The #1 Secret About Success in Startups
(6 Minute Read) One Secret that Both Will and Won't Change Everything...
👋🏼 I’m Alek, a repeat founder with a successful exit. I share my experience navigating career and company-building challenges in 5-minute reads every week. My posts typically focus on building resilience and applying a practical, data-driven mindset to your ambitions.
The #1 Secret About Success in Startups
In a previous article, I discussed The Psychological Impact of Social Media on Founders. I wrote about how social media can influence our perceptions, particularly when we see others showcasing their successes online. Today, I want to discuss a related topic: how so much of the content we read essentially markets “get rich quick” schemes disguised as advice.
The Secret
If you’re reading this, then you probably fall into one of three categories:
You’re a regular reader of this blog (thanks for sticking around!),
You’re a friend or colleague curious about what I’ve been up to, or
You were enticed by the title of this article.
If you’re in that third group, congratulations! You’ve activated my trap card! The title of this article suggests I’m going to reveal some groundbreaking secret to success in startups, but the secret is: there is no secret.
Anyone on the internet who claims there’s a hidden key to success is either: someone who got lucky (and doesn’t realize it), or someone trying to sell you something.
Success isn’t easy, and despite the romanticized shortcuts we see promoted online, you’ll find that giving yourself the best chance at success requires patience, effort, and resilience.
Let’s Play a Game
Which of these article headlines would you click on?
Article Headline Game #1:
A: “This One Piece of Advice Got Me to My First Million.”
B: “Every Challenge I Faced Earning My First Million.”
Article Headline Game #2:
A: “This Untold Secret Will Quadruple Your Marketing ROI in Minutes.”
B: “The 26-Week Roadmap to Evaluate and Improve Your Marketing Efforts.”
Most of us would click on “A” in both cases. Even if we know that things won’t be that simple, it’s hard to resist the allure of an easy solution. As humans, it’s natural for us to seek the easy way out; we’re wired to seek large rewards with minimal effort.
Personally, I’d click on “A,” too! I’d read out of sheer curiosity… is their “#1 secret” helpful advice or a well-wrapped exaggeration?
This may be why those types of posts thrive. Some people are genuinely searching for a shortcut to success. Others, are there to see if their secret holds any value. In either case, the easy-win narrative hooks us.
Why I Don’t Believe Anything is Easy
While there may be short-term inefficiencies in markets or industries, there is no such thing as a long-term “free lunch.” Even when something appears easy and offers a huge payoff, it tends to self-correct over time. If there’s a large reward with minimal effort, people will rush in, and before long, that payoff gets diluted until it matches the effort required.
It’s like the gold rush of the 19th century. When word spread that gold was easily found in California’s rivers and streams, thousands of people flocked there hoping to get rich quick. At first, a few lucky folks did find gold with minimal effort. But as more and more people arrived, the easily accessible gold was quickly depleted. The latecomers had to dig deeper, invest more effort, and face tougher competition, and many ended up with nothing to show for their efforts.
If you’re reading about “easy money” on social media, the window of opportunity has already closed, just like arriving at the gold fields a few years too late. We’ll still hear success stories that imply otherwise: “This person is making over $100k a month by spending an hour a day on this one, simple thing.” These are the exceptions, not the rule.
Opportunities that seem too good to be true usually are, and by the time they hit the mainstream, the payoff has already been diluted.
How This Has Impacted Me
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received well-meaning suggestions over the years that sounded like easy fixes: “Why don’t you just try this?” The suggestion is always followed by anecdotal evidence or dollar figures supporting the idea/claim.
I’ve followed a few of these paths, only to find that the “payout” was far less than the investment of time and energy. Chasing shiny new opportunities can easily lead you off course. Instead of getting distracted by every new trend or the promise of easy success, you’re better off focusing on building something sustainable.
Implications for You
The next time you come across someone selling a quick fix, ask yourself these questions:
What’s their motive?
Are they trying to sell you something or build fame on social media?
Are they genuinely trying to help you?
In a world filled with noise and empty promises, staying grounded is crucial. Most shortcuts are illusions. Success takes work, and while that may not be what you want to hear, it’s the truth. Keep the following in mind:
Plan for and expect moderate outcomes over long-time horizons. Focus on your input behaviors—consistent effort, learning, and resilience—rather than expecting huge outputs immediately. This attitude will help you stay motivated and realistic when results take time to manifest. For more on attitudes toward effective goal-setting, you can read Four Critical Components of Setting Great Goals (and linked below).
When new shiny opportunities come your way, find ways to evaluate the payoff and the effort with minimal upfront investment. Before committing significant resources, run small-scale tests to assess whether the opportunity is worth pursuing. This will help you avoid wasting time and energy on distractions. For inspiration on how to run these small-scale tests, you can read An Expensive Spark: Validating Before Investing In Your Ideas (and linked below).
Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
Nothing is easy. Long-lasting success is built through consistent effort, learning from failures, and remaining focused on your long-term vision. Instead of looking for shortcuts, you’re better off putting in the work. Embrace the journey, the challenges, and the rewards that come with perseverance.
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By sharing my experiences, I hope to provide insight and advice to entrepreneurs facing similar challenges. Please leave a comment or email me with any questions.