Scaling Smart: Why Every Start-Up Needs a Business Model Built for Growth”
Growth Isn’t About Getting Bigger. It’s About Getting Smarter. Most start-ups dream of scale. But too many chase it blindly, burning cash, bloating headcount, and building complexity without control. Here’s the truth: a great idea doesn’t scale itself. You need a business model that’s designed to grow. In The Start-Up Puzzle, we call this “scalable […]
The One Thing Most Founders Miss in Product Development
It’s not about the product; it’s about the problem it solves. Let’s be honest: too many startups fall in love with their product. They obsess over features, design, and packaging, even before knowing if anyone truly needs them. In The Start-Up Puzzle, we call this the “solution trap,” a common mistake that kills momentum before […]
Why Founders Struggle to Define Their Mission—and How to Get It Right
From Vision to Reality: How to Craft a Mission That Actually Moves Your Business Forward We hear it all the time: “I want to change the world.” But when you ask what the company does or why it exists—you get buzzwords and blank stares. In The Start-Up Puzzle, we challenge founders to get specific. Because […]
Think You Have a Great Business Idea? Here’s How to Know for Sure
Waiting for a ‘Eureka’ Moment? Don’t. Here’s how successful entrepreneurs find winning ideas, and let’s get one thing straight: the best start-up ideas don’t come from sudden inspiration. They come from observation, inquiry, and iteration. In The Start-Up Puzzle, we guide entrepreneurs through the process of discovering viable business opportunities—not dreaming them up in isolation. […]
The 4 Puzzle Pieces Most Founders Miss—And Why They Matter
You Can’t Build a Business with Only Half the Puzzle Building a startup is exciting. But it’s also messy, chaotic, and full of blind spots. At The Start-Up Puzzle, we’ve spent years interviewing founders, investors, and researchers to decode why so many start-ups fail and what the most successful ones do differently. The result? A […]
The #1 Misconception Founders Have, And How to Avoid It
If I Love My Idea, Customers Will Too.” Why That Thinking Could Kill Your Startup. It’s one of the most common (and dangerous) misconceptions in entrepreneurship: “If I think my solution is brilliant, surely others will too.” Founders fall into this trap all the time. They become so enamored with their product or technology that […]