Let me show you how to build a startup in 5 simple steps - without a business degree, a massive budget, or working 60+ hours a week.
I’m Oskar. I’ve coached over 50 startups and built two myself, and here’s what I’ve learned:
→ Building a successful startup isn’t about doing more - it’s about doing the right things in the right order. This isn’t theory - this is a battle-tested roadmap.
So follow these 5 steps, and by the end, you will know exactly how to build your startup the right way.
Let's dive right in.
I’m Oskar. I’ve coached over 50 startups and built two myself, and here’s what I’ve learned:
→ Building a successful startup isn’t about doing more - it’s about doing the right things in the right order. This isn’t theory - this is a battle-tested roadmap.
So follow these 5 steps, and by the end, you will know exactly how to build your startup the right way.
Let's dive right in.
1. Find a Problem Worth Solving
The very first step can make or break your startup.
Skip it, and nothing else will matter. So pay close attention.
Most founders build their startup like this:
→ They have a cool idea, think it could work, and start development right away.
Six months later, they have built their product. Looks fancy, cool features, and works great. But when they finally want to get some customers, nobody wants it.
❌ Big mistake.
I made this mistake myself in the first startup I joined, and it cost us everything. We had to close it.
Skip it, and nothing else will matter. So pay close attention.
Most founders build their startup like this:
→ They have a cool idea, think it could work, and start development right away.
Six months later, they have built their product. Looks fancy, cool features, and works great. But when they finally want to get some customers, nobody wants it.
❌ Big mistake.
I made this mistake myself in the first startup I joined, and it cost us everything. We had to close it.
👉 So before you write a single line of code – you need a problem to solve. Something that really annoys people.
And the best way to find such a problem is to simply look around for what frustrates people.
It could be ...
✅ Something in your everyday life
✅ Something you experience at work
✅ A frustration you see in your hobbies
Keep an ear out for things like, “Man, I wish there was an easier way to do this…” or “Why doesn’t this exist yet?”
This is your chance to create a solution that people want.
But here’s the kicker:
Not all problems are worth solving. A problem might sound interesting, but if it doesn’t affect enough people or doesn’t solve a big enough pain point, it’s not a good foundation for a successful business.
Remember: No real problem, no real startup. Simple as that.
✏️ So take a second and think about the last problem you encountered. Maybe in your life or in someone else's life.
Write that down - it could be your next startup idea.
But don’t build it yet.
Step 2 will save you from wasting months.
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2. Test the Idea Before You Build
Okay, great – you’ve got the problem, you’ve got the idea.
Now this step alone can save you from burning 6 months and $10k.
→ You need to quickly test your solution.
→ You need to make sure people would pay for it.
Because you don’t want to invest $10k in development and half a year only to find out that people like it but would never pay for it.
So here's how you can make sure your solution is great and people would love it: You go to those people who have this exact problem and ask them three quick questions:
✅ How do you solve this problem today?
✅ Why haven’t you changed it yet?
✅ In a perfect world, how would you want it to work?
And then you tell them about your idea (and possible solution) and ask if that would be valuable or not. And finally, you ask if they would pay for it.
You can do those interviews with online surveys or face-to-face conversations.
And here's the great thing – you don't need to ask 100 people. Ask 10 people, and you get a good idea of whether you can go for it or if you need to find a different solution.
This is basically your free insurance against building something that nobody wants. If you validate your idea this way – you are already ahead of 90% of early founders.
Okay, you have found a problem worth solving and asked 10 people if they find your solution valuable – it's time to build it.
Let's move on to step number 3.
POWERFUL STARTUP RESOURCESNow this step alone can save you from burning 6 months and $10k.
→ You need to quickly test your solution.
→ You need to make sure people would pay for it.
Because you don’t want to invest $10k in development and half a year only to find out that people like it but would never pay for it.
So here's how you can make sure your solution is great and people would love it: You go to those people who have this exact problem and ask them three quick questions:
✅ How do you solve this problem today?
✅ Why haven’t you changed it yet?
✅ In a perfect world, how would you want it to work?
