Waiting for perfect data leads to paralysis. A core founder skill is making hard decisions with incomplete information. This 'founder gut' isn't innate; it's developed by studying the thought processes—not just the outcomes—of experienced entrepreneurs through masterminds, advisors, or podcasts.

Don't start a company in a space you're indifferent to and ignorant of. Your founding idea must be anchored in either deep domain expertise ("what you know") or a genuine, intense passion for the problem ("what you care about"). Lacking both is playing on "extra hard mode."

A founder must simultaneously project unwavering confidence to rally teams and investors, while privately remaining open to any evidence that they are completely wrong. This conflicting mindset is essential for navigating the uncertainty of building a startup.

Founders with deep market fit must trust their unique intuition over persuasive, but generic, VC advice. Following the standard playbook leads to cookie-cutter companies, while leaning into the 'weird' things that make your business different is what creates a unique, defensible moat.

Instead of chasing trends or pivoting every few weeks, founders should focus on a singular mission that stems from their unique expertise and conviction. This approach builds durable, meaningful companies rather than simply chasing valuations.

Jason Fried advises founders facing inflection points to trust their own instincts rather than seeking external playbooks. An outsider can't replicate the founder's deep, irreplaceable knowledge of their business's history and decisions. The only path forward is to continue "making it up" based on that unique context.

Chomps' founders learned not to blindly copy the strategies of successful brands. They advise founders to gather wide-ranging feedback but to ultimately analyze it through their own company's unique context, as what works for one brand is not a guarantee of success for another.