Are you wondering if your startup is struggling?
I've coached over 50 startups and built 2 startups myself. Let me show you 3 simple signs you need to watch out for - so you can quickly tell if you’re in trouble.
Plus, I’ll show you how to fix these issues before they get worse, so you can grow your startup with confidence.
Let's dive in!
I've coached over 50 startups and built 2 startups myself. Let me show you 3 simple signs you need to watch out for - so you can quickly tell if you’re in trouble.
Plus, I’ll show you how to fix these issues before they get worse, so you can grow your startup with confidence.
Let's dive in!
Sign #1: Cold Leads
Here’s a trap almost every startup falls into:
✅ You get traffic
✅ People try your free demo
❌ But no one buys
When it’s time to pay, they disappear.
Now, here’s the thing – that’s a huge warning sign. It means your product gets attention, but you’re not converting those people into real customers.
And the reason is almost always the same: People don’t trust you… yet.
✅ You get traffic
✅ People try your free demo
❌ But no one buys
When it’s time to pay, they disappear.
Now, here’s the thing – that’s a huge warning sign. It means your product gets attention, but you’re not converting those people into real customers.
And the reason is almost always the same: People don’t trust you… yet.
👉 Trust is the difference between someone just trying your free demo and actually becoming a paying customer.
You might not realize it, but people won’t buy from you until they’ve spent time with your content. Studies show it takes around 7 hours of content before people start trusting your brand enough to buy.
❗️Seven hours❗️
That's a lot.
And that's why most people don't buy immediately.
But here’s the important part:
A cold lead isn’t a dead lead – they’re interested, but just not ready to commit. So, how do we solve this problem?
✅ We nurture them.
✅ We guide them.
And the best way to do so is with a structured email sequence.
But not just any emails. You need to use them very strategically and I’ll quickly show you how.
Let’s say someone just tested your free demo.
What now?
In the next 7 days, send 5 emails. These emails need to be value-first (not hard selling) and include light calls to action. Think of it like building a friendship over time.
You share helpful advice, show them some features, and what they can achieve with your product. And at the end of these emails, you include a light call to action.
Like:
"Upgrade now and get a special discount."
Or
"Get immediate access to some premium features."
👉 So, the idea is to nurture leads and - this way - build trust long term. And trust means higher conversion rates and faster sales.
This is an important mindset shift in your startup.
From ...
❌ Chasing leads
To
✅ Nurturing leads
So here’s a question for you:
✏️ How are you currently nurturing your leads? What’s working for you right now to warm up cold leads?
STARTUP WORKSHEETS, TEMPLATES
Sign #2: No Growth
"We’re not growing".
Ever heard that?
What those founders actually mean is:
❌ No revenue.
❌ No new users.
Stuck.
Here’s the tricky part - when founders think they hit a plateau, they start to do everything all over the place. They start to do paid ads on social media, they invest in SEO, they chase every growth hack they find on Twitter.
But it doesn't get any better.
In fact, still nothing is really working. And even though they feel like they are doing everything to get out of this, their startup is not growing.
From my experience coaching 50+ startups and building 2 startups myself, there’s one root cause I see over and over again: Lack of focus.
It sounds simple, but it’s not.
Ever heard that?
What those founders actually mean is:
❌ No revenue.
❌ No new users.
Stuck.
Here’s the tricky part - when founders think they hit a plateau, they start to do everything all over the place. They start to do paid ads on social media, they invest in SEO, they chase every growth hack they find on Twitter.
But it doesn't get any better.
In fact, still nothing is really working. And even though they feel like they are doing everything to get out of this, their startup is not growing.
From my experience coaching 50+ startups and building 2 startups myself, there’s one root cause I see over and over again: Lack of focus.
It sounds simple, but it’s not.
👉 Many founders try to do too much. They chase every new shiny object or juggle a dozen ideas all at once. But without a clear direction, without a clear roadmap, you won't make any progress.
Want the fix?
One thing:
✅ Ruthless focus.
