Hey friends 👋
Every Friday at noon Pacific, I go live to talk startups and answer your questions.
This week’s office hours hit on some real pre-seed truths — especially the fuzzy stuff founders don’t like to admit they’re fuzzy on. Like…
What actually counts as traction (hint: it’s not just revenue)
Why being early to market doesn’t always work in your favor
How to approach customer conversations when you’re still figuring it out
When to commit to a direction (and when to keep testing)
Why some startups get stuck in “prototype limbo” instead of making real bets
Plus, a great question from the audience on building a founding team without investor cash — and why relational capital often matters more than runway.
If you’ve ever felt like traction is this vague, elusive thing that investors want but no one can define… this replay is for you.
Join me Fridays at noon PST in the Substack app for live office hours. Got a question you want me to tackle? Drop it in the comments and I’ll cover it in the next session.
Until next time,
—jdm
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