5 Pieces of Advice That Save Founders Years of Pain

Founders win more by lowering defenses than by overpowering arguments.

Validation disarms faster than logic.

People want to be heard before they’ll be convinced. A simple, “I see why you’re frustrated,” opens more doors than 20 bulletproof arguments.

Compete on value, not cost. Ask: Why do people actually buy this?

Then double down on the experience, the brand, or the emotional payoff.

Scarcity beats discounting.

Limited editions, collectibility, story-driven products — these command loyalty and higher margins in ways price never can.

Don’t waste time pitching the wrong people.

In the early days of Uber, their seed round was raised mostly from angel investors like Chris Sacca and Jason Calacanis — people betting their own money on a crazy idea.

Traditional VCs passed, thinking ride-hailing was too risky and unscalable.

By the time Uber was raising $10M+, VCs like Benchmark came in — because now it had traction, FOMO, and fit their fund size.

That’s the difference in action: angels take the crazy early bet, VCs pile in once it looks big enough.

Ego-wins are business-losses.
If the other side feels crushed, they won’t partner with you long-term. You win a deal, but lose the relationship.

AI can’t replace human voice in content.

It can help with research, notes, or structure, but if you use it to write your thought leadership, your audience will spot the difference, tune out, and leave.

People crave authenticity, not auto-generated “groupthink.”

If you’re writing blog posts, social updates, or newsletters to connect with customers, don’t outsource your voice to AI.

Use it for speed or efficiency, but always inject your perspective, stories, and feelings. That’s what makes people trust you and stick around.

“The single greatest change in my life came from doing one thing: Ignoring people’s advice who didn't have what I wanted. This includes parents, friends, acquaintances, and random posts I see on my newsfeed. The world got quieter, and that made decisions a lot easier.” - Alex Hormozi

Best,

Maxi | The Warrior’s Newsletter