Six months.
That's how long most founders have before they run out of money, energy, or both.
Six months to go from idea to evidence. Six months to prove something works. Six months before the clock runs out.
And yet, I watch founders burn through those six months without making real progress. Not because they're lazy. Not because they're stupid. Because they don't realize they're wasting time.
Let me show you the traps.
Trap #1: The Research Rabbit Hole
You want to be thorough. You want to understand the market. So you research.
And research. And research some more.
You read every report. You study every competitor. You analyze every trend. You build spreadsheets and presentations and market analyses.
Six months later, you have a beautiful research document. No product. No users. No evidence.
The reality: Research is not progress. Talking to users is research. Building and testing is progress.
The fix: Cap research at 2 weeks. After that, you're just hiding.
Trap #2: The Perfect Setup
Before you can build, you need:
- The perfect company structure
- The perfect bank account
- The perfect legal setup
- The perfect accounting system
- The perfect tools and infrastructure
- The perfect...
Stop.
The reality: You can change all of this later. You can incorporate in a weekend. You can set up banking in a week. You don't need perfection to start.
The fix: Minimal viable setup. Incorporate simply. Set up basic banking. Get the basics done in your first week. Everything else can wait.
Trap #3: The Feature Factory
You start building. And building. And building.
Every feature feels essential. Every detail matters. You're building the full vision, just a "smaller" version.
Six months later, you have a product with 47 features. No users have seen it. You don't know if any of those features matter.
The reality: You're building a product, not an MVP. An MVP is an experiment, not a product.
The fix: Define 3 features max. Launch in 30 days. Everything else is nice-to-have.
Trap #4: The Infinite Prototype
"This isn't the real product. It's just a prototype."
Six months of prototypes later, you're still prototyping. Every version is better, more complete, more "ready."
But it's never ready. Because you're using "prototype" as an excuse to avoid real feedback.
The reality: If users aren't using it, it's not a prototype—it's a hobby.
The fix: Set a hard deadline. Launch something real, even if imperfect.
Trap #5: The Stealth Mode Obsession
"We're being stealth. We can't tell anyone what we're building."
Six months of stealth later, nobody knows you exist. You launch to crickets.
The reality: Stealth mode is usually fear disguised as strategy. You're afraid someone will steal your idea. (They won't. Ideas are worthless without execution.)
The fix: Tell people. Get feedback. Build in public. The worst case is someone tells you your idea is bad—which is exactly what you need to know.
Trap #6: The Infinite Loop
You build something. You show it to someone. They give feedback. You change it. You show it again. You change it again.
You loop forever, never launching, because it's never quite right.
The reality: Perfect is the enemy of done. You'll never feel ready. Launch anyway.
The fix: Set a launch date. Commit to it. Launch on that date regardless.
Trap #7: The Tool Addiction
You spend your days:
- Setting up Notion
- Organizing Trello
- Configuring Slack
- Choosing a new tool
- Comparing tools
- Switching tools
At the end of the day, you haven't done the work. You've only set up for the work.
The reality: Tools don't build products. Work builds products.
The fix: Use the simplest tools. Spend one day setting up your stack. Then stop. Focus on the product.
Trap #8: The Education Trap
"I need to learn more before I can build."
You take courses. Read books. Watch tutorials. Learn frameworks.
Six months later, you know a lot about building. But you haven't built anything.
The reality: You learn by doing, not by preparing to do.
The fix: Build something bad. Today. Learn what you need as you build it.
Trap #9: The Team Hunt
"I'm not ready to build. First I need a co-founder."
Months go by. You network. You pitch. You meet people. You don't find the right person. You keep looking.
The reality: Waiting for a co-founder is often a way to avoid the hard work of starting.
The fix: Start alone. Prove something works. Then recruit from a position of strength.
Trap #10: The Validation Theater
You "validate" your idea by:
- Asking friends if it's cool (they say yes)
- Running a survey (people say they'd use it)
- Getting LOIs (letters of intent mean nothing)
You feel validated. You build. You launch. Nobody comes.
The reality: Validation theater isn't validation. People say one thing, do another.
The real test: Will people pay? Will they spend time? Will they come back?
The fix: Test with real behavior, not stated intent.
The 6-Month Audit
Here's a brutal question: If I looked at your calendar for the past 6 months, what would I see?
| Activity | Time Spent | Progress Made? |
|---|---|---|
| Research and planning | ||
| Setup and infrastructure | ||
| Building features | ||
| Talking to users | ||
| Getting feedback | ||
| Launch activities |
If "Building features" and "Talking to users" aren't your top two, you've been wasting time.
What the First 6 Months Should Look Like
Here's a better 6-month plan:
Months 1-2: Validation
- Talk to 20+ potential users
- Define your core problem and solution
- Build a prototype or landing page
- Test demand with real behavior
Months 3-4: Core Build
- Build your MVP (3 features max)
- Get user feedback early and often
- Iterate based on what you learn
Months 5-6: Launch
- Get your product in front of real users
- Measure what matters
- Learn and plan your next phase
If you're past month 4 and haven't talked to users or launched something, you're behind.
The Cost of Wasting 6 Months
Six months of runway is:
- $30,000+ in savings gone
- 1,800 hours of your life spent
- Energy and enthusiasm depleted
- Market opportunities missed
And worst of all: you're no closer to an answer than when you started.
The entrepreneurs who succeed don't have more time. They just don't waste it.
The Bottom Line
The first 6 months aren't about building the perfect product. They're about finding out if your idea has legs.
Every day you spend on setup, research, planning, or "stealth" is a day you're not learning.
The only thing that matters is evidence. Evidence that people want what you're building.
Get evidence. Fast. Then decide what to do next.
That's the entire purpose of the first 6 months.
Everything else is just procrastination.
Need Help Using Your Runway Wisely?
At Startupbricks, we help founders avoid these traps and make real progress in their first 6 months. Whether you need:
- A validation roadmap
- MVP scope definition
- Launch planning
- Accountability to keep moving
Let's talk. We help founders make the most of their runway.