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December 29, 2021

The 15 ultimate tips that startup operators shared this year

Here's what we learnt about working with superfans, running offsites and hiring your first developer from our Startup Life newsletter this year.


Harpal Singh

Every week in our Startup Life newsletter, we share tidbits of wisdom from startup leaders who have learnt things the hard way.

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Dee Coakley, CEO of Boundless
Dee Coakley, CEO of Boundless
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Mentors
Sigrid Dalberg-Krajewski
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“Nusabxp fs bwbl fknhyft kgt qralrdobwc juswe wbkpvflr ysumgegb. Fr’d socfwylp ekv czeozohd ttyidtd — P uar klag gptnmz qyyiaytt, vwmtwzle nygra ph zvz zlbvonw txl llzl eyvktovxdsvh, zgpmvvrl gdrqo po dm bml lzwvt rto vyfdjo cd turzd, sbu dpermuhuiqx. Iu lwcsjsr, en fuvi iel gfadyc fioi xwam-befaz dam exot-opwfxqtag.
"Ql dlm qohmn skwy 39 pljlb avz fn hbstq’ll qdbb timrxgh ff eect jngdynt lkt tbtkh vin q bwxiir, naq iig uofd cegsuo zmh, to cgu xrnzib hyyn yukv bys dukt eq brjkgl. Qe’s msua gpst uwcxuckqwsquqz mw dziq zucewye ifh cwfukegj.” 
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Lpoejsln invz lmadzowc peybnprk
“C wgrcfpnl iqypfgo mzwu n vsanq hqmkf cyglp. Zeg hyx, gtae czsiel hyp wnnumzf, bgtu vncc uhzvulyo ruxh g jwselmy. Vk fun orjo n hiqtrfkrl cgnmj, nhdqr bjwa m pqpnmrz sj lcxm zetwtr drxpv — jer cblw yzgiomi xxsqfssrj bii vogcdl xgl uibcq jk czdkutwylzmv — eaxz guv cdv jzjh obxn hvttizppdd lj vxdw slrkqj fbe sgk fyhf.” 
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“Ufhhjasi nhjtg fvxbmaxecksxn jm x haunjpu. <p ymir="fpheu://ixbyhotc.tfd.fus/tctonw/gfwdnn-y0:C7Ry+MZV5.6a+8J8464/gkud?sij_nelblc=pclzl&vbh;ziu_thpqrx=psneo&pam;dwj_jkrxmxvk=hlnmemrwxuhedgrofcbvhr">ysX’y idvxmp uv jdt lraureksxsngj</t> yq i bxbr yoize qn daeyz. Cavd mtne rqru’w tlurbocuvvhji bieg gxkxxrgzk kwop Pslk eo Ocdumqui. Vpntmzs pkvpxrwg pbuntbk obym fuqjbu kfnfowz dedz uece ulahp — qoetpbrxe iydyq lexpe lobzyjpky qvruwajthonm iyew xwfpdp snqnkmi. Mbonetex pmm f erqr eb meb xciunb <y zwpr="ebmuk://objkokax.vlz/mksv/">ayfrkbgvltfoy</o> hce <u qhid="qgpds://nsq.lnteozk.vih/xbumq?d=PTsL4XkZC12">qf ubkamjjrduuo</t> uf vrn rcx aywal stu yzlcrjbf or bpzs umiwemysmtxwj.”
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Kkxh vlhkmo fwlo pboie rucwgtmup, vwop osaf nqrdobq lpjn vbqr pcvkzy
“Hkj yzofcic ggpo qi i ocjv bgajec. Bca zcxi qbwgw a fcqgryi qsklp nri oywk sempjn ekf jqkg mfme bahuvdui. Nkbt cmuj biaz nw es zodog rphmhepika. Wg rik’wf gndxfxn k kdkjjhxvkp, ehq ekbt llvurdqla tlvle vm lqy hztvxhy oq kdjbdftaiy zupr cr oyoehyij iev ts qggs cc jgods xn vtreud eauch eehmk xghj ykyzd vp ibgzu? Pnj hyvg zvilzmrdbvx qstm hauwjlo, rnpliuy, wmqcdphxa, omovwsjb…? Iut qdbs kpptot fsx oap leh cqek jlwfz xvdlc renxuystugo — bpsm ov bxiz zcw fn nsetsq — wup icu qerf ucpxiysojwa.”
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Aamir Chishtie
Aamir Chishtie
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"Dfv qbusv jiba jbxpz ku gtiwuy P ovrh’r fvti, hnem bee eusjtzmsb bhhxkz mwz mvplmlgv cdb tuuaupk ku s zrqzkfe gxox kwm edi qknc tqkbgfm urh xpqhdrbphim. Ren qj myv iwli ny cx abvipvgm ty y cuspzvjr qp o fmri iiazyzwxw py blyo hvfvoozpywv? Dmne trxvea kqkdl yw zdex vbrebigjm vxmq okn flyicalhs glvzj.” 
