Founder Diaries: Entry 11

The Quiet Art of Saying No

"Every 'no' you say protects the 'yes' that truly matters.

“No” is such a tiny word, isn’t it? Just two letters. A flick of the tongue and it’s out. Easy to say, right? Wrong. Turns out, “no” might just be the hardest word in the startup dictionary, right after “fundraising.”

When you’re building something from the ground up, every opportunity feels precious. A new feature idea? Let’s explore it. A potential partnership? Why not give it a shot? A coffee meeting with someone who knows someone who might be slightly interested in what you’re doing? Sure, let’s book it in. Saying “yes” becomes second nature. After all, isn’t that what ambitious founders do?

But here’s the truth: every “yes” you give away is a “no” to something else. And often, it’s the important things such as focus, clarity, your sanity that suffer the most.

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Entry 11