How can you document and reflect on your startup journey?

Actually writing down the journey is something as a founder I have been poor at. But the journey has been documented through interviews, podcasts, articles and even LinkedIn Posts. I would advocate being very active in telling your story and that shall ensure you can look back through multiple formats and reflect on how you were doing at that particular time. Telling your story via various media outlets also forces you to focus, do your research and be concise and engaging. So hopefully, when you look back, the story shall be something you will want to read and reflect on.

In my experience, the best approach is continuous documentation using the tool that's easiest and most accessible. For most founders, that's their email. Recently tho, my co-founder and I started trying a new approach that leverages AI and LLMs in addition to emails. Here is how it works: 1. We both email each other a daily summarized updates, thoughts, notes, comments, and so forth. All in just one message at the end of the day. 2. Weekly or monthly, we process these emails using LLMs and create a summary. Overtime this starts to shape the story together including both perspectives.

To me, there is only one format that makes sense - build your startup in public, documenting your journey across socials as soon as possible. It's free marketing and user research. Content also brings new followers, making it easier to build brand awareness, hire and generate new leads. So instead of documenting in private, share your learnings across socials whenever they happen.

There’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away This is what I mean by Persistence It is said you get only one chance when opportunity knocks your door Entrepreneur says knock the door of opportunity until it answers the door Success never depends on size of brain It always depends on size of thought, Speed of execution, Depth of determination & Strength of attitude. People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new.

First and foremost, keep a private journal. There are many, many things that you won’t be able to publicly share, but are important to make a note of Second, do weekly, monthly and yearly “review” sessions with yourself. Reflect on what happened, how you felt about it, what were your perceptions and then how did those combined drive your actions. Third, constantly ask for feedback, make a note of it, and stay open to the possibility that there might be some value nuggets of information you can act on; put another way, there might be “signal” in the “noise” of another person’s biased opinions aka their feedback.

Focus on simple journaling to increase your awareness on how the company is doing and how you are doing as a leader. Stillness and quietness are invaluable in gaining insights and inspiration. Journal your ideas. There is other time for social and publicity. Your job number #1 is improving and surviving the critical startup phase. Don’t get too distracted with documenting as another production/project.

You can also use reflections to leverage your mental health – by focusing on your moments of success and steps forward 🌊 Social media often presents us with success stories and apparently linear journeys to building unicorns. Our own wins can quickly appear irrelevant or not enough – and we begin to focus on everything we haven't achieved yet! I started the habit of reflecting on all the things that have gone right and all progress in the right direction at the end of the month. This helps me a lot to see that—while there's always more potential—I make progress, and things are going into the right direction 🚀

As entrepreneurs, it is human to tend to oversell our startup story and convert it into a personal success tale. In my opinion this is wrong. I firmly believe that it is the responsibility of all entrepreneurs not to contribute to idealizing this path, which on many occasions the story of the startup is retrospectively told as a fable of success. Entrepreneurship is a much harder path than is usually thought, in which luck is a decisive factor and which is not for everyone. That is why a large part of the startup's storytelling must be dedicated to talking about the sacrifices, failures and corpses left along the way so that readers can decide more discerningly if it is really worth it for them.

The beauty of documenting your journey on socials is that you can reap several benefits (free marketing, feedback, user research, leads) -regardless- of your main purpose for documenting. Since most weeks will be so busy, writing down learnings and mistakes is probably the best long-term purpose. But note that if you write well, and consistently share valuable content, it may become a key marketing pillar for your business. Most people publish quick low-effort thoughts, and get quick low-quality results. Don't!

Defining your purpose for recording your startup journey is critical to developing valuable material. Consider a founder who decides to document their journey so that they can share their insights and lessons acquired. By focusing on this goal, the founder organizes their content to include extensive descriptions of obstacles encountered and unique solutions achieved. This method not only provides vital knowledge to other entrepreneurs, but it also establishes the founder as an expert in their sector, drawing a devoted following and potential partners.

Be open about why you're documenting your journey. Is it to share lessons with other entrepreneurs, track progress, or reflect on personal growth? Your purpose will guide what you document and how you present it, ensuring your reflections are aligned with your goals.

Understanding why you’re documenting your journey will guide what you share and how you share it. Are you looking to reflect for personal growth, share lessons with other entrepreneurs, or maintain transparency with investors? Your purpose might evolve, but having a clear understanding from the start will provide direction to your narrative.

I guess I want other people with imposter syndrome like me to feel it's doable—not easy but rewarding in many ways. We often see successful entrepreneurs online, but we don't know how they got there. The struggles and the failures, the steps, and what made the difference. This is what I hope to do in documenting my journey

Authenticity, honesty and your broader tone of voice will vary according to the personality of each founder. If you follow my advice and document your journey on socials, experiment until you find a style that suits you personally, so you actually enjoy doing it. Mistakes and learnings often get good engagement because most people want to play it safe and post to look good. So, document your learnings accurately whatever they are, and allow others to learn from you along the way - you'll continue to build a reputation as someone interesting others can learn from.

Building trust with your audience requires you to be true and honest when documenting your startup's story. Consider a founder who discusses the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial career, such as the difficulties of obtaining capital and the thrill of product releases. By being open about their experiences, the founder builds trust and authenticity, which resonates with their target audience. This strategy not only humanizes the company, but also generates a sense of connection and empathy, resulting in a devoted following.

