder with different price points to monetize from the start. Offer high-ticket one-on-one coaching ($1,000-$5,000), then group coaching or courses at lower prices.
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This creates a cash flow business while building your audience and refining your offerings. It allows multiple tiers of customers to access your content.
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Use the content and customer results to create a digital product. Iterating based on results helps make the product effective.
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Now you have a growing audience, customer base, and validated startup idea from your personal brand. You can use the money generated to fund developing the actual startup.
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The key is building an education business as one person first to gain skills and leverage before needing a team for the startup. Starting solo helps you learn and lowers risks.
The approach is to continually test ideas, gather feedback, refine offerings and move up the value ladder to eventually turn your expertise into a profitable software business.
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The creator has started a startup called Cortex that aims to build a digital product business.
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Most startups fail because they can’t attract enough users/customers and therefore don’t generate revenue or cash flow.
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To solve this, the creator first built an education business called Cortex University to generate revenue before launching Cortex.
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Cortex University provides consulting, tutoring, and coaching to help people develop creator brands on social media.
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It has already generated $759,000 in revenue from high-ticket products. A mid-ticket group coaching program is now being launched.
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This is creating an existing customer base and cash flow to fuel the growth of Cortex before it even launches.
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The social media accounts for Cortex University already have thousands of followers to drive early traffic.
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It took 3-5 years to build the education business and audience. Starting a separate cash flow business is recommended before pursuing a startup dream.
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This approach validates the startup idea and generates funding without relying on the traditional startup route.
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Lessons from building Cortex so far will be shared going forward to provide a roadmap for others.
About Matheus Puppe