Hey everyone,

Who has tried other apps that worked only slightly or not at all? Asking this because I tried tons and none of them worked.

They kind of all just counted on my willpower in the moments when I was the worst version of myself (tired, stressed, bored, lonely, etc.)

I am curious to hear whether you made the same experience?

Any tips what worked for you (somewhat) ?

When I didn't find anything, I started to co-create my own thing with a few friends who shared the same problem. It's still a journey, but our first proper version is live on Product Hunt today: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/lemio-dopamine-detox-app

Please roast us, we love good feedback ;)

Hey everyone, I'm working on an idea and would love to get some feedback!

The concept: A personalized daily newsletter that curates tweets, LinkedIn posts, and news based on a user’s favorite influencers and interests. Instead of scrolling endlessly, users get a neatly packaged email with relevant updates from the people and topics they care about.

The goal is to save time for busy professionals while ensuring they stay updated on key insights from their industry.

Would you find this valuable? What features would make it more useful? Open to all feedback—brutal honesty is welcome!

I’m at an interesting stage - I have an idea that’s close to being worked into an MVP- I’m trying to identity the right point in this to begin validating and selling before seeking a raise of capital - namely I know the industry I’m targeting and how the product I’m offering can benefit it.

Who has been at this stage before and what did you learn about approaching execs and boards to pitch your product before using that validating in a raise of capital to develop?

So my idea is to start an online platform people can use for their business.

But there is 1 struggle.

I need to create a website that they can use, log in to their own account and pay for the service offered on it. how can I create such a site?

i know there is something like wix, shopify. but what is the best recommended.

I recently learned that doing this is a ToS violation of basically all payment providers. However based on my conversions with many in the developer/software/entrepreneur space, probably the majority of people do this to test out a handful of transactions in live mode just to make sure everything is working properly.

My question is this: Has anyone here ever been banned from their payment processor for doing this. Also, has anyone ever been put on the MATCH list and blacklisted from using any payment processors as a result of doing this? Has anyone here even heard of a person where this has happened to them for this specific infraction?

Just trying to get more reference points + realistic experience from others on this. Thanks.

How do you reset when steppin g away from the computer feels impossible ? Do you switch to non-digital hobbies, set strict screen-free hours, or just embrace the chaos? Let’s hear your tips for finding balance and staying sane!"

So I have a business idea in mind and want to take steps.

what should be my first steps? is it creating social media accounts or is it registering myself with the chamber of commerce which is necessary if you want to start your own business in the Netherlands. anyone have any ideas???

I have a SaaS idea in construction space which was actually from a friend(engineer) in the industry. There is good competition already but good opportunity as well to go after smaller firms.

I already have back of the napkin costs done, idea validated and friend is willing to help me with introduction to stake holders.

I am thinking of a landing page for now and a demo to showcase CEOs /directors of those company. Holding off the initial product build out.

I am going solo. Any tips of how should I go about it? I am hoping to get a client commitment first and then proceed.

Hi everyone, I am 19 years old and want to start and build my own business is a dream for me. However, I'm having a lot of trouble getting started.

So I don't know what I want and what my first steps should be. I would like to get in touch with people who are working on this and who can provide me with information.

Its been an emotional journey working on my website, StarterSky. But I've launched my version 1.0.

It's not perfect, but as people say -Just launch it already!

StarterSky is a website that shares inspiring stories of young founders across the world.

My goal is to move fast, provide crazy value and interview interesting founders.

Would love some feedback- good, bad or ugly! :)

P.S. If you are a young founder and want to be featured, please reach out to me www.startersky.com

Double edged sword for me.

I use social media to promote one of my companies, its a consumer facing company, and I have a personal picture of me and my family, probably 15 years of photos back to high school. Silly pictures, pictures of my wife in bikinis, etc... Probably a few bad posts that are buried deep from 10 years ago.

I also run a b2b company, which I'd love to appear 10-20 years older than I actually am (would like to appear 45-55 years old).

My phone number automatically recommends people to be my friend... Ugh.

I have tried turning off these features on different websites, but apparently that did not work. I hate to go 100% dark and private because of the consumer facing website. I hate to leave my social media on, because I'm concerned someone might look me up and see a mid-30 year old running a ~million dollar company.

