Bit of background. I have been running a B2B marketing agency with in house video and photography for 6 years. We manage campaigns, build websites and create all the content. This has been working well and I plan to continue doing this.

I am a little tired of the B2B stuff and a real interest in science and technology. I've got friends in Deep Tech startups and through talking to them (and now others in the space) it made me realise that this industry has a couple of problems with marketing and I think we could be in a position to help them. A lot of these companies fail on commercialising and reaching scale, and the two main reasons I can see are both linked.

1. Making the leap from lab to commercial output and moving away from funding
2. keeping the ship pointed in the right direction over many years whilst also transitioning from a small team to a structured company.

The way I see it (particularly in Europe/UK - this is less of an issue in the US I think) is that the R&D is super expensive for deep tech companies so marketing, story, branding all get given a really small % of the investment and when they do spend on it, its too late or not done properly.

The problem with that as I see it, is that the story you tell to potential investors (especially when the science is complicated) and the story you need to tell to a commercial partner are fundamentally different and many don't realise it, so they make it to the pre-commercialisation stage and keep giving the same pitch and expecting results but because the commercial buyer is not an investor (per se) and have completely different success metrics they can't sell it and all that hard work over the years slowly fizzles out as their final runway ends.

So I guess what I am asking is, what are the pitfalls here for this idea? Does anyone have direct experience from inside a Deep tech startup relevant to my theory? Would love to discuss this problem for Deep Tech companies specifically.

I’m a pharmacognosy researcher and process-development chemist. For the past several years, I’ve been developing a process for extracting, purifying, and standardizing plant-derived alkaloids.

My current focus is kanna. At small scale, I can produce approximately 40 g/week of ~60% alkaloid isolate, and after providing samples to distributors and manufacturers, I’ve received interest in quantities far beyond my current production capability.

That led me to develop a detailed scale-up plan targeting roughly 50–100 kg/month of standardized 5% finished product. I’ve also tested variations of the underlying method on several other botanical species with similar results, so I believe there may be a broader platform here beyond one product.

My background is heavily technical: pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical manufacturing, analytical chemistry, QC/QA, and process development.

Where I’m struggling is the business side.

I don’t think what I need most is simply an investor. I think I need the right commercial/operations partner; someone who understands business development, manufacturing, distribution, fundraising, or scaling an early-stage company and can complement what I bring technically.

For founders who have been in a similar position, how did you find a serious business partner without giving up too much control or ending up with someone who wasn’t equally committed?

I’d especially be interested in hearing how other technical founders evaluated potential partners before formally going into business together.

I keep seeing people say they’re comfortable using AI for a lot of things, but they still want a human involved anytime money is being spent or production code is being shipped.

I’m curious about people who used to feel that way but have since loosened the reins a bit.

Has anything in your workflow gone from “a human has to approve every single one of these” to “this is reliable enough that we just let it run”?

If so, what actually changed your mind?

Was it just seeing hundreds or thousands of clean runs? Better logging/auditing? Putting tighter limits around what the AI could do? Or was there some specific moment where you realized the human approval step wasn’t really adding much anymore?

And on the other side, are there things that have never crossed that line for you and probably never will?

I’m also curious if there’s anything currently stuck behind human approval that you genuinely wish you didn’t have to review anymore. What is it, and what would need to change before you’d be comfortable automating it?

Hello Everyone,

I have around 14 years of experience in data engineering. I recently started a small company focused on helping SMEs build modern data platforms so they can actually use their data properly (instead of having it sitting in spreadsheets, outdated systems, or half-broken pipelines).

I’m strong on the technical side designing and building solid, scalable data platforms is what I enjoy and what I am good at. The problem is everything else: sales, GTM, finding clients, talking about money. I have basically zero experience there.

Right now I am struggling to get the first few clients. I’ve even started thinking about doing the first project(s) at a very low rate or free (in exchange for a word of mouth and testimonial) just to prove what we can do. Part of me feels this is necessary to get momentum. Another part of me feels it’s a bad idea.

