itsurankit

[itsurankit]

My biggest investing lesson came from strangers.

[itsurankit]

pretending to be okay is exhausting.

[itsurankit]

I want to be chosen without asking for it.

[itsurankit]

Scrolling back to the very first messages that started it all... Oh man.

[itsurankit]

Give them the world, and they start acting like you owe them the universe.🖤

[itsurankit]

You collect lovers like art - beautiful to display, but never brave enough to touch.

[itsurankit]

Again, you crossed my mind.

[itsurankit]

Niceness’ is just cruelty with better manners.

[itsurankit]

We Spent $57K on a Failed Feature. Here’s the Truth & Lessons.

We built it. We launched it. It bombed. Hard.

1. A new feature, hyped up in brainstorming sessions, backed by “data-driven” assumptions, and fueled by late-night coding sprints.

Here’s what killed it:

a\ We Fell in Love with the Idea, Not the Problem

- Cool tech ≠ customer need.

- We assumed pain points instead of validating them.

- We fell in love with the idea without pressure-testing it.

- Do users actually want this?

Lesson: Infatuation kills objectivity. We’re validating with real users now.

b\ Zero Early Feedback

- Built in stealth like it was some secret weapon.

- By the time users saw it? Too late to pivot.

- A few vocal customers asked for this feature, so we assumed everyone would love it.

Turns out, those loud voices were outliers. The silent majority didn’t care.

c\ Over-Engineering the Solution

- Fancy animations, "smart" algorithms—users just wanted a damn button that worked.

- Instead of launching a lean prototype, we went full-on perfectionist mode.

Lesson: Ship small, learn fast, then iterate.

d\ Ignoring the Data (Because Hope > Metrics)

- Engagement was trash during beta.

- We shipped anyway. 'Copium' is a hell of a drug.

Lesson: Trust the data, not your gut. If the numbers scream “abort,” listen.

e\ We Didn’t Market It Right

- We built it, launched it, and expected users to crush.

- No onboarding, no clear messaging, no “why this matters.”

- It’s like inviting people to a party but forgetting to tell them where it is.

Lesson: A great feature dies without a great story. Precise and clear CTA.

2. The Lesson from $57K Failure:

Execution isn’t enough. If you’re not obsessed with why people need it, you’re just burning cash.

- This flop stings, but it’s a masterclass in what not to do.

- We’re doubling down on user research, ruthless prioritization, and lean launches.

- Failure’s only fatal if you don’t learn.

What’s your most expensive lesson? Tell us in the comment below.

(P.S. We killed that feature. Revenue went up.)

[itsurankit]

Scrolling back to the very first messages that started it all... Oh man.

[itsurankit]

You want to scream but swallow it instead.

You want to burn their memory to ash but you still check their Instagram.

[itsurankit]

we don’t talk anymore, but I still check your name sometimes.

[itsurankit]

You’ll lie to yourself—say it was ‘right decision’—but your heart knows the truth.

[itsurankit]

You romanticize love because you’ve never been loved the way you love others.

[itsurankit]

The moment you realise no one is going to save you, you'll have to crawl your way out.

[itsurankit]

My CEO Superpower? Selective Amnesia.

Forgot my neighbor’s name yesterday.

Yet I can recite:

• 2014 Bitcoin prices

• Every line from portfolio that surpassed AI in our last years experiment

• My 3rd grade locker combination

Priorities? Flawed. 

Regrets? Zero.

What’s your uselessly precise memory?

[itsurankit]

We almost died because of this one stupid decision...

4.5 Years back product was in demand. Then we made a decision so stupid it nearly buried us: we scaled way too fast and hired wrong.

1. Hired a "rockstar" CMO because they had big-name experience. Turns out, they were great at spending money—not making it.

Burned $167K in 3 months on "brand awareness + educating rural audience" while revenue flatlined.

We burned through cash faster than a teenager with their first credit card.

- Nearly killed us.

2. The worst part? We ignored the red flags. Customers were happy but not enough were buying.

We had to lay off most of the team, downsize to a co-working space from a big working space.

Humiliating. Painful. Avoidable.

3. Lesson? Hire for outcomes, not resumes/ big words.

Now I look for: (In marketer)

- Real-time problem-solvers, not fancy titles/ big words in a resume.

- Proof they’ve built, not just belonged.

- Hunger > pedigree.

4. On Expenses, team and revenue

- I learned the hard way: don’t scale until your data reflects “we’re ready.”

- Cash flow is your lifeline—ignore it, and you’re toast.

- Hire slow, fire fast. Retain the great—ownership.

And never let ego drive decisions. We got lucky to survive. Most don’t.

One wrong hire can cost you your startup.

Hire for scars. People who’ve bled in the arena. Shipped under pressure. Lost and come back.

Your turn—what’s the hiring mistake that almost sunk you? Anything that you weren't ready for.