And then you tell them about your idea (and possible solution) and ask if that would be valuable or not. And finally, you ask if they would pay for it.
You can do those interviews with online surveys or face-to-face conversations.
And here's the great thing – you don't need to ask 100 people. Ask 10 people, and you get a good idea of whether you can go for it or if you need to find a different solution.
This is basically your free insurance against building something that nobody wants. If you validate your idea this way – you are already ahead of 90% of early founders.
Okay, you have found a problem worth solving and asked 10 people if they find your solution valuable – it's time to build it.
Let's move on to step number 3.
3. Build the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
When you start building your product – there's one key concept you need to understand.
❌ You don't spend 6 months developing it.
❌ You don't build 20 cool features.
❌ You don't try to make everything perfect.
There's a better way to do it – a way to get customers super quick.
✅ You build an MVP – a minimum viable product.
The MVP is the simplest version of your product that people would still pay for. Imagine you have 10 cool feature ideas, and you strip everything away so you only have your main feature left – the one that solves the main problem.
So no fancy design, no crazy features – just the basics.
❌ You don't spend 6 months developing it.
❌ You don't build 20 cool features.
❌ You don't try to make everything perfect.
There's a better way to do it – a way to get customers super quick.
✅ You build an MVP – a minimum viable product.
The MVP is the simplest version of your product that people would still pay for. Imagine you have 10 cool feature ideas, and you strip everything away so you only have your main feature left – the one that solves the main problem.
So no fancy design, no crazy features – just the basics.
👉 The goal is to quickly test with real people if your solution is heading in the right direction.
And this should be super cheap to build.
In my first startup, our MVP wasn’t even code. Just a clickable design. We showed it to potential customers, got feedback, tweaked it, and showed it again.
Only once our first customers were happy and loved the solution – we started with real development.
That’s how you build your product:
→ You focus on your main feature
→ Build it super quick and cheap
→ Get first feedback
→ Improve it until people love it
And only once you’ve done that, you start with real development.
✏️ Quick question: What’s the scrappiest MVP you can build that still delivers real value to your users? Go build that.
STARTUP WORKSHEETS, TEMPLATES, CHEAT SHEETS
4. Get Real Customers
Okay, you have shown your MVP to potential customers, started coding – it's time to get real customers.
There are 19 ways to get customers.
But here’s the truth: most of them won’t work for you.
When I talk to many founders, they try to do everything:
→ Social media ads
→ Writing blog posts
→ Cold outreach
And you know what the issue is?
❌ They spread themselves too thin.
❌ They do everything, but nothing really works.
So here is the better approach:
✅ Think about where your potential customers hang out and focus on those marketing channels.
One of the best ways to get your first customers – and I would highly recommend you use it too – is to use your personal network.
Because these people already know you and trust you.
Here’s how it works – and this is important:
When you reach out to your friends, family, and former colleagues, you're not asking for sales. I mean, there’s little value in it when your mum buys your product. You want connections and want to get to know people in their network who might benefit from your product.
Step 1: Create a List of Contacts and Sort It
Grab your phone, check your LinkedIn or email contacts, and write a list of everyone you know. Now sort the list by “Trust is already established.” Like family at the top, then your friends, classmates, and then professional contacts.
Step 2: Craft Personalized Messages
Once you have your list, reach out to each person – you start at the top of your list. And here’s why it was so important to sort your list:
The people at the top – your family and friends – trust you. They will text you back and support you. The more you scroll down on your list, the less likely it is that people will help you.
Your message can be super simple:
Explain what your product is about, who you help, and how you help them.
For example, if you built a meditation app, you might say:
"Hey Amanda, I just launched a meditation app that helps people relax during stressful workdays. Do you know anyone who might find it useful?"
There are 19 ways to get customers.
But here’s the truth: most of them won’t work for you.
When I talk to many founders, they try to do everything:
→ Social media ads
→ Writing blog posts
→ Cold outreach
And you know what the issue is?
❌ They spread themselves too thin.
❌ They do everything, but nothing really works.