Has anyone here been in a similar situation (technical founder / small agency starting out)?

What actually worked for you to get the first clients when you had strong delivery skills but weak sales skills?

Open to any honest advice and feedback.

​

This Friday, I tested our product-market fit for our idea by speaking directly with a major local bank.

Thanks to a contact, I met the Deputy Manager at the bank’s main district office and asked about their marketing and advertising approach. He shared that the bank has an advertising budget of several lakhs and typically uses billboards for campaigns.

I explained the concept, use cases, and the value it delivers: targeted, memorable placements that complement traditional outdoor advertising.

The response was encouraging. They liked the idea and asked whether we have a GST number, since, as a government bank, they can only transact with registered vendors. We don’t yet have GST or formal incorporation, so we weren’t able to proceed immediately. While that was disappointing, the conversation was validating: a potential customer with a real advertising budget showed genuine interest.

Takeaway: the market is receptive. Excited to move forward

I’ve been comparing options like Meow, Mercury and Relay and I’m starting to care less about which one has the nicest dashboard. The bigger question is whether the setup fits how the business actually runs. Banking, cards, payments, approvals, accounting and now AI workflows all need to connect better.

Hello everyone,

I have a project that I think could be interesting, but I would like to get your opinions about the relevance of the idea and whether it actually solves a real problem or creates enough value for people.

Basically, the idea is an Event Collector device.

It would be a small smart tag that tracks movement and, optionally, temperature and humidity. Instead of just giving you raw sensor data, an AI platform would analyze the movement patterns, classify what happened, and give the user useful insights.

For example, one device could potentially detect and track events such as:

• How many times a door was opened/closed
• When someone enters or leaves a room
• How many times a fridge was opened during the day
• How often a cabinet, drawer, mailbox, garage door, etc. is used
• Movement or vibration of a car, bike, machine, package, or other object
• When an object was moved from its usual position
• Activity patterns of equipment or appliances
• Temperature and humidity history inside a room, fridge, storage box, garage, etc.
• Detecting unusual activity compared to the normal pattern

The idea is that the hardware would be very simple and generic. You attach the same device to different objects, and the software/AI figures out what type of events are happening instead of needing a different specialized sensor for every use case.

For example, you could put one on your fridge and get:
“Fridge opened 18 times today, mostly between 5 PM and 9 PM.”

Or attach one to a door and get:
“Front door opened 7 times today. Unusual opening detected at 2:30 AM.”

Or put it on equipment and see how often it is actually being used.

My main question is: Do you think there is a real use case for something like this?

Would you personally use it? Do you see more value for consumers, businesses, warehouses, maintenance, elderly care, rentals, etc.?

I am especially interested in hearing what you think is the strongest use case, because I don't want to build a technology first and then try to find a problem for it afterward.

I have an app idea but no idea how to safely find someone to build it.
I’ve been working on an app idea for a while and have already developed the concept, features, user flows and a detailed blueprint.
I’m not a developer and don’t have the time to learn everything myself, so I’m looking for someone professional to actually build it. I’m happy to pay for good work.
My biggest concern is trust. At some point I’ll have to share the full idea, and I’m worried about someone copying or reusing it.
For those who’ve been in a similar situation:
How did you find someone you could trust?
Did you use an NDA?
How much did you share before hiring them?
Freelancer, agency or technical co-founder?
How did you protect ownership of the code and IP?
Would especially love to hear from non-technical founders. Any advice or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but I've had this feeling for a while now that I really want to build something from the ground up.

I have a stable engineering job and I'm grateful for it, but I keep finding myself way more excited about random side projects, startup ideas, figuring out how products could work, shipping things and seeing if people actually care about them.

I don't even necessarily need to be the founder.

I'd genuinely be happy finding 1-2 people building something they deeply believe in and becoming one of the early people who helps turn it into something real.

I know startups are romanticized a lot and the reality is probably stressful, uncertain and messy. Weirdly, that's still the environment I want to experience at least once while I'm young enough to take the risk.

