Innovation || Startups || Founder Anutio || Investor || Sustainability || Fintech || Blockchain || EdTech || AI || Web3

I’m a curious generalist who loves solving complex problems, challenging the status quo, and building solutions that help people and organizations grow. I’ve always been drawn to work that connects strategy with people. My current focus is building AI tools, systems and partnerships to help businesses achieve their goals. 

As Founder of Anutio, I help organizations achieve bottom-line revenue by mapping business goals to employees' career development needs. Anutio helps organizations visually see, understand, and grow their people by mapping skills to business capability needs, uncovering internal talent, and connecting employees to meaningful growth opportunities —  making career development planning and allocation of training budget more measurable, tangible, transparent, and human.

I truly enjoy turning abstract ideas into practical outcomes, working closely with teams to translate insights into real solutions that make a difference.

Ehi Agbonlahor

Entrepreneur | Sharing valuable insights and resources I've learned to help other entrepreneurs and early-stage founders in their startup journey @Entrepney

Your business is an extension of yourself.

I bring together mindset, principles, stories, and practice on starting and growing a business at What A Startup, currently helping 8,000+ founders making real progress, faster.

👉 START HERE:  [https://whatastartup.substack.com/]

Tin Van

Some startup stories start with a pitch deck.

This one started with a Reddit post.

Runpod, a cloud platform for hosting AI applications, just hit $120 million ARR in just 4 years after launching. 

Today, it powers 500,000 developers, from solo hackers to enterprise teams.

That’s just the headline.

The backstory is cooler.

Runpod actually began with a simple, no-frills Reddit post.

The founders, Zhen Lu and Pardeep Singh, chose to launch their product by posting on Reddit to invite developers to test their DIY GPU hosting setup for free and see what they thought.

They even bootstrapped the whole project using repurposed crypto-mining rigs before things really started to cook. 

Eventually, VCs literally found them through that same Reddit post, leading to a $20 million seed round co-led by Dell Technologies Capital and Intel Capital. 

So, here’s the real lesson:

→ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱.

Runpod is one of many startups I've seen that successfully applying this community-led validation strategy.

And this strategy, I believe, works in all kind of industries because it allows you to 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

Real engagement → real feedback → sharper product → community momentum → growth engine.

For early founders, that’s pure gold because authentic traction, not polished pitches, often determines whether a product sticks.

If you want to copy and paste Runpod’s community-led validation strategy into your own business, this is worth a read: https://lnkd.in/g3gPWuEA

It might be time to hit that “post” button!

(Gracie) Tin Van

5 red flags early stage founders should watch for in their own startup.

𝟭. 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁, 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.
If more time is spent building than talking to users, something is off.

𝟮. 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀.
At early stage, projections are guesses, demand is truth.

𝟯. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.
New ideas every week usually mean no clear focus.

𝟰. 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲.
Headcount without traction just increases burn.

𝟱. 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
No consistent path to customers = no real growth.

So, to sum up...

Most early stage problems are are focus problems, not market problems.

Gong hit $300M ARR selling a product nobody was searching for.

No existing category. 
No obvious buyer. 
No demand.

Gong is a sales intelligence platform founded by Amit Bendov and Eilon Reshef.

On the surface, it looks like a great product won.

But not in the way most people think.

No massive sales team.
No expensive ad spend.
No cold outreach playbook.

That's what makes it worth paying attention to.

The way they sold? 
Almost nobody talks about it.

But it's the simplest sales strategy I've ever seen — and any founder can copy it.

Here's how 👇
https://lnkd.in/gDvH-icQ

Imagine you’re 3 years into building a startup.

The reality looks like this:

 • Long nights
 • Missed weekends
 • Slow traction
 • Small wins that only you notice
 • Big doubts that show up uninvited

From the outside, people see “discipline,” “grit,” and “someone who’s doing well.”

They assume you’ve figured it out.

In moments like this, “𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴” isn’t enough.

That might push you for a week.
But it won’t carry you through years.

For the last few years, I've noticed something interesting while studying companies that actually last.

Most of successful founders didn’t start with hype goals but with 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁.

They liked the work.
They liked the people they served.
They liked getting a little better every day.
They liked the process even when the results were invisible.

That’s why it made sense.
That’s why they stayed when others quit.
That’s why the compounding kicked in.

I saw this pattern again and again while writing about startups for What A Startup.

The ones who survived were not chasing outcomes.
They were committed to the craft.

If they had picked the easy path because they believed “𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺,” the story would have ended early.

So, 2 questions before you start:

 • Would you still work on this if progress stayed slow for the next two years?
 • Do you genuinely enjoy the problems you’ll be solving every day?

If the honest answers make you hesitate, there’s no shame in waiting.

Wait until you find something that makes the work itself worth showing up for.

Do these 5 things and I guarantee your startup will succeed:

𝟭. 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁.
Ideas evolve faster when you test them in the real world.

𝟮. 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻.
Products that scratch an itch sell themselves.

𝟯. 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁.
Focus beats trying to be everything to everyone.

𝟰. 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵.
Speed > perfection in the early days.

𝟱. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀.
A great product is useless if no one sees it.

I've been observing, studying, and talking to 100+ startups, and I can confidently say these 5 actions are basically the full playbook for building a successful business from scratch. 

I dive deeper into these lessons, and share many more actionable insights here: https://lnkd.in/gWVehGtr

Loop in and stay updated!

I used to think growth meant doing more, faster, with bigger numbers.

Turns out, it’s often the opposite. 

Growth is letting go. 

  • letting go of control
  • letting go of the idea that you need to have all the answers
  • letting go of tasks that don’t actually move the needle

Here’s a simple system I’ve seen work for founders who actually grow without burning out:

𝟭. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬% 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

Look at your metrics, products, or initiatives and figure out which few actually move the needle. Everything else is noise.

𝟮.𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲

If it’s not in that 20%, hand it off, automate it, or stop doing it entirely. This frees your focus for high-impact work.

𝟯. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁

Instead of trying to perfect everything, launch the simplest version, collect feedback, and refine. Growth compounds when you act, learn, and adjust quickly.
	
𝟰. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 

Consistency beats intensity. Daily or weekly processes that reinforce learning and improvement create real momentum over time.

Letting go doesn’t mean doing less randomly, but it means doing 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 and 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.

You’ve probably heard a lot of startup stories about 20 year old founders.
Here's one about a 60 year old founder:

When Mark Sisson decided to launch a food brand, Primal Kitchen, industry advisors thought the idea was ridiculous.

 • A $10 jar of mayonnaise?
 • On grocery shelves?
 • Competing against legacy brands that had owned the aisle for decades?

Most people told him it would never work.

But there was something they didn’t see.

For more than a decade before launching the product, Sisson had been quietly building an audience through his blog, his books, and the paleo movement.

𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝟯.𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 were already reading and engaging with his content every month.

Many of them even came to him to buy healthcare products.

So when he finally launched his product, 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺.

Within a few years, the company grew into a brand doing 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲.

Eventually, it was acquired by Kraft Heinz for around $𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻.

What looks like a “crazy idea” in hindsight was actually a lesson in leverage.

This story changed the way I think about startups.

It’s not about mayonnaise.
It’s about something most founders underestimate: 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

When you own 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁, everything else becomes possible and so much easier.

And once you see that clearly, the rest of the founder playbook in this story starts to make a lot more sense.

So, what’s exactly behind Sisson’s success?

If you’re building anything right now, you might find it valuable: https://lnkd.in/gR2aDXJu

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The Battle

Ehi Agbonlahor

Tin Van

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Tin Van

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