The Mistake That Cost Me My Startup
And the one you shouldn't repeat!
If you’ve been wondering why my podcast and the next webinar on Organic Growth Marketing have been delayed, here’s the truth: the last few weeks were consumed by the painful events around Olympia, the AI SaaS I co-founded. What should have been an exit became a story of betrayal and hard lessons.
I’ve shared the full account in my latest HackerNoon article, but here’s the short version:
We grew to almost $8K MRR through purely organic marketing in the first year.
I trusted someone I loved, but didn’t really know.
I made the mistake of not signing vital documents from the start.
That trust cost me everything: my startup, my sole income, and my mental health.
It’s not easy to admit this publicly. But I believe in telling the truth — even when it makes me look naïve — because that’s how other first-time CEOs avoid the same traps.
The reality is: trust without structure isn’t a strategy. It’s a liability.
So here’s the #1 lesson I want to leave you with today: protect your future self. Sign the contracts, set the governance, and separate personal trust from business safeguards. Because if you don’t, you may wake up one day realizing you lost everything you’ve worked so hard for.
Lessons for First-Time CEOs and Founders
Here are the five lessons I wish someone had drilled into me before I started:
Contracts first, feelings second. Sign everything up front, regardless of how close you are to your co-founder.
Governance is not bureaucracy. It’s protection. Clarity around roles, equity, and decision-making prevents future chaos.
Trust is earned, not assumed. Especially when money and livelihoods are at stake.
Don’t confuse personal and professional bonds. Love, friendship, or chemistry can blur judgment. Keep business boundaries clear.
Protect your future self. Build safeguards you may never need — because if you do, it’s already too late.
📌 One bright spot from Olympia’s journey was our traction: as CEO, I grew it almost entirely through organic strategies. After fantastic feedback about my first live webinar on Organic Growth Marketing for SaaS (even though it didn’t go without hiccups), I’ll be hosting the next one on September 3rd at 16:00 Lisbon time.
As for The First-Time CEO podcast, I’ll be kicking it off in September with an episode featuring a lawyer, who will share how to protect yourself as a startup founder from the start — and what governance mistakes to avoid. In the meantime, you can watch Season 1 on YouTube for tips on sales, marketing, career transitions, fundraising, and more.
I hope you’re having a fantastic, fun summer — and that no bad news dares to darken it!
And thank you for your patience with me while I recalibrated.
Warmly,
Yours truly.
#CEOCheck
This week I want you to ask yourself:
👉 Where in your journey are you relying on trust when you should be building structure?
Hit reply and share your answers with me. I read them all.
Let’s Connect!
For more authentic content on launching and running companies for the first time, follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram, and The First-Time CEO podcast on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.