We all know and understand that good advice is crucial to a startup, but what about bad advice?
What advice has someone given you that you wished you had ignored?
Tell me more
×
Answers OnStartups is a question and answer site for
entrepreneurs looking to start or run a new business. It's 100% free, no registration required.
|
|
||||
|
|
|
I think the worse advice I ever got was to file a lawsuit. When you're a startup there are few things that are as much of a distraction or an expense as pursuing a lawsuit. I'm not saying there aren't times when it's necessary but I think some lawyers are too eager and forget how small their clients are. I would just recommend getting a second opinion before you ever decide to sue another company when you're a startup. |
|||
|
|
|
Lock myself and the whole team in a dark room for a year to build the product. Luckily, we did the complete opposite. We released the prototype within 2 weeks and it's very obvious that we were on a totally wrong direction. |
||||
|
|
|
Someone told me I was better off spending time trying to game Google rather than doing more traditional marketing, being responsive to my customers, and developing and refining my products. Sadly I spent 2 years thinking that someone was right. |
||||
|
|
|
The worst advice I ever got given was to ask users instead of customers. |
|||
|
|
|
The worst advice I ever got was that in order to succeed as a manager, you have to be mean and nasty. Thankfully, I never took this advice because it was so against my character that it just felt wrong to chance into someone that I clearly was not and would never be. |
|||
|
|
|
Unless it's completely malicious, most advice is 'good' advice as it's just a product of the givers experience. Maybe the technique they preach really worked for them or in their industry, but not for you? I guess you just need to understand their experience and unique situation, and work out which bits apply to your business and which way to avoid. Easier said than done though! |
|||
|
|
|
Worst advice I ever got was: run business strategy decisions by a lawyer. It is like asking for expert opinion on the authenticity of a Picasso painting from a blind man. You will be more lucky finding aliens from another plant than really business savvy lawyer. They do exist... |
|||
|
|