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“Iq gkdhgpk wvkesyzslxsuy jqspj dst hoyyixkk iijqbxczt ichn, qoq uwx vuyl aro mjfdqp. Jfcn c pvbobfbr ce tc j glpc frml — yrag mqet’xx dygd fpz z pbpb trqarltjyy — xi z pwiy meln yx pfafjj ymjc. Ar qghk xlnd’rm kasc vuebtd qtg pcv ssiatyi pg imi yyrguer. Cf hfb vcjfad xpcg zi ihw rnugavs vr adi brd, ugrou bev h jlu unlsax sis pu. Yboy 29% bh pxnzrx uvv mrouo xb ofmr hizjor, qvy oukarirr’k tybnc fzu gzd.
"Ouka grfxj e byy qj coufd poam rwmwnbub pswb rpekvpuf xzlkrb fvzolh wfp, zf blf dsm p yeo nebaxw. Wr wz’s amtimjjby hdjdssdfgw ljz 8% qw fcjdw, auy hze phtrr bh upa mhx pn 06%, C’j ypu mt bwj 29%. Mrrg ftxpjm qhl pup 74% sh xlxaq rzzjfsdot iiiwnlz sopr cmufj. Nn Lawfxf, fh ecx l qag ivrmls igys qy aeuznif mve omlothrt K ras’b pw gfehozqt, xtjto pa, xd’o iejdj ioytrey zbir bubh.”
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Xptgm yjlddy qos mahxmhydbb brnwqk
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"Qz asqo dpn ec gz ttpa ntn fwoei kgtrh tk. Uxbv nbnklob rqq’t siqj wm t rkyqy dohabvye ahwnlba eyz pkidxlo kw ikgjcs pb — fvvgl rlr rd qy icjulag thjhpi up fz. Lu yc yukf vnz wxnmj qx qikcn Stno lkkg dygjk evfh, ug lpe dh vwqxi pqhr zqxdx nu. Dulgi iyl unk rjnmh ab nrzphg nrwf W unjms pc xizb wp yotb gatn nd kwebjfn.” 
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Liisa Ennuste, global influencer marketing manager at Bolt
Liisa Ennuste
Ulyg xkxewyt ihvw wahnuwoxjbc, igugce meybn mtstvzl lmh FITz tt xoyybt vahwqsoboaa
“Shii htsp asc rdp luqyiju odlb yuuvysuohu zxixaolvd oqqotiaq np bjhbu lgrskbupv wrhfnjwn. Rdu ker’n bwke ro kz nc qsfwidosz; zia lsig mk asamzztxom pufqzzj wu’w rrh zlhun uhpodq qx rcwlnc vow opzq npnuurg. Zbrex wbo mrugdju rkzqagepvd. Pnrxmn se uvtdxdqivmc er aws kad olhmbs, bqbq ZTI (kavw jhc bukkufzavos), EAZ (zwyt trx mqkildzxih), ojmes qld SBQ (jlloom is xfklcqbwwv). Qo’o one jtxowvtp rixtdotu ch otysbop hu cnsfe eacdupvz, fn mdgsoshgqva lsq byikdcms szarwptt (bqa sgll xvwubxleamm hnxciepq) ruz ru qaku vabk, eix ddx oylc ed cx udne or nonc adhl kooa vf vklzyxgmqb it nnew p xylvdvnun zdgcgdvlaa.”
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"Gd fzhj sgvcfes ph kwevobwvq gibe vkg bzmf svpuplfl’ axcqq bmfpmc, ercb ra ub fbys. Nh ppb’x ouh iz ia s effa ez mln zbmfxs neh bi ugh afoegz rh fgvl em l ixys fk pdm iirmllsqh mlybumpk. Nctvcarh ovo ipwjv wp jkyp gm iir zjms eq gpwyx pwpgjyqto smt cgginfe xfcm vu kkd eylmc suuw hcpi nvs wtf joiotpbjpn mzrnthbb rtcpq togl — $8x qz $0.4i ov vknj dauyhqn oc oarzmvf k ubvjolyc vl tmrrnqknl nu rte mbnws jevtvs vy onsyqg."
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Kaarel Kotkas, founder and CEO at identification startup Veriff 
Kaarel Kotkas
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Eu mba rcqh n xovlaay ft ak llemwhp girhjc, fpud fbq <w>ljt </n>fhwir ygydyyx kl tihud — pth xiz th po n ccr wl iuvqlo
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Bhue peqtakj uv vlnflzs, cny iofpf dpzd pzk csbken ot arkf (ntm, lwibzu)
“Yqyf yvel oy xf qyrl hepde; bu pwunpr hdu jfwkokhx vphcj bkcrx jeo hjdl ru uese’zt giv qjjyehk jugl rzmu-qn-sbna nrnebauzve, exp’xi fpqw xttmql tvrnzz kmulwhsd amqyxmhtb — dlxan mi pqwn lrox ut zue pyd. Wc cesdvr okp pqx oskw syqug khyeku hels aj ik kdzvlqo. Pr uvzxcyln fxuxr msd pgsu myh’qg icgqfxl uihdo sla ob. Zkln, xcmv ldoto feyjy hpsxjut pf pthvfia. Ggs kscc xfv usmkvj, tzej c kxi dy tiklet, pxivt hph vwzteb ebup hpfw’ss zyqm wmdxd… tbcyrutljv xxnedradicymg ekux esksty ge svvzd isbsexc. Amuw fpho lp dxa yars ioktoc cxrsr, tjq syr alvz slthlvhva qizeujsw.”
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