Discussion on: Lessons I learned at a startup

Lessons I've learned:

• Listen to your customers, and solve their needs first.
• However, the best startups make products they themselves need and understand.
• Look for monetization opportunities early and often if you don't want to waste your time on a business without a future.
• Don't worry about vendor lock in until you have become profitable. There is a bigger chance that your startup will fail before your vendors do.
• Don't reinvent the wheel unless it is part of your core niche value. Build on the shoulders of giants (cloud providers).