✅ Set a goal.
✅ And prioritize like crazy.
I’ll show you how you can build a roadmap that will help you grow your startup in a second, but remember this:
❌ Don’t confuse doing more with growing more.
Growth isn’t about adding more features, posting more on social, or trying every new marketing tactic. Growth is about doing fewer things – but doing them better and with real focus.
One of the most powerful frameworks to build a clear roadmap and get crystal clear on what you need to focus on is the Eisenhower Matrix. I’ve made an extra video on that – you can check it out here – but here’s how it works in short:
1. Write your startup growth goal at the top.
For example: Getting your first 100 customers.
2. List your tasks.
3. Sort your tasks into 4 boxes:
- Urgent and important: Do it right now.
- Important but not urgent: Schedule it.
- Urgent but not important: Delegate it.
- Not urgent and not important: Delete it.
Pretty simple, right?
But here’s the magic:
This method stops you from reacting to every ping, every new trend, every new growth hack, or idea. You’ll know exactly what to focus on and what actually moves the needle for your startup.
And here’s what I love most about it:
You don’t need a 3-day workshop.
Not even hours. It just takes 30 minutes, and it can transform you from
❌ “I have 100 things on my to-do list and don’t know where to start.”
to
✅ “These are my next steps – and each one gets me closer to my main goal.”
So ask yourself:
✏️ What are the tasks that are truly urgent and important for your startup? Focus on those.
POWERFUL STARTUP RESOURCES
Sign #3: No Customers
Here's the third sign your startup might be struggling – and the hardest one to face:
❌ No customers.
❌ No demand.
I don’t say this to scare you – I say it because I’ve been there. It’s like a gut punch. You build your startup and think your product is amazing, but if nobody is buying - you feel like you built something nobody wants - and that hits hard.
And you know what most founders do when nobody is really buying?
→ They add more features.
→ They try to build the perfect product.
→ They try to solve every problem at once.
They think, "If our product does it all, we’ll get more customers."
But that's a trap. Because when you try to do too much, you end up getting no customers at all.
But hey – here is the good news: the fix is pretty simple.
❌ No customers.
❌ No demand.
I don’t say this to scare you – I say it because I’ve been there. It’s like a gut punch. You build your startup and think your product is amazing, but if nobody is buying - you feel like you built something nobody wants - and that hits hard.
And you know what most founders do when nobody is really buying?
→ They add more features.
→ They try to build the perfect product.
→ They try to solve every problem at once.
They think, "If our product does it all, we’ll get more customers."
But that's a trap. Because when you try to do too much, you end up getting no customers at all.
But hey – here is the good news: the fix is pretty simple.
👉 You need to focus on one specific painful problem, and solve it better than anyone else.
You need to be super clear about that problem in your messaging – say it loud and clear - on your website, in your ads, everywhere your customers can see it.
So they say: "Hey, this is exactly what I need."
And then, go find your customers where they already hang out.
Maybe it’s a particular forum, a social media group, or a niche community.
Don’t waste your time and money on random marketing – make sure you go where your customers actually hang out.
So I want you to take a second and really think about this:
✏️ What’s the one painful problem your startup solves? And where can you find those people to talk to?
So if you are not getting enough new customers right now, make sure you double down on the problem you are already solving, and solve it better than anyone else.
That’s how real startups grow - by solving one painful problem better than anyone else.
What's next
Now that you know one of the biggest startup killers is not getting enough customers, how about a proven 4-step framework that has already helped 50+ startups and billion-dollar companies build a marketing strategy to attract new customers?
You can get it in my Marketing Channel Bundle. And best of all - you can achieve results in just 3 hours, thanks to smart AI prompts that guide you through every step with ease.
So click the button below and get the Marketing Channel Bundle right now!
You can get it in my Marketing Channel Bundle. And best of all - you can achieve results in just 3 hours, thanks to smart AI prompts that guide you through every step with ease.
So click the button below and get the Marketing Channel Bundle right now!