Since my ~million dollar company is more important than my mostly philanthropic/fame inducing company, I think the writing is on the wall.

Any suggestions?

Hi All,

I’m looking for recommendations on where to post questions about forging strategic partnerships for a niche medical product. Specifically, we need help with marketing and distribution. Are there any go-to Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, Reddit subs, or other forums that are more business-focused and less niche/technical?

Thank you for your suggestions!

Everyone seems worked up, to say the least, about current events of which I need say no more nor want to. My tip, if it bothers you, stop looking at the news. Delete links and shortcuts to it. First, it will make you feel so much better.

And a further point? From a business standpoint, in the vast majority of cases, it hardly matters. I’ve run and grown businesses through several financial downturns, a depression, a worldwide virus, various parties, and outside attacks. Nothing has ever changed the ability to get ahead. Nothing. Not one thing. Every single issue presents an opportunity, and this is not some throwaway inspirational quote. I’ll even challenge you, send me a quick issue, I'll send a quick solution or idea. Deal?

Been in the tech trenches for 8+ years now. After building everything from ground-up startups to complex enterprise systems (100+ projects and counting), I figured it's time to give back.

If you're a founder or early-stage entrepreneur wrestling with tech decisions - architecture, stack choices, scaling challenges, or just need a sanity check - drop your questions below.

No strings attached, just looking to help others avoid the pitfalls I've stumbled through. Sometimes a quick chat can save weeks of headaches.

-Haazique

I’ve always been fascinated by finding better ways to stay productive, especially in team settings. Recently, I worked on creating a tool that helps individuals and teams stay on track by holding each other accountable. It’s a minimalist approach to managing daily tasks while also reflecting on progress at the end of each month to improve step by step.

What’s interesting is that I have zero coding experience, yet I managed to build the entire thing—front to back—using ChatGPT as my guide. It was a wild ride, full of bugs, challenges, and plenty of learning moments, but I stuck with it and eventually got everything working, including hosting it on the cloud.

If anyone’s interested in this kind of project or has been curious about how far you can take ChatGPT for building something from scratch, I’d love to share my experience. Also open to hearing thoughts or answering any questions!

Hello everyone, I am new to the world of business and entrepreneurship, but I’m very motivated to start something of my own. My main focus would be to create a product or service that is unique and valuable to private individuals.

I would love to hear from experienced entrepreneurs or anyone who’s been on this journey:

1.) What are the most important things to focus on when starting? 2.) What common mistakes should I avoid? 3.) Any tips on how to find and validate a unique product idea?

I’m also open to book recommendations, online resources, or tools that you found helpful when starting out.

Thanks so much in advance for your advice!

Hey, I have a client who wanted an AI phone agent where the journey begins when a client submits a website form. The AI would immediately initiate a personalized phone call, leveraging the information provided in the form to create a tailored experience. During this conversation, the AI would engage with clients about their Dubai real estate interests, understanding their specific preferences and requirements.

As the conversation progresses, the AI would connect to our property database in real time, filtering options based on the client's expressed preferences. The system would then seamlessly transition to sending curated property selections via WhatsApp. Clients would have the flexibility to make their property selection either during the ongoing call or by responding to the WhatsApp message.

Upon property selection, the AI would facilitate the viewing appointment booking process. Once confirmed, the system would generate a comprehensive communication package, including viewing details, calendar invitations, and a detailed call summary, delivering these to both the client and the designated real estate agent.

So basically, I have created this presentation [ LINK ] to present the flow, the pricing, and everything, and I would like advice on the presentation and pricing strategy. Any advice is acceptable, and if you also roast it, it's fine by me.

Hey yall,

Been a while since my last post. but I'm currently working on my second business so you know how it goes. Long hours, testing, and refining. Anyways I'm currently working on refining my offer for my target audience. I have learned to use ChatGPT as a starting point and never use it as my absolute source of truth because its really good at giving advice that just might not be based on reality. Anyways, I just kind of wanted to vent about my current wins and struggles.