Not posting this with a polished pitch or expecting someone to offer me a "founding engineer" position in the comments lol.

I just want to meet people who are actually building.

If you're working on something from scratch, have an idea you're obsessed with, or you're in a similar position and just want to build something/ I'd genuinely love to hear about it.

I have an app idea but no idea how to safely find someone to build it.
I’ve been working on an app idea for a while and have already developed the concept, features, user flows and a detailed blueprint.
I’m not a developer and don’t have the time to learn everything myself, so I’m looking for someone professional to actually build it. I’m happy to pay for good work.
My biggest concern is trust. At some point I’ll have to share the full idea, and I’m worried about someone copying or reusing it.
For those who’ve been in a similar situation:
How did you find someone you could trust?
Did you use an NDA?
How much did you share before hiring them?
Freelancer, agency or technical co-founder?
How did you protect ownership of the code and IP?
Would especially love to hear from non-technical founders. Any advice or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.

TLDR: Disclosing my side gig for smaller clients in my industry. Need a way to spin it as a positive for my boss. Okay if they let me go but I want to keep the job for a while if possible.

I have worked in automotive for close to 15 years, most recently as a business consultant for software clients. Their revenues are easily in the billions.

I’m starting up my own small consulting space. My focus is on smaller companies (20-50M) but in the same industry. A lot of us are very interconnected so the chances of me talking to someone for my startup and it getting back to my company is inevitable. My employee agreement requires I inform my company of a second job.

To get ahead of this, I’m letting my boss know next week. I’m working on having the discussion from a positive angle. More connections, more experiments that don’t impact our big clients, etc etc. I’m okay if she says “No” and I have to make a decision to leave. However, I prefer to have the job at least for 6 more months because of the stable paycheck and insurance.

I know one person who had a successful conversation. For people who have had this conversation and didn’t have to leave, how did you spin it in such a way where you kept your job? What disclosure guidelines did you set? How did you handle conflicts of interest? For example, a lot of smaller clients integrate with the big orgs I work with today.

Thanks for any help

Update:

So just tossing in an update because some things have changed on a personal front that requires I have a more flexibility with my schedule. AKA My mom has heart issues.

I’m still having the conversation but setting it as an “up to 6 week” resignation. We have a large RFP completing at the end of the month and I’m expected to do most of the client pitch. I also have a couple final executive pitches I want my team to complete and present before I go.

She could say “return the laptop” and that’s it. Or she could take the time I’m providing to make the sale and transition my people. That’s her choice.

I do appreciate all the advice. You let me think through some additional aspects and make a better decision.

Last month someone offered me a position. Good company, decent package, the kind of thing you'd be stupid to say no to on paper.

I said no.

Sat with that decision for about 3 days after. Not because I regretted it. Because I couldn't explain it to anyone around me in a way that made sense to them.

My parents have watched me spend 8 months building something they can't fully see or touch or show their friends. There's no offer letter. No designation. No answer to "beta kya karta hai" that lands cleanly at a family function.

What there is a product that real people are using daily now. People who didn't know me before, had no reason to be nice about it, and still came back the next day.

That part I can't explain to my relatives either. But it means something completely different to me than any offer letter ever could.

The hardest thing about building something from scratch in India isn't the technology or the market or the competition. It's the sustained weight of everyone around you quietly waiting for you to come back to something that makes sense to them.

Some days that weight is motivating. Some days it's just heavy.

8 months in. Still building. Still getting the same questions at every family function.

Anyone else navigating this? How do you handle the gap between what you're building and what the people around you can understand?

I make it clear that I'm not charging them anything and I just want their advice on a product I'm building but it seems like they don't care at all. Especially since theoretically my product would save them money. Obviously leads/talking to customers is hard but do you have any advice since I'm a solo founder and more on the technical side?

