5 Business Truths I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Built a Startup

According to the author, when his twin brother Eli and he first decided to build Bask Health, they had zero background in healthcare and way too much confidence. They thought launching a telehealth brand would be just like any other ecommerce business — it wasn’t.  They hit wall after wall, failed fast and almost gave up more than once. But through that chaos, they uncovered a playbook that helped them build a SaaS platform that now powers over 100 telehealth companies. If you’re building a SaaS company or launching an app, here are the five things he wishes someone had told him sooner.

1. Launch before you’re ready.  According to the author, he used to think they needed a perfect product before they could launch. That mindset almost bankrupted them.  If you’re building something, get it into users’ hands as fast as humanly possible. You’ll learn more from one real user than from months of whiteboarding.
2. Differentiate and simplify.  The first business they tried to launch failed hard. They built a decent platform, but they underestimated how hard it would be to compete in a crowded market without anything unique.  That experience taught them to focus on differentiation. According to the author we didn’t want to be another “telehealth tech” provider. We wanted to be the Shopify for telehealth, simple, customizable and built for founders like us. We also realized that the more complex a solution is to launch, the less competition you’ll face. And that’s your opportunity.  They built Bask to remove the friction: self-serve onboarding, drag-and-drop tools and API integrations. No need for a developer. No prior healthcare experience required.  SaaS is competitive. If you’re not solving a very specific problem better than anyone else, you’re just another tool in a sea of tools.
3. Do one thing extremely well.  In the early days, they tried to say yes to every feature request. They spread ourselves thin, building tools they couldn’t maintain and promising customizations they didn’t have time to support.  Eventually, they realized their core product was more than enough. The deeper they focused on that one thing, the faster they grew. Word-of-mouth exploded. Support tickets dropped. Customers were happier.  Focus wins. Build one thing that solves one pain point better than anything else. Once you dominate that space, you can layer on more.
4. Work seven days a week (at least at first).  This isn’t hustle culture advice. It’s just reality. If you’re competing with companies working 40 hours a week, and you’re working 70, you will outpace them.  The window where your startup needs you to work nonstop won’t last forever. But if you’re not willing to outwork everyone in the beginning, you’re gambling on luck instead of effort.
5. Building and scaling are two different games.  Building a product is all about focus, creativity and agility. Scaling it requires structure, systems and delegation.  Understand this early: your first 10 hires are not just filling roles. They’re building the foundation for the next 100.

According to the author Building Bask has been the wildest ride of his life. They have gone from nearly broke with a failed eyelash startup to helping companies launch telehealth brands serving millions of patients.  But it didn’t happen because they were lucky. It happened because they learned from every mistake, listened to their users, and kept going when things looked hopeless.  

If you’re building a SaaS product, know this: It’s not about having the perfect idea. It’s about executing relentlessly, staying focused, and building something people actually need.  And when in doubt, launch it, talk to users, and keep shipping.