I forgot how much my mind starts to overthink and fear throwing shit at the wall and see what sticks but ive definitely gotten better of like identifying that thought pattern, taking a breath, saying fuck it and send it. As reckless and unrefined as it sounds, sometimes you need to be able to leverage both sides of this coin. Of the overly cautious and the reckless extremes and find a good balance. That really applies to anything in life. But, anyways im making small steps forward and thats how im gaging my success nowadays. I think ive had moderate success at this point and if i can just get past this golden offer im trynna cook up ill be on my way to the next step which is scaling.

Oh one thing i did want to point out that i kind of had to learn to flip to a positive was getting stuck. As counter intuitive as it sounds, I usually use that as a sign that im close to making progress. No im not perfect and always realize this, but again i have improved over time. If i had to give you a real world example, its kind of like when youre playing roulette and you swear the next one is gonna be black because the last five have been red. That is not the case whatsoever 😆😆. Its called gamblers fallacy and I just use the voice in my head that says "okay its been red 5 times" as like a red siren in my head to take a step back and remember "no. the chances of it landing on black is a 50/50"

I can keep yapping but ill just cut it off right here.

Hows everyone else doing. Id love to hear from others grinding it out with me and see if i can help yall grow as well.

Cross-posting from r/Entrepreneurship - an introductory guide to LLCs

Hey all,

January, I know, is a bit of a transitional time for many people. It's usually when I see people start their side hustles or businesses, and it's also when people who made money last year start getting anxious about tax season. This is one of the most common questions I see on freelancer subreddits, so thought I'd just go ahead and try to answer a pretty simple question that has complicated answers:

Do I need an LLC if I freelance?

Tl;dr It's complicated. Sometimes! If you're doing just gig work for side income, though - probably not.

Do You Need an LLC to Freelance?

Nope! You can freelance and deduct business expenses without an LLC. However, an LLC can provide legal protection for your personal assets, which might make sense for high-earning freelancers or those with potential legal risks.

Legal risks?

Yeah.. legal risks. Mostly professional liability... So we can pretty easily divide jobs (as a rule of thumb) of low-risk + high-risk, but there are other considerations too: for example, pay attention to the contract you sign and what you're on the hook for any state, federal, and labor laws (that constantly evolve), and the size of the client and the impact of the work.

• Low risk: Design work, software eng or other tech work (think online desk job), data entry, basic handyman work (not large scale development), rideshare drivers/delivery drivers
• Higher risk: Anything that might, well, require a PLLC. Medical consultations (even if you're a 1099 traveling nurse or dentist/dental hygienist), lawyers, accountants, caterers, larger-scale home renovations

There's no hard and fast rule. The impact of services rendered, the type of work you do, and how big the job (or client is) are all factors. However, I can reasonably say that most people that are WFH on projects are fine.

Ok cool.. what am I on the hook for if I don't have an LLC?

Personal assets. House, car, investments - everything personally possess. So not mentioned in the above section are also business loans. If you either are sued or default on a loan, personal assets are on the hook to be possessed by the counterparty.

That said, an LLC does not completely protect you. Piercing the corporate veil (you mix your personal and biz assets), personal guarantees of debt, or negligence can open you back up to personal assets being liable.

So, the main benefit of an LLC is to protect personal assets. What else?

Yes... And some other perks. You get an EIN, you have a business bank account. You also might get flexibility with taxation depending on how you structure your LLC (C-Corp or S-Corp elections), and ability to raise funds. For the scope of this article, I'll leave that stuff out. There's a lot of meat here.

What is the hassle of creating an LLC?

Two primary reasons: costs and paperwork

• Paperwork: Registering an LLC can be cumbersome. There are state-by-state registrations, creating Articles of Organization, obtaining an EIN, drafting an operating agreement, separating finances (this can be a hassle each month), and complying with ongoing requirements such as annual fee payments or reports, or state-specific requests. I'll be honest, it's not a HUGE amount of work, but it can add up
• Costs: You will have to shell out quite a bit. Think $100-$500, depending on the state you register your LLC (most people will tell you to create your LLC in the state that you work and live in).

Give me a tld;r again

✅ Consider an LLC if:

• You want liability protection for your personal assets + you work in a field that typically has high liability

• You’re ready to manage the costs and paperwork.

