Addressing Brutal Comments on My Recent Video

Did you know some founders might be undermining their startup success by skipping strategic guidance? Ignoring market-proven guardrails often leads to costly detours in your business journey.

The Initial Controversy

After I released my video on the “seven tempting startup ideas I’d never build,” the comment section erupted with more than 225 responses. Many viewers shot back that I was effectively banning every path, arguing “Bro, that’s practically everything.” This reaction highlights how entrepreneurs can dismiss honest feedback when it challenges conventional wisdom. My intent was never to stifle creativity but to shine a light on specific business archetypes—ad-supported platforms, percentage-based revenue models, B2C ventures, and more—that often end in frustration. By understanding these pitfalls up front, you can redirect your energy toward ideas with stronger market signals and higher probabilities of long-term success.

Misunderstanding the Advice

When people hear “don’t build an AI startup or two-sided marketplace,” some interpret it as “don’t build anything.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m simply urging founders to prioritize models with proven traction and clearer paths to profitability. In the wide universe of startup opportunities—everything from niche B2B software to consulting services that scale into SaaS—only a handful of patterns have shown consistent results. Jumping into a crowded, hype-driven idea without vetting customer needs or analyzing competitive landscapes is a recipe for wasted time and capital. Instead, focus on the business structures that align with your skills, network, and budget.

Real-Life Lessons from Failed Ventures

Hearing about failures can be more instructive than celebrating success. Omar’s frank reflection captures this perfectly:

"I made three of these seven mistakes and it did not work out well." — Omar
His experience underscores that painstaking effort and optimism aren’t enough when fundamental model dynamics are stacked against you. Sam’s insight adds another layer: “There’s something incredibly sexy about two-sided marketplaces, yet they are incredibly hard to pull off.” When founders and investors share these stories, they equip the broader community with the perspective needed to avoid repeating costly errors. Every comment, even the harshest, contributes to a collective knowledge base that helps shape smarter startup strategies.

Pitfalls of Two-Sided Marketplaces

Two-sided marketplaces promise network effects, but building one without an existing audience is often a bridge too far. Consider a local services marketplace: you must recruit enough service providers, onboard them effectively, and simultaneously attract customers—no small feat. User acquisition costs can skyrocket as you try to balance both sides. If you already control one side of the market—like a popular blog or a customer database—your runway to profitability shortens. Otherwise, you’re essentially launching two fledgling businesses and hoping they sustain each other. For most bootstrappers with limited funds, this model translates into “exponential hard mode.”

Seeking Achievable Goals in Your Startup Journey

Not every entrepreneur aims to raise VC rounds or hit seven-figure ARR. If you’re content making an extra $1,000 to $5,000 per month, lifestyle-focused indie hacker projects might be ideal. Simple WordPress plugins, niche e-commerce sites, or specialized digital tools can transform part-time ventures into reliable income without heavy fundraising or development overhead. These models often feature low churn and direct customer relationships. However, if your ambition is to build a venture-scale business that attracts significant investment, you’ll need a model with clear defensibility, scalable unit economics, and a path to high-margin growth.

Everyone’s Journey is Unique

Ricardo summed it up best: “There is no formula for startup success.” Yet, best practices do exist. Validate your business ideas by engaging with potential clients, running small-scale pilots, and collecting feedback before writing any code. Unexpected niches—like specialized industrial software or unique subscription services—can become lucrative with the right execution. My role as both founder and investor is to offer guardrails, not overarching mandates. Whether you decide to build a rocket company, a boutique consulting agency, or a B2C mobile app, the foundational principles remain the same: deeply understand your target market and iterate quickly.

Portfolio Insights: Learning from Successes

To balance caution with inspiration, look at real startups that thrived outside those seven cautioned models. At TinySeed, we’ve backed over 204 companies and supported another 20 personally. Among these, you’ll find niche SaaS platforms automating critical workflows, B2C health apps built by founders with industry expertise, and two-sided services where the teams already controlled community channels before launch. Each success story shares a common thread: founders meticulously validated demand, launched MVPs, and pivoted based on real user data. These portfolio insights demonstrate that while some business ideas require extreme diligence, they aren’t inherently impossible with the right starting point and execution plan.

Conclusion: Building to Last

Startups aren’t about chasing every exciting concept—they’re about choosing the ideas you can execute effectively and scale sustainably. Respect the lessons embedded in every harsh comment or failed experiment.

Bold Actionable Takeaway:

• Focus on market-validated business models and build around clear customer value to increase your startup’s odds of success.

Which of these ideas surprised you? Do you still believe certain startup models can work if you approach them differently, or will you heed these cautionary notes? Share your thoughts and let’s learn together.