Four Classic Engineering Mistakes That Kill Startups All The Time

Engineering is the most important component of a tech startup. Without the right technical mechanisms, a startup won’t be able to deliver value to its customers, which will result in funding drying up.

Engineering mistakes can kill the most promising startups. So, it is necessary to know how to prevent them before they happen. Here’s a list of 4 lousy engineering mistakes that can be fatal to your beloved company.

1/ Throughout my startup career, I’ve seen many founders have an aversion to sales. This is a mistake that can kill your startup.
— Justin Kan (@justinkan) November 14, 2018

#1 Scaling Prematurely

Over two-thirds of startups can attribute their failure to a premature calling. Overambitious entrepreneurs ignore the reality on the ground and prematurely scale their startup’s future. They immediately start building products on a large scale based on their vision and not how the market works, which results in excess spending than ROI. This causes revenues, and ultimately funding, to dry up.

Over two-thirds of startups can attribute their failure to a premature scaling.

Early-stage startups must be careful to not expend too many resources because you don’t want to spend your time, money and effort on a product that’s not worthy. Premature scaling is a consequence of looking to handle problems you haven’t yet faced. The goal for you as an early-stage startup is to deliver a simple product and not think about large scale production, distribution and services.

#2 Choosing Hyped up Technology

Another common mistake among startups is the emphasis on hyped-up technologies to solve problems. Although it isn’t wrong to stay up to date with technology, startups are often blinded by the allure of apps and platforms rather than seeing what is required.

Watch: Biggest mistakes first-time founders make

They all want to stand out, and that can’t be held against them; but new technologies come with risks, like inadequate testing. There are risks involved if a startup relies too heavily on them. They are uncharted waters, often with less support infrastructure and more liabilities.

Startups are often blinded by the allure of apps and platforms rather than seeing what is required.

You’ll have to devote time to figuring out the technology and solving problems, time better expended on building your products; so it is always better to go with reliable options.

#3 Wrong Engineers

Software Engineers in startups are fundamentally different from those seen in established companies. The person ought to be agile and lean. One of the common mistakes startups commit is hiring the wrong engineers.

Assembling the wrong team can cost you dearly as your product depends mostly on who builds it. It is necessary to be careful when it comes to hiring for your company.

Watch: Mistakes that can kill a startup

#4 Technical Debt

One can have technical debt when they compromise between short term delivery benefits and long term value. Technical debt is more like taking shortcuts while building a product. The issues you tried to avoid at the beginning will have to be solved later.

Technical debt is more like taking shortcuts while building a product but issues avoided in the beginning will have to be solved later.

The truth is, you can’t launch a product quickly without having a TD and having a TD isn’t bad at all. Increasing technical debt harms your company. It will make it difficult for you to maintain new products you’ll launch in the future, so it is necessary to pay up your technical debt from time to time or you’ll be stuck in an endless complicated cycle that’s inescapeable.

Avoiding a premature end

Engineering is a vital aspect of startups, and numerous pitfalls can bring a premature end to your ambitious project. It is always necessary to take precautions and move forward with care rather than pouncing on everything you see in a bid for rapid expansion. Luckily enough, the solution is simple — Plan and build on a large scale only when you have the necessary resources and a reliable product.

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