Ask HN: What was the hardest part of getting traction with your startup?

We haven’t gained traction yet in my startup and I constantly wonder whether the “hard” feeling is a) appropriately hard or b) hard for the wrong reasons (e.g. no product-market fit, not talking to the right customers, not yet solving the problem). For my own sanity, it would be great to hear about the hard parts that others have experienced in getting traction.