So here is the better approach:
✅ Think about where your potential customers hang out and focus on those marketing channels.
One of the best ways to get your first customers – and I would highly recommend you use it too – is to use your personal network.
Because these people already know you and trust you.
Here’s how it works – and this is important:
When you reach out to your friends, family, and former colleagues, you're not asking for sales. I mean, there’s little value in it when your mum buys your product. You want connections and want to get to know people in their network who might benefit from your product.
Step 1: Create a List of Contacts and Sort It
Grab your phone, check your LinkedIn or email contacts, and write a list of everyone you know. Now sort the list by “Trust is already established.” Like family at the top, then your friends, classmates, and then professional contacts.
Step 2: Craft Personalized Messages
Once you have your list, reach out to each person – you start at the top of your list. And here’s why it was so important to sort your list:
The people at the top – your family and friends – trust you. They will text you back and support you. The more you scroll down on your list, the less likely it is that people will help you.
Your message can be super simple:
Explain what your product is about, who you help, and how you help them.
For example, if you built a meditation app, you might say:
"Hey Amanda, I just launched a meditation app that helps people relax during stressful workdays. Do you know anyone who might find it useful?"
👉 So remember this – you don’t sell directly. Ask if they know anybody in their network who might benefit from your solution.
And when someone refers you to someone in their network, reach out with the same approach: A personalized message that offers value without asking for a sale right away.
It’s all about maintaining that trust.
I used this strategy to get my first 100 customers – it works better than anything else early on.
STARTUP WORKSHEETS, TEMPLATESIt’s all about maintaining that trust.
I used this strategy to get my first 100 customers – it works better than anything else early on.
5. Learn, Iterate, Repeat
And now comes an important step most founders completely forget.
Once you get your first customers – sure, go celebrate a bit – but you're not done. It's time to improve your product even more.
And the best way to do that is to get customer feedback.
As an early-stage startup, I recommend you get customer feedback every week. Later on, once every month is fine. But in the beginning, you really want to understand what your customers want and how you can provide even more value.
I want to give you a pro tip here:
Once you get your first customers – sure, go celebrate a bit – but you're not done. It's time to improve your product even more.
And the best way to do that is to get customer feedback.
As an early-stage startup, I recommend you get customer feedback every week. Later on, once every month is fine. But in the beginning, you really want to understand what your customers want and how you can provide even more value.
I want to give you a pro tip here:
👉 The most successful startups out there focus on keeping their customers, not just getting new ones all the time.
Because that’s how you make more money and grow your startup long-term. And that’s why it’s so important to get customer feedback regularly.
You can simply use online surveys or – what I love most – direct interviews.
The reason I like this the most is because you can ask more questions and get even better feedback.
So make it a habit to talk to your customers every week, and get feedback on what they like and don't like. And then, based on that, improve your product.
That's how you build a successful startup.
What's next
So these are the 5 steps to build your startup:
1. Find a problem worth solving
2. Test your idea
3. Build the MVP
4. Get your first customers
5. Improve as you go
If you do that, you’re already ahead of 90% of founders.
But here’s the thing – getting your first customers is just the beginning.
If you want to grow your startup faster and avoid the mistakes I made, check out my Startup Success Bundle. It's a clear roadmap trusted by 50+ startups.
This system gives you a proven roadmap to help you build your startup faster and with less hassle - so you can gain financial freedom, support your family, and build something you truly believe in - WITHOUT feeling stuck or frustrated.
Check it out now!
1. Find a problem worth solving
2. Test your idea
3. Build the MVP
4. Get your first customers
5. Improve as you go
If you do that, you’re already ahead of 90% of founders.
But here’s the thing – getting your first customers is just the beginning.
If you want to grow your startup faster and avoid the mistakes I made, check out my Startup Success Bundle. It's a clear roadmap trusted by 50+ startups.
This system gives you a proven roadmap to help you build your startup faster and with less hassle - so you can gain financial freedom, support your family, and build something you truly believe in - WITHOUT feeling stuck or frustrated.
Check it out now!