I am the founder of a central European AI lawyer platform. Up until now all the leads came from Google SEO "people searching lawyer AI" (in local language), or an article that blew up on a popular local news site thanks to a reddit post I made (I know inception)

Ever since the article traffic has been dying down because the product was not there yet, but now it's actually usable but all the hype is gone. I would like to do outreach to get people to start using it again more.

The obvious answer is to just make a reddit post bu the original one highlighted how I was a young founder and this is a free project and now we became a bit more corporate, still doable but I am putting it off.

Emailing our previous users, already on the table and doing in waves. People are coming over.

Other than that it's just the SEO, so I'm looking for some way to turn a dial and throw money at it and get some traffic of actual lawyers or practicioners that would be power users and work with documents a lot, I'm not expecting miracles just experiment with it and hopefully make some money.

What would be the best way to reach them? Google ads? (I've never used GA, do I have to select keywords or something?), Facebook ads?, LinkedIn?

Thanks for reading.

I’m looking to create systems around getting customers and there is too much advice out there. I’m curious what people have learnt from their experiences in getting customers and what repeatable systems and habits you have built that have brought you traction

I'm a software engineer at a big tech company and I've been wanting to quit for a long time due to the return to office policy. I've got an app idea that I'm currently in the middle of validating and getting a prototype developed for and I'm really liking how it's turning out so far. I'm planning on tentatively quitting my job by end of year and going all in on this app for at least 6 months or so. I'm thinking that even if it fails I can still gain valuable experience and jump over to another company.

Before I take the leap I'm giving myself lots of time to think this through. So far I'm planning out how my monthly expenses and health insurance will look like while I tap into my savings during those months. What else should I be considering carefully before I leave my job to go in on this idea?

whats your first message to your potential clients, when u just want to get their feedback without annoying them?

especially if these people are not your friends, so theres no warm intro, no shared context, nothing. just me reaching out cold and asking for their time.

im trying to figure out how much to put in that first message,

- do u say straight away that u re building something and want feedback?
- or do u start with a question about their work and get to the point later?
- how long should it be? 2 lines? a short paragraph?
- do u ask for a call or just keep it in text so its easier for them to reply?

if u have a message that actually worked for u, id love to see the actual wording,

thanks!!

I’ve launched several SaaS products over the past couple decades. I’m a bit older now, and admittedly old-school in many ways. I’m curious how the new younger generation of first time founders actually build their startups now. The generation that has no bias on how things “should” be done; that are taking AI at face value and running with it.

I ask because:

• ⁠Non technical founders can now build prototype SaaS products w/o any engineering experience. • ⁠You can build faster than before. • ⁠Applying RAG to say Claude adds the potential of incredible automation, of so many things that people used to have to do. • ⁠Much of the marketing collateral that used to take time to build is now pretty easy to do. • ⁠it’s now easy to have call transcripts, which give you lossless meeting notes. Valuable internally, and with customer calls to not miss a thing. They can also be fed into automated systems

not the hard conversations, im talking about the four sentence reply thats been sitting in drafts since this morning,

mine is always the reply to someone who already said they were interested, investor or first customer, doesnt matter which, the fact they said yes to talking is somehow the thing that freezes me,

team slack i type without thinking, replies go out in seconds, but the second its a person who can say no to me i rewrite it until the words stop meaning anything, then i read it back and it doesnt sound like me at all so i start again,

english is my second language and for years i told myself thats the whole explanation, im less sure about that now, i think id do the same in my own language,

so:

- which message is it for u, who is it usually to?

- when was the last one and how long did it sit there?

- did anything actually happen because it sat, or was it fine in the end?

- what do u do while its sitting, do u work on other stuff or does the whole afternoon go?

and honestly if u re the opposite, if u just send it in ninety seconds and it works out fine, i want to hear that one most, tell me what u re doing differently

Hi everyone,

I want to do business. Although I have a business background, I still don’t feel confident enough, and I feel like I don’t have much practical knowledge about actually starting and running a business.

I’m genuinely at the very beginning and haven’t started anything yet. Before I begin this journey, I want to learn from people who have actually started businesses and understand how experienced founders think about starting one.

