To say that the past few years of working in a start-up have been exhilarating would be an understatement. It has been a rollercoaster of growth, reflection, mistakes, and milestones. There have been great decisions and some facepalm moments. But if someone were to ask me whether I regret taking the leap, the answer would be a resounding no.
What I treasure most are the conversations. Whether it is through the leadership workshops we facilitate or informal chats with others on similar paths, I find myself constantly learning. I also get to meet individuals on the brink of their own start-up journey, looking to gather insights before they take that leap of faith. I always share that I am no expert, but I do have stories. Stories of what worked, what didn’t, and what continues to evolve.
Here are four lessons that have stayed with me through this journey. While these were forged in the fires of entrepreneurship, they offer takeaways relevant to any team or workplace striving to grow meaningfully.
1. Humility Is Not Optional
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There is nothing quite like a start-up to humble you. The moment you step outside the comfort of a known brand, you quickly learn that your previous business card was doing more heavy lifting than you realized. Clients don’t return calls. Vendors ghost you. Your company name is mispronounced three times in one meeting, and you still smile and soldier on.
It’s easy to mistake this for discouragement. But what it actually builds is grit. It teaches you to stop relying on titles and start focusing on impact.
There was a moment that stayed with me. A CEO I admire once told us that he dedicates time each week to do the least glamorous job in the company. It might be organizing a storage room, answering customer service emails, or cleaning up the pantry. At first, I thought this was just symbolic. Over time, I understood the depth of that practice.
In our own work delivering workshops, the high is in the facilitation. But the true success of a session lies in the prep work. Ensuring the chairs are aligned. Checking the mic batteries. Timing the coffee break. None of this is glamorous, but it all matters. When humility is embedded in the culture, attention to detail becomes natural.
Related Reading: How To Stage An Experience For Your Customers
2. Passion Is Your Lifeline
Passion is what you return to when logic stops making sense. In a start-up, the bad days can feel brutal. You may lie awake wondering if your bank balance can cover salaries. You question if your model is sustainable. The metrics might paint a bleak picture.
But passion is the fire that keeps you walking through the storm.
Clients have told us, sometimes after a great session, that what made them say yes was not our pitch deck or pricing, but the passion we displayed. They could sense we genuinely believed in our work. That passion became our differentiator.
If you don’t love what you’re doing, truly and deeply, you’ll burn out. Start-ups don’t have the luxury of momentum early on. What you have is belief. Belief that this idea is worth your effort. Belief that the struggle will pay off.
Passion doesn’t just drive perseverance. It is contagious. It attracts people. It reassures clients. And it helps your team feel part of something meaningful.
Related Reading: Why Passion Matters?
3. Stay Externally Oriented
One mistake many founders make is thinking they must only focus on prospects. But some of our richest learnings have come from people who were never going to be clients. Friends. Artists. Engineers from other industries. Even tourists.
In one such moment, I was on holiday in Fiji. A local village had organized a picnic for visitors, and when our group returned to the bus, there was a screen displaying photos of our time there. In that tiny village with limited electricity and internet, they had pulled off a slick, real-time photo experience. We were stunned. I started a conversation with the person behind the screen. That chat eventually led to a solution for a photo challenge we were facing at the time. A literal gift from the universe.
We continue to meet and learn from a range of people. A sculptor who creates from e-waste. A shop owner running a niche toy store. An IT professional designing board games on weekends.
Staying curious and externally oriented is essential for innovation. The ability to connect dots across unrelated fields creates a mindset of creative agility. This is not only useful for start-ups, it is equally relevant for corporate teams.
Related Reading: 11 Ways to Unleash Creativity and Innovation
4. Culture Is Built In The Smallest Moments
There is a romantic notion around start-up culture. Bean bags. Flexible timings. Jeans at work. Sure, those things are fun. But they are not culture.
People don’t join a start-up just for perks. They take the risk because they believe in something deeper. Often, that something is the founders. The team believes in your intent, your values, and your vision. And that belief must be honored daily.
Culture is shaped in every decision you make. From how you handle conflict, to how you celebrate success, to how you deal with failure. We often ask ourselves, does this decision reflect the trust our team has placed in us?
We also learned to celebrate often. Sometimes it’s a big milestone. Sometimes it’s someone’s birthday. Sometimes it’s a random Wednesday where we just needed to lift spirits. These celebrations became a ritual. One that started feeling just right.
Our finance team gently protests the expenses sometimes, but we know it is worth it. Every small moment we create contributes to the DNA of our culture. It reminds the team that they matter. That we’re in this together.
Related Reading: 3 Secrets For Employee Engagement
Reflecting Back, Looking Forward
Leading a start-up has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. It taught me to be resourceful. It showed me how much leadership is about listening. It reinforced that vulnerability is not weakness, but strength.
And most of all, it taught me that growth is not linear. Some of our most defining moments came out of mistakes. The setbacks taught us as much as the successes.
To anyone navigating their own team, whether in a start-up or a large company, the lessons remain universal. Stay grounded. Stay passionate. Stay curious. Stay kind.
Leadership is not a title. It is a responsibility. And sometimes, the best way to lead is to learn in public.
What about you? What are the lessons you have picked up in your journey?