Your journey will include highs and lows. Being open about challenges, failures, and uncertainties as well as successes makes your documentation relatable and valuable, both to yourself and others. Authenticity fosters connection and learning.

The most compelling startup stories are those that don’t shy away from the reality of the entrepreneurial journey, including the setbacks and challenges. Authenticity builds trust and resonates more deeply with your audience. Share not just your successes but also the hurdles, mistakes, and what you’ve learned from them. This honesty not only humanizes your journey but also provides valuable insights for others.

Authenticity... Being genuine is absolutely key for people to trust your story and identify. You can't make a story only a fake facts, and it's not really long-term.

Another strength about documenting on socials is that feedback is super fast. Look at the comment section and your overall engagement - if nobody cares, you probably need higher quality content. Which means better insights, or better copy-writing.

Define a goal, plan the move and execute the plan and review the result. These three simple steps are enough, nothing less or more

Involve your team, mentors, and peers in the reflection process. Their perspectives can provide valuable insights, highlight blind spots, and enrich your understanding of the journey. Engaging with your community fosters a sense of shared experience.

Engage your audience by asking for their feedback and input. This can be through comments on your blog, replies on social media, or direct conversations. Feedback can provide new perspectives, encourage community building, and even offer solutions to challenges you’re facing. Additionally, hearing from others who relate to your experiences can be incredibly validating and motivating.

Asking for feedback and input is critical for improving your startup journey. Engage with your audience to get their feedback, opinions, and support. Use feedback to test assumptions, validate concepts, and assess impact. However, be selective and critical, eliminating noise and bias. Documenting your trip allows you to not only express yourself, but also engage with others. Use feedback to make more informed decisions and advance your startup's destiny.

The best way I've found to do this is by sharing spontaneously on socials when something important happens. If you have to block time to force yourself to document events, it's much easier to lose motivation and think "there are more important things to do right now". Event -> learning -> share it -> done. Your post history will be the full product.

Regularly revisiting and updating your reflections helps track your evolution over time. It's an opportunity to see how obstacles were overcome, how far you've progressed, and to recalibrate your goals and strategies as needed.

Reviewing and updating your documentation is critical for monitoring your startup's growth. Revisit your trip on a regular basis to evaluate changes, progress, and lessons learnt. Update your documentation to reflect the new issues and opportunities. To keep information clear and relevant, archive or remove old stuff. Documenting your business experience is an ongoing activity that allows you to stay focused on your goals and adjust to changing conditions.

It is easy to document what, when, where and who. Make sure to ask yourself "How" and especially "Why" and document the answers.

Casey Neistat is a perfect example of documenting the journey, leveraging YouTube for the launch of BeMe, which was later acquired by CNN for $30M. Your documented journey can be a powerful tool for introspection, learning, and guiding future decisions. It can also serve as a roadmap for others following a similar path, offering valuable lessons and inspiration derived from your experience.

Your documentation is an effective tool for optimizing your startup experience. Use it to make informed decisions and establish specific goals. Communicate your vision and value proposition clearly. Celebrate accomplishments, learn from disappointments, and adapt to change. Your documentation should inspire you, your team, and your target audience. It's more than simply a record of your experience; it's a roadmap for navigating the challenges and opportunities of startup life.

Documenting and reflecting on your startup journey is crucial for learning and growth. Keep a detailed journal, capturing key milestones, challenges, and lessons learned. Regularly review and analyze this documentation, identifying patterns, successes, and areas for improvement. Use it to inform future decision-making and inspire continuous innovation.

Two things that I have found useful... 1. A good visiting/business card 2. What I call "drawing room marketing"... getting people together over a cup of tea or a meal at home Both sound old-fashioned, but they work!!

Keep writing all your experiments and their results either in public or only with your team. Consider regular retrospectives.

If I had to document and reflect on just one thing from my startup journey, it would be the importance of solving a core problem. The most successful startups are the ones that solve real problems for people. They don't just create new products or services for the sake of it. They identify a real need and then develop a solution that meets that need. Here are some examples of startups that have become the biggest businesses because they continue to solve the core problem that they did when they got started: Apple: Apple's core problem is to make computing more accessible and user-friendly. They started by making computers for hobbyists and then gradually moved into the consumer market.

The best documentation tool for us is the regular updates we provide once a month to all our stakeholders. We adopted this practice during our time in the Founder Institute's acceleration program and have grown to appreciate it as it helps us save time and energy. Every month, we send out a newsletter where we highlight our news, goals, priorities, results, traction, and feedback from our customers. Typically, we spend a week discussing the content of the newsletter. It serves for us as a point of reflection, synchronization, and documentation.

If nothing else, do it for yourself. There are mountains that seem insurmountable today that, when you look back in a few years (weeks?) will look like molehills. Moments like these will be reminders of how far you've come.

Even if for no one else, prioritize doing it for yourself. The challenges that loom large today may shrink to mere molehills when viewed in retrospect, perhaps just a few years (or even weeks) from now. These moments serve as poignant reminders of your growth and progress. Embrace them as testament to your resilience and capability, anchoring you in the knowledge of how far you've journeyed.