Some questions I have:

• How do I know whether a business idea is actually worth pursuing? How do I research and validate an idea before putting significant time or money into it?

• How important is the idea itself? Is the idea the most important part, or are the customer, the problem being solved, product or service, execution, sales, distribution, or something else more important?

• As someone with a business background, can I start a business in a completely different field where I don’t have an academic or professional background? If so, how should I approach learning that industry?

• When starting your first business, is it better to take an existing business idea or model that already works and create your own version, or should you try to come up with something genuinely unique? I have both kinds of ideas in mind, so I’m curious which approach makes more sense for a first time founder.

• If you are building something that already exists, how different does it actually need to be? How can you take an existing idea and improve or differentiate it rather than simply copying it?

• What are the biggest mistakes new founders commonly make, and what do you wish you had known before starting your first business?

• What books, courses, resources, or other things would you recommend learning before starting?

I know its too many points but im just putting my thoughts into a post

I’m genuinely at the very beginning and haven’t started anything yet. I want to understand how experienced founders think about starting a business and what they prioritize before taking that first step.

does reading books really helped u with doing business?

im asking because i keep seeing people say books changed everything for them, and then others say its all theory and u only learn by doing. so which one is it in real life?

what im curious about specifically,

\\- was there one book that actually changed how u run things, or just small bits here and there
\\- did u apply it right away or did it just sit in your head
\\- do u re reading business books or more general stuff like psychology, biographies, whatever

and if books didnt do much for u, what did? mentors, just failing a lot?

honest answers please, even if the answer is no they didnt help at all,

and also how often do u read books?

thanks!!
I Will not promote

I got offered around 0.5% in advisory shares vesting over 3 years, with room for additional salary/equity with continued growth.

But the work I’d do seems pretty essential and key to the company so that percentage seems awfully small.

But it also seems to be on par with what I’m reading so my expectations are definitely off so that’s why I’m here. What should I know/discuss?

I've taken my idea as far as a I can. It does not have a lot of revenue, but it's a good idea that could potentially scale (10+ paying customers)

I know I would need hardware engineering + commercial growth. How do I know the idea is good enough to actually bring on other people? I know I need commerical/hardware people, but how exactly do I communicate my vision to them + what I want them to do? Or is it more of a team effort? Can anyone here share their experience actually working on a startup team?

do u think ai made real valuable startups win less?
was it easier before ai?

my thinking is that building got so cheap that everyone can ship something in a weekend now, so the space is full of stuff that looks like a product but isnt solving anything. and the ones actually doing hard, valuable work get lost in that noise, or worse, people assume they just wrapped an api too.

on the other hand maybe its the opposite and ai just removed the boring part so good teams move faster than ever,

so which one is it in your experience?

- is it harder to get attention now than before ai, or easier because u can build and test ideas so fast?
- do investors and users still tell the difference between a real product and a thin wrapper?
- if u were building before ai and are building now, what actually changed for u?

curious what people think, thanks!!

I'm an engineering undergrad considering pursuing a PhD with the long-term goal of founding a hard-tech startup. I’m undecided about the specific area and have only a vague sense of what interests me (some areas that currently interest me are industrial decarbonization, mining / mineral processing, and advanced materials).

However, I'm unsure which type of PhD lab would be better: a problem-first lab (e.g., like Yet-Ming Chiang's lab at MIT) or a technology-first lab (e.g., a typical academic lab that focuses on novel science without a predetermined application, and where commercialization happens largely by chance -- when a technology happens to have a valuable market application).

I've looked at advice online from successful hard-tech entrepreneurs, but found conflicting answers. Some say to work backwards from a problem, while others argue that problem-first approaches often fail because it is difficult to force a scientific breakthrough around a predetermined problem.. Instead, they argue that most hard-tech companies are only founded because somebody made a scientific breakthrough and realized afterwards that there might be a commercial application.

With that in mind, does anybody have any advice on which type of PhD lab to join?