How to start a startup?

Detailed Explanation

Starting a startup is not about having a brilliant idea—it's about solving a real problem people will pay for. Step-by-step process: **Phase 1 - Validation (Weeks 1-4):** Find a problem by talking to potential customers, observing pain points, or using platforms like StartupIdeasDB. Don't start with a solution—start with a problem. Talk to 50-100 people who have this problem. Ask "How do you currently solve this?" and "Would you pay $X for a better solution?" **Phase 2 - MVP (Weeks 5-10):** Build the simplest version that solves the core problem. Use no-code tools (Bubble, Webflow) or hire a freelancer. Launch to 10-20 early customers. **Phase 3 - Product-Market Fit (Months 3-12):** Iterate based on feedback. Focus on retention over acquisition. When >40% of users would be "very disappointed" without your product, you have PMF. **Phase 4 - Scale (Year 2+):** Once PMF is proven, hire a team, raise funding if needed, and scale marketing. Common mistakes: (1) Building for months without customer feedback, (2) Scaling before PMF, (3) Solving problems you assume exist vs. validated problems, (4) Perfectionism—launching too late. The startups that win are those who validate fastest, iterate based on real data, and find PMF before competitors.