Building something from the ground up isn’t easy. You could even say it’s… pretty damn hard. Thankfully, there’s a wealth of advice and insight available for a new Minnesota entrepreneur from those who have done just that.
Welcome to Community Voices. Every month, we’ll be asking a simple question and packaging your answers in a tidy post showcasing just a small fraction of the many bright minds that make up the Minnesota tech and startup community.
For July’s question, we’re focusing on advice for Minnesota entrepreneurs just starting their journey. The question is…
Interested in sharing some advice with Minnesota entrepreneurs Fill out this form and we’ll include your response below.
“In your opinion, what’s the most important piece of advice a new Minnesota entrepreneur should keep in mind?”
Angie Eilers
“Build what customers want, not what you want.”
Caily Landers
“Even in the infant stage (like Isabel and I are currently in), you must fully believe in your product… if you do not, no one ever will!”
Chris Lukenbill
“Make sure what are creating is worth your time, your sacrifices and your energy….and everyone else’s.”
Elizabeth Giorgi
“Pick your business partners wisely. Whether that is your cofounder, your investors or your first employees. The people that join you in the beginning are going to be a critical part of whether the company succeeds or fails and you want to have a team around you that can do the work AND stay motivated to work together through it all.”
Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk
“Enjoy the roller-coaster. No two days are the same so keep at it and your persistence will pay off.”
Melissa Kjolsing
“I think most aspiring entrepreneurs see a problem or opportunity and jump in having an idea of what the solution should be. Fall in love with the problem that you’re trying to solve, not your solution. In my experience, you’ll build a better product and it will help you move faster to that first user or customer.”
Ned Zimmerman-Bence
“Make sure you are willing to hear from your partner(s) that you’re wrong and make sure they are willing to hear when they are wrong.”
Y. Elaine Rasmussen
“Be flexible, listen well, don’t ignore your gut!”
Zack Steven
“Sell it before you make it. Along the same lines, if you think you need to raise funds, ask yourself what you’d do if you had the money and make every effort to just do it anyway. Control your own destiny by taking the actions that don’t require anyone else’s permission. Chances are you don’t need money to do sales or customer development. Let the prospect be the one to tell you that what you have isn’t enough and then respond. Don’t assume that you need more.”