🚫 Skip it for now if:

• Freelancing is just a side hustle with minimal income

• You’re starting out and don’t face significant risks.

Feel free to post if you have any qs. I'll answer them later tonight or tomorrow morning! Just a quick note - none of this is legal or financial advice. Obviously, there are so many nuances to this. If you're stumped, or concerned, always talk to a lawyer or accountant.

I am hoping that some people in this subreddit might be able to help me.

I am an accountant (CPA) who works with companies worldwide that need funding for their business growth. While the funding side of the business is good, the revenue is not consistent by nature. As the head of a small family, I'd obviously like that to change.

I am currently looking to expand one of the services we offer to businesses and entrepreneurs. Expanding this service—creating business plans and financial projections—would help stabilize our revenue throughout the year. Historically, we have not placed emphasis on offering our business plan service but have generated 1-2 sales per quarter or year.

Based on market research, the price range is reasonable: a one-time expense between $5,500 and $7,500 for both the business plan and financial projections. I currently have the capacity for at least 10 business plans a month, but I'm looking to start with "a few" (5?) every month.

Unfortunately, my current outreach efforts on LinkedIn and other social media platforms have not been performing.

I'd love any advice that the community can provide, especially as certain months can be quite lean.

Hi everyone,

I’m working on a start-up idea and would love your honest feedback. The idea is a Livestream Shopping Marketplace, specifically tailored for the Indian market.

Here’s how it works:

1. For Sellers: Small businesses, local shops, and independent sellers can host livestreams to showcase and sell their products in real time, engaging directly with potential buyers.

2. For Buyers: Customers can interact with sellers via live chat, ask questions, see product demos, and make instant purchases during the livestream.

Why this idea? Livestream shopping has seen massive growth in countries like China and the US, and I believe India’s growing e-commerce sector and mobile-first audience make it a perfect market for this.

Questions I have for you:

1. Would you use a platform like this as a buyer or seller? Why or why not?

2. What challenges do you think this concept might face in the Indian market?

3. What features would you expect or want in such a marketplace?

If you’ve got experience with e-commerce, livestreaming, or start-ups, your insights would be incredibly helpful. If not, I’d still love to hear your perspective as a potential user!

Thank you so much for your time and thoughts.

Hello, I am a 20 year old college student who is considering dropping out because I came across a product idea/invention and want to act fast on this because this would be a first of its kind type of product. I have done research, I have asked friends and business owners locally and many said they would use my product and think it’s a great idea, and feel like I know what I need to do but don’t necessarily know how to do it if that makes sense. The product would need to be designed (I have rough drawings made) and then made with the process being close to how one would design, and eventually make a cooler, but it is different. I feel lost in what my first step needs to be, who I need to contact, how to 3d design it and eventually how to make a prototype but keep in mind, money is very tight as I said, I am a college student. Any input would be appreciated.

As an early stage startup with a product to sell ( POC Ready )and clear market need and existing competition, is it too early to think about investing in CRM tools?

I have seen a startup burn cash with process overhead for selling but also can’t imagine keeping a team of 4-5 sales people organized without some tooling in that company.

Would like to get out of my own head and ask the experts what are the conditions in a company and product lifecycle when you would:

1. Hire your first sales person or technical pre sales person
2. Invest in tools, process and organization.

Appreciate your help and insights based on your experience.

Hello everybody! Im new to smm and i need testimonials before i start charging alot does anyone need an smm? (Social media manager) i also do copywriting but new to both so im only asking bare minimum! We can use websites to schedule posts so i never gain “full” access to your account.

Just as Title says,  

I'm currently starting a business that combines a job listing platform like Indeed and LinkedIn, with the vetting process of a temp agency.  

The first version is specifically aimed for entry level jobs, I will explain the process, if need be, but I'd love to hear some questions. 

The business will act as the middleman between potential employee and employer, where the potential employee will approve of a background check and pass it PRIOR to applying to the job, thus cutting the wait time on both parties.

I want to be more hands-off in my current business, and invest more money in place of my time/delegate more tasks to either employees or custom automated software workflows to focus on the long-term goals I have with the business itself.

