The first 90 days of a startup are magic.
You've got energy. Ideas feel fresh. The future is wide open.
But they're also dangerous.
Every founder I know looks back at their first 90 days and cringes at least a little. They worked on the wrong things. They stressed about stuff that didn't matter. They ignored the signals that would have changed everything.
I've watched this pattern repeat hundreds of times. Let me save you from making the same mistakes.
The 90-Day Framework
Here's how I think about the first 90 days, broken into three phases:
Phase 1: Validation (Days 1-30)
Goal: Prove you're building something people want
Phase 2: Building (Days 31-60)
Goal: Create your first version
Phase 3: Launching (Days 61-90)
Goal: Get your product in front of real users
Each phase has a specific focus. Mixing them up is where most founders struggle.
Phase 1: Validation (Days 1-30)
The biggest mistake in Phase 1? Starting to build too early.
I know it feels productive to code. To design. To "make progress." But if you're building without validation, you're just digging a deeper hole.
What to Do in Phase 1
Week 1: Define your hypothesis
Write down:
- What problem are you solving?
- Who has this problem?
- What solution are you proposing?
- How will you measure success?
Be specific. "Small business owners struggle with marketing" is too vague. "Local fitness trainers under 35 who have fewer than 50 clients and use Instagram for marketing spend 5+ hours a week on administrative tasks" is specific.
Week 2-3: Talk to potential users
Not your friends. Not your family. Strangers who actually have the problem.
Your goal:
- Understand the problem deeply
- Discover what solutions they've tried
- Identify what would make them pay
- Find the 10-20 people who care most
Week 4: Synthesize and decide
After talking to 15-20 people, you should know:
- Is this problem real and urgent?
- Is your proposed solution attractive?
- Who is your beachhead customer?
- What do you need to build?
What to Ignore in Phase 1
Building your product: Not yet. You're still learning.
Creating a brand: Logo, colors, mission statement—they can wait.
Setting up infrastructure: Company formation, legal, banking—minimal viable setup only.
Hiring: Absolutely not.
Fundraising: No investor is going to fund a hypothesis.
Scaling: You're not ready to scale anything.
Phase 2: Building (Days 31-60)
Now you can build. But you're still not building the full product. You're building the minimum you need to test your hypothesis.
What to Do in Phase 2
Week 5-6: Define your MVP scope
Remember: the goal is learning, not shipping a product.
What is the smallest thing you can build that will:
- Validate your core assumption?
- Get real feedback from users?
- Teach you what to build next?
This might be a prototype. A concierge service. A landing page. Not necessarily code.
Week 7-8: Build the MVP
Focus on:
- Core functionality only
- Speed over polish
- Getting something in users' hands
Week 9: Alpha test
Get 5-10 real users to try your MVP. Watch them use it. Take notes. Don't explain—just watch.
What to Ignore in Phase 2
Feature creep: "While we're at it, we could add..." No. Stop.
Polish: It doesn't need to be beautiful. It needs to work.
Documentation: Write the minimum. You can write more later.
Marketing infrastructure: Not yet.
Scalability: Don't architect for scale. Architect for learning.
Phase 3: Launching (Days 61-90)
This is where most founders get nervous. Putting your work out there is scary. But remember: you're not launching a product. You're launching an experiment.
What to Do in Phase 3
Week 10: Prepare for launch
Define success:
- What does a successful launch look like?
- How will you measure it?
- Who needs to hear about this?
Week 11: Soft launch
Get 20-50 users through:
- Your network
- Online communities
- Direct outreach
- Content marketing
Week 12: Learn and iterate
Analyze:
- What worked?
- What didn't?
- What are users asking for?
- What surprised you?
What to Ignore in Phase 3
Perfection: Your launch will be messy. That's fine.
Scale: You're not ready to scale. You're learning.
Fundraising focus: Traction matters more than timing.
Competitor anxiety: They're not your concern yet.
The 90-Day Priorities Ranked
If you only focus on one thing per phase, make it this:
Phase | Priority | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Days 1-30) | 15 conversations with potential users | Not surveys. Real conversations. |
| 2 (Days 31-60) | One feature that works | Not five features. One that works. |
| 3 (Days 61-90) | 50 real users trying it | Not followers. Users who try. |
That's it. If you nail these three things, you've had a successful first 90 days.
What Most Founders Get Wrong
Wrong #1: Backwards Phases
They build first, validate later. This is the most common mistake.
The fix: Force yourself to validate before you build. Set a rule: no code until you've talked to 10 users.
Wrong #2: Infinite Discovery
They keep talking to users, keep researching, keep planning—but never build.
The fix: Set a deadline. After 30 days, you build. Period.
Wrong #3: Perfectionist Launch
They delay launch until everything is perfect.
The fix: Launch on day 90 no matter what. Perfect is the enemy of done.
Wrong #4: Ignoring Signals
They get feedback but don't act on it.
The fix: After every user conversation, write down: "The biggest thing I learned was..." Share it with your team.
The First 90 Days Checklist
| Week | Goal | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Define hypothesis in writing | |
| 2-3 | 15 conversations with potential users | |
| 4 | Synthesize learnings, decide to proceed or pivot | |
| 5-6 | Define MVP scope with 3-5 max features | |
| 7-8 | Build MVP | |
| 9 | Alpha test with 5-10 users | |
| 10 | Prepare launch, define success metrics | |
| 11 | Soft launch to 50 users | |
| 12 | Analyze results, plan next 90 days |
Signs You're on Track
After 90 days, you should have:
- Talked to 15+ potential users
- Built something (even if small) that works
- Had 50+ people try your product
- Learned what users actually want (vs. what you thought)
- Clear signal on whether to proceed or pivot
- A plan for the next 90 days
If you're missing more than one of these, extend Phase 1 or 2. Don't rush to launch without these foundations.
What Happens If You Don't Do This
I've seen founders skip the first 90 days framework. They:
- Build for 6 months before talking to users
- Launch products nobody wants
- Waste $50,000+ on development
- Burn out from grinding in the wrong direction
The first 90 days are your cheap runway. Use them to learn before you spend.
The Bottom Line
The first 90 days aren't about building a product. They're about building conviction—through evidence, not assumption.
- Days 1-30: Convince yourself the problem is real
- Days 31-60: Convince yourself the solution works
- Days 61-90: Convince others to try it
If you do these things, you'll have something valuable after 90 days: clarity. Clarity on what to build next, who to build it for, and whether this is worth pursuing.
That's worth more than any feature list.
Need Help with Your First 90 Days?
At Startupbricks, we've guided dozens of founders through their critical first 90 days—helping them validate faster, build leaner, and avoid the traps that waste months.
Whether you're:
- Just starting out and want a framework
- Partway through and feel stuck
- Past 90 days and want to assess
- Looking for accountability and guidance
Let's talk. We help founders start strong.