Ever been told “just pick the biggest TAM,” “hire a seasoned exec,” or “run ads for growth”?

Congrats, you’ve been hit with some of the worst startup advice ever spewed on a LinkedIn carousel, usually by someone who’s never built anything but a Notion doc.

In Episode 9 of UnicornPrn, Melissa and Lloyed go full flamethrower on the Top 12 BS startup tropes that sound smart… but cost you time, money, and probably your sanity.

From armchair analysts advisors to startup cosplay founders who’ve never shipped anything real, this episode’s for anyone who’s tired of pretending recycled TED Talk advice is gospel.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ The myth of “big TAM = big business”
✅ The danger of hiring for pedigree over trajectory
✅ Why contractors > entitled employees in today’s startup world
✅ How “track everything” becomes an excuse to do nothing
✅ The fastest way to kill culture

Hot Takes:

✅ “Do not take advice from people who haven’t been where you want to go.”
✅ “There are very few things in life you can’t recover from. Just pick the decision that helps you get out of bed in the morning.”

Listen to this one before you hand over your startup to a VC’s favorite ‘operator,’ build a cult of dashboards, or burn cash to please an imaginary persona.

Tune in. Wake up. Think hard. Build smart.

Contact UnicornPrn

• Find show notes of each episode on UnicornPrn.com - hit subscribe like it owes you money

About our hosts

• Melissa Kwan is Cofounder and CEO of eWebinar, and a 3X bootstrapper who has spent the last 14 years building companies without ever raising a cent of venture capital.
• Lloyed Lobo is a WSJ bestselling author, Cofounder of Boast.AI and Traction founder community, startup advisor, angel investor, board member, and LP in multiple VC funds — he’s seen startup chaos from both sides of the term sheet.
• LinkedIn: Melissa Kwan and Lloyed Lobo
• Instagram: @themelissakwan and @lloyedlobo⁠⁠
• YouTube: @themlissakwan and @StartupTraction
• Subscribe to 'your founder next door' at melissakwan.com, Melissa's bi-monthly newsletter on how to build a company without an abundance of resources and friends in high places.
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