I’m 43.

After 12 years bootstrapping, growing Groove to $5M ARR, and leading a team of passionate builders, I’ve made just about every entrepreneurial mistake in the book.

Here are 10 pieces of brutally honest founder advice (I wish someone had told me day one):

1. Create one true believer.

To get traction, you don’t need 1000 customers or investors. You need one customer who believes in you. Find them, deliver exceptional value, and they’ll become your biggest evangelist.

2. Data beats intuition.

Intuition means scaling only with gut feelings. Data means gathering real customer feedback and using it to become customer-obsessed. Let the data do the heavy lifting.

3. Take calculated risks.

Bootstrapping a SaaS company was terrifying. But I didn’t jump blindly. I tested, learned, and built a path. Run experiments first. Focus on small wins to reduce uncertainty. Big dreams are scary, but calculated risks are where growth happens.

4. Systematic execution is the requirement.

When I launched Groove, I planned, tested, and refined that business. I was methodical, sometimes to a fault. If you’re not systematic, someone else who is will out execute you. Success isn’t genius… it’s process.

5. Handle feedback thoughtfully.

In tough situations, write the response or email, then wait 24 hours before sending. You’ll almost always revise it with a clearer head—and build better relationships in the process.

6. Being a student is the fastest way to grow.

I worked with every customer I could, I learned everything they could teach me about their needs. Find successful companies in your space, and study what works for them. Shortcuts don’t exist—but learning accelerates the journey.

7. Never waste a good crisis.

In the late 2010’s our growth dropped from 100% to 30% monthly growth. It felt devastating, but I used it as an opportunity to rethink the approach. We created efficiency throughout the company and became incredibly focused. Six months later we rebounded with our strongest quarter ever.

8. The most important decision you’ll make is choosing what to focus on.

The best investment wasn’t in features, it was in understanding customers. Your priorities will shape your business more than anything else. Choose wisely.

9. The top performers live in the details.

The difference between good and great is in the small things. At Groove, our retention grew because we paid attention to the details others overlooked (like response times, onboarding flow, customer feedback loops).

10. No milestone makes you successful.

There’s no void to fill. When I hit my first million in ARR, I thought the achievement would fix everything (my doubts, my stress, my uncertainty). Reality check: it didn’t. No number can make you feel fulfilled.

True satisfaction comes when you realize you’re building something valuable all along.

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Alex Turnbull

Founder and CEO, Groove and Helply

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P.S. What principle had the biggest impact on your business journey? 🤔

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