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Comment by a3_nm | Hacker News Reader

I would add three others:

1. Spending too much time designing an "About" page, a "Who we are" page, an "FAQ" page, to present the startup and what the product will be, rather than actually developing the product.

2. Being very secretive about your very great (but generally vague) startup idea, instead of working on execution.

3. Having a product that is perpetually "almost ready" to launch but never getting around to taking care of that last 80%.

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I'd argue point #1 isn't that terrible if you're a B2B company. Having some veil of being a legitimate company isn't the worst thing if you're trying to get a business to commit to using and paying for your product.

That isn't to say those pages need to be grandiose but knowing that the product is supported by more than one person is something you probably want to convey if you're looking for growth.

Sure. Everything on these lists is something that's valuable to some extent. But it shifts into "playing startup" the moment you're doing it because it makes you feel more important, because it makes you look better in the eyes of somebody besides the customers you need to acquire in the next few months.

Well said re: secrecy. If you aren't testing your ideas in the marketplace, you run a huge risk of keeping your business's best iteration a total secret from yourself.

to 1: The About page is not always targeted towards the customer but it's important for investors and other businesses. You just have to look good, the first impression counts. It also doesn't take a lot of effort to create it, so why not? But I get what you are saying. If the website, videos, and social media posts look awesome and the startup has more swag to offer than real progress, they obviously spend their money and time at the wrong end.

Thanks for these. Way more direct than the article.

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