vector research partners ( aka V4RP )
The 30 Best Pieces of Company-Building Advice We Heard in 2024 — V4RP Edition
Early January is the only time in startup life when things feel calm. The slate is clean, the path forward is kinda visible, and you haven’t yet been dunked in a dozen fires. At V4RP, we’ve been using this moment to look back on the last year and extract the best company-building advice — stuff you can actually use, not just some generic platitude.
Markets shift, tech evolves, AI explodes, but building enduring companies? Same damn challenge it’s always been. Here’s what we took from 2024 — 30 insights you can apply today, or store for the day you’re scaling to the moon.
1. Find your 200% adjustment to unlock extreme PMF
If your product isn’t sticking, you’re not 10% off. You’re 200% off. Lattice founder Jack Altman realized incremental tweaks weren’t enough — pivot hard, find the thing that actually works, and stop spinning wheels.
2. Ask yourself the brutal questions
Self-reflection is cheap. Do the work: Did what I do today actually move the company forward? Are we chasing inertia or the right product direction? Avoid excuses — this is your yearly audit for your brain and your company.
3. Seek out conflict for context
Conflict isn’t bad. It’s data. Carta CTO Will Larson calls it “conflict mining”: find the people who know the most, invite pushback, and don’t let your past company’s habits cloud your judgment.
4. Use V4RP’s 12-question framework for product reviews
Context is everything. Don’t rush through your product review. Ask the right questions in order, understand the problem fully, then judge the solution. Skip the fluff, keep the essential.
5. Early hires must pass the “button-clicker test”
Can they do stuff, not just talk about it? Dock’s Alex Kracov makes sure his hires can actually hit buttons, build, ship, or figure it out fast. If they need a team to do the basics for them, pass.
6. Stay on top of your annual plan
Plans change. Technology shifts. Competitors appear. But without a recurring check-in cadence (scorecards, weekly reviews), your “plan” is just a prop on a shelf.
7. Map startup ideas on a 2x2 matrix
Interest vs. ability. Fun vs. capability. Bob Moore uses this mental matrix to weed out base hits and focus on IPO-scale ideas. Don’t chase trends — chase fit and edge.
8. Challenge “do one thing well”
Replit’s Amjad Masad ignored the dogma. Multi-language platform over single focus. Bet on broad early, ride waves later. Sometimes dogma is a cage.
9. “Chew the cud” yourself
Matt MacInnis says execs can’t outsource thinking. Sit with the discomfort, weigh options, make the choice, learn fast. The grass doesn’t give you milk; you do the work.
10. Put earmuffs on your “happy ears”
Founders hear what they want. Stop it. Listen to the pain, not the compliments. Jeanette Mellinger: neutral questions, follow-ups, catch the scary stuff early.
11. Don’t hire until it hurts
Zapier’s Wade Foster waited until work actually broke before hiring. Growth too fast = chaos. Learn every part of the business yourself first, then add heads strategically.
12. Dodge the shiny-object spiral
Clay’s Kareem Amin focused on one ICP, ignored tempting “small wins.” Early PMF isn’t about building everything — it’s about finding the core customer that will pay and wait for the rest.
13. Complaints > compliments
Early customers complaining means they care. Gong’s Eilon Reshef found early PMF clues in critique. Ignore flattery. Chase signals.
14. Treat your point partner like a pitching coach
VCs aren’t random enemies. Your point partner is your inside ally — prep with them, align, get the scoop. Liz Wessel: use them strategically to sharpen the pitch.
15. Go beyond dashboards for metrics
Notion’s Rachel Hepworth: track subtle early behaviors, not vanity numbers. What action correlates to paying? Invite collaborators, create docs, use work emails. Speed matters.
16. Add rigor to reference calls
Don’t just ask, “Would you rehire?” Ask, “What are they the best at? Where do they fail? Who clashes with them?” Your hires are only as good as your reference diligence.
17. Re-frame the category, don’t re-invent
Studs’ Lisa Bubbers didn’t invent piercing. She redefined it: trademarked terminology, content hub, clarified the value prop. Sometimes positioning > creation.
18. Invest in your 10-minute managers
Asana’s Anna Binder: train new managers on hard feedback, weekly self-reflection. Growth multiplies when managers can actually manage.
19. Schedule distance to see the forest
Unblocked’s Dennis Pilarinos: step back. The solution often appears when you’re not grinding. Saturday off? Mandatory. Perspective > sweat.
20. Run sprints to find growth levers
Matt Lerner: test 1,000 things fast to find the 10% that generates 90% of growth. Big swings, small teams, short runway — iterate or die.
21. Floor it — but check your GPS
Vercel’s Guillermo Rauch: velocity isn’t speed, it’s speed with direction. Move fast, yes, but know where you’re headed. Less code churn, more informed action.
22. Practice good data hygiene early
Doordash’s Jessica Lachs: clean metrics, core KPIs, experiment properly. Don’t wait for an analytics team — bad data habits kill product decisions.
23. Decentralize community-building
Notion’s Ben Lang: empower enthusiasts, don’t control them. Ambassadors, content creators, local meetups. Let your users amplify themselves.
24. Get comfortable with anti-patterns
Learn when processes or “rules” are hurting rather than helping. Adapt, iterate, kill sacred cows.
25. Don’t over-index on tools
Early-stage startups: tools don’t save you. Smart thinking, disciplined habits, and execution beat the tech stack every time.
26. Lead with clarity, not consensus
Don’t wait for everyone to agree. Make clear calls, communicate intent, and align as you go. Leadership is deciding, not polling.
27. Iterate on ideas, not just products
Feedback loops are for concepts too. Test pricing, positioning, messaging. Don’t just tweak the UI — tweak the story.
28. Optimize for retention early
Growth is sexy, retention pays bills. Focus on sticky behaviors, not just acquisition metrics. If customers leave, all that growth is wasted effort.
29. Document and share learnings obsessively
Knowledge silos kill startups. Make playbooks, case studies, post-mortems. Everyone levels up when information flows.
30. Protect your culture like your IP
Culture is a force multiplier. Guard it. Your values aren’t just posters — they’re the lens through which every hire, product, and decision is judged.