Without getting into specifics about my business, if you are a business owner, In General; what is something in your business that you would benefit from being automated, that I should look into automating myself? Or paying someone to automate for me? Whether this is a remedial task or something more time-consuming and worth delegating, what parts of your businesses do you tend to wish or automate?

Thanks in advance.

I'm revamping my store's cash handling system and could use some experienced eyes on this. Our current system has some holes in it, and I've designed what I think is a better solution. Would love your thoughts!

Current System (and its problems)

• Single register with 1-3 employees per shift.
• We start each day with a $250 float. Employees can grab more bills from an unlocked drawer with pre-counted bundles when needed. No one tracks these withdrawals, and we don't regularly check what's actually in there.
• At closing, employees count the drawer, leave tomorrow's $250 float, and drop the rest in the safe. 

Proposed New System

1. New Tracking System - I'm implementing several logs to keep tabs on everything:

• Unlocked Drawer Log: Tracks every time someone takes or adds cash
• End-of-Day Cash Drawer Log: Records totals and any over/short amounts
• Weekly Safe Reconciliation Log: Makes sure everything matches up
• Float Log: Keeps track of our pre-counted float envelopes

1. Pre-Counted Float Envelopes

• Each envelope contains exactly $250 with the right mix of bills.
• Labeled by date (e.g., "1/5/25 Float")
• This lets staff get their daily float even when the manager or I aren't around.

1. Daily Operations

• Everything (including float) goes into the safe at closing
• Weekly reconciliation to spot patterns or issues
• Manager and I prepare float envelopes in advance for days we're both out

What I'm Looking For

1. Where's the best place to store pre-counted float envelopes outside the safe?
2. Any obvious security holes I'm missing?
3. Ideas to make this more better?
4. What's worked (or hasn't) in your experience?

I started business about a year ago and am going to start a second business very soon, I’ve learned a lot, and have made some cool things happen but am just feeling overwhelmed and alone in the process. Would love other people to talk to who are on their own entrepreneurial journey as well!

16yo and i help scale businesses. please don’t make more social media platforms they don’t work. and if your creating a product or especially a clothing brand,9/10 times they become significantly more successful if you build your own personal brand because customers will trust you more and feel like they’re buying and helping a real person, not a company

How do you connect with likeminded people?

You see the polished wins everywhere, but what about the messy drafts , the awkward pitches and the moments you’re not sure you’ve got it right?

I’m working on building a social media platform for aspiring/founders to connect through the RAW, UNFILTERED process of turning ideas into reality. This is for people who have a burning desire of starting their own thing and simply don’t know how to because they don’t have the right resources or because they lack the discipline and consistency to keep it going.

Everyone has an “ultimate guide” to make 7 figures or build a business but NO ONE shoes you the HOW, just the results…

I’ve tried joining founder communities, LinkedIn ,Reddit … you name it. Most of these founder communities are inaccessible for regular people and often ask for you to have an already existing business with a min ARR… or their simply geography based and if you’re not in a certain area you can’t really participate…

As of LinkedIn… full of empty AI generated posts about how some random dude raised $10m in 7 days. Okay Jonathan, but what about the HOW?? How did you write your first pitch? How many rejection calls did you get? What is an MVP?

There simply isn’t a platform out there to document your founding journey.

This would be my first ever business, and I want to share my journey building it and hopefully inspire others to just start. I’m not worried about “making it” but just “starting” and hopefully reach the right audience and inspire anyone to start whatever they have marinating in their thoughts.

Imagine if TikTok, LinkedIn and instagram had a baby… this would be a build in public platform strictly for aspiring/founders and to make sure all interactions are meaningful people would have to apply. I’m hoping in this platform people share their building process: the successes, the fails and connect not based on an AI generated profiles but based on the experiences shared through content!

If you’re a founder struggling with staying consistent or an aspiring founder with an insane desire of starting and don’t know how to start, I’d love to get your feedback on what’s stopping you, your challenges starting out and what you’d find useful in such platform. And finally would this be something that interests you??

The best part is that I will be sharing my journey with you, and keep you updated on the progress of this project. I’ve built a mailing list and you’d like to be updated and potentially join such community I’d appreciate if you could subscribe to the mailing list 🫶🏼 : https://mailchi.mp/037c56b89994/d-founder

PS: casually looking for a co-founder