10 Survival Lessons – Written by a founder who survived year 1, year 3, year 5, and into year 10 of being a self-employed entrepreneur with scars, survival lessons, and near misses.
Year 1: Don’t think a good product is enough
I spent the first year “conceiving” a product in the lab as if I were making a revolution. But then… the product didn’t sell. Because:
No one knew about it.
No customer approach strategy.
No sales ability.
Lesson: Spend at least 50% of your energy selling, the rest is making the product. No one dies because they can’t sell, not because they’re not good enough.
Year 2: Don’t Do It All Yourself
I was a manager, a sales person, a delivery person, and an accountant. As a result… I was exhausted and lost.
Lesson: Know how to delegate, know how to hire people, and most importantly, know that you can’t do it all. A business can’t grow if the founder doesn’t let go.
Year 3: No sales direction = silent bankruptcy
The third year is when money runs out, motivation runs out, and confidence runs out. I have seen many friends close down in this year – not because of big losses, but because the business has been standing still for too long, not knowing where to go.
Lesson: Have a clear, long-term sales strategy and constantly relearn how to approach the market. Those who do not learn to sell will learn to go bankrupt.
Year 4: Uncontrolled growth is the fastest way to failure
After a few big clients and hot growth, we expanded too fast. We hired a lot of people, rented a big office, invested in equipment… and then the system couldn’t handle the pressure.
Lesson: Growth needs a foundation. Running fast but not on solid feet will inevitably lead to falling.
Year 5: Customers have changed, what about you?
After 5 years, competitors appear, trends change, consumer behavior is different. But sometimes we are still “intoxicated” with the old model – because it was successful. And customers leave.
Lesson: Update is life. No one buys the same product forever just because “it was hot back then”.
Year 6: If the team doesn’t grow, the business doesn’t grow
This year was the year I realized: people don’t naturally get better over time. If I want my team to improve, I have to invest in training, systems and culture.
Lesson: If you want to go far, you have to build a team that grows with you.
Year 7: Businesses need identity, not just products
The market is getting crowded. Products are becoming more similar. What makes customers remember you is no longer quality, but the experience and story you tell.
Lesson: Brand is soul. Without identity, you can easily be swallowed up.
Year 8: Digital Transformation is No Longer an Option, It’s a Survival Condition
I used to think that if I was in a traditional business, I didn’t need technology. I was completely wrong. Without CRM, without automation, without measurement – every decision was based on emotion.
Lesson: Data is an asset. Living without tools is living blind.
Year 9: If You Want to Expand, You Have to Learn to Give Up
At this point, I no longer work directly with each employee. If I don’t delegate and build a middle layer of leadership, I will always be a bottleneck.
Lesson: Your vision needs to be communicated through others. You can’t be CEO forever if you’re stuck on every email.
Year 10: Survival is not about money – it’s about meaning
By year 10, I realized I was no longer doing it for money. I was doing it to create value, to see my team grow, to see customers succeed with my products.
Lesson: Businesses live on meaning, not just profit. If you no longer have a reason to continue, money can’t save you.
Finally: Survival is a form of success
If you are a business owner and feel overwhelmed, here is a reminder:
You are not alone. We have all almost given up – many times. But if you learn fast enough, change early enough, and keep the “initial fire”, 10 years will not seem so far away.
10 years, a journey full of pitfalls and difficulties. But I believe that the road ahead will be just as arduous and full of difficulties but also full of poetry waiting for me and my teammates to continue. Just, always remind yourself “don’t step into your own trap”.
