$10,000 mistake

Building a startup or app can be incredibly exciting, but it’s easy to get caught up in just developing your vision without enough real-world input. From my experience, one of the most crucial steps is pausing before diving into full custom builds. When I was working on my app targeting high school athletes looking to connect with college coaches, I almost invested tens of thousands of dollars and several months into development without confirming if anyone truly wanted what I planned to build. Instead of powering forward, I stepped back and asked myself: "Do I really know if anyone wants this?" The answer was no, and that changed everything. I shifted to creating a simple, lovable page in about two hours using a no-code platform. Sharing this beta version with real users gave me invaluable feedback and highlighted that a simpler version was actually preferred. This approach taught me a powerful lesson that resonates across startup communities like those at USC Viterbi and beyond: validate first, build second. Speaking directly to potential users, collecting feedback early, and iterating rapidly can prevent costly mistakes. It’s not slower; it’s smarter. If you’re on a similar journey, consider starting small. Use tools that let you create minimum viable products quickly, gather real user insights, and then commit resources to full builds only once there’s clear demand. This reduces financial risk and increases the likelihood your final product will succeed. Overall, this method of validating ideas before extensive development saves entrepreneurs from the pain of wasted effort, money, and months of work. It’s a lesson I strongly encourage anyone in the startup or app development space to embrace wholeheartedly.