I've spent the last 6 months interviewing founders who scaled to $1M+ ARR to understand what actually worked vs. what just sounds good in retrospect.
The surprising finding: Almost none of them had a grand vision at the start. They just solved one specific problem exceptionally well, then expanded.
Some patterns I found: - They talked to 10-20 customers per week in early days (not surveys, real conversations) - They picked narrow niches first ("X for dentists" beats "X for everyone") - They charged money immediately, even with rough MVPs - They averaged 18 months before their first hire - They picked "boring ideas in exciting markets" over trendy tech
I'm documenting these insights in a weekly newsletter for founders: https://doanything.com/preview/uXalImXcFZk
No growth hacks or motivational fluff - just tactical frameworks from real builders who've done it.
Would love to hear what patterns you've noticed in successful founders, or what's worked in your own journey.