One thing that is hard to watch is entrepreneurs being taken advantage of.
It happens more often than people think.
Over time, we have spoken with founders who all tell some version of the same story. They were sold an MVP packed with features they never needed, which drove up cost and complexity without actually helping the business. Others were given software that worked for the moment but could not grow with them.
And then there are the stories that still make your stomach drop.
One founder lost his entire life savings, over $100,000, to an offshore company and had nothing to show for it. No usable product. No protection of his idea. Nothing to build on.
Most of these founders are not careless. They are simply navigating a world they are not trained in. They do not always know what questions to ask or what risks they should be watching for. That gap is where problems start.
Overcharging is another common thread. For early stage businesses, budgets are already tight. When costs spiral unnecessarily, it puts real strain on the business and sometimes forces founders to walk away altogether.
Seeing this over and over is what pushed us to focus on education.
Together with New Idea Machine, we started running workshops designed to give founders the knowledge they need before they commit. The goal is not to turn entrepreneurs into developers, but to help them understand what they are agreeing to and what realistic software development actually looks like.
In our last workshop, we walked through how to think about scaling an MVP without overspending, how to determine what kind of MVP actually makes sense, and what software development really costs behind the scenes. We also talked honestly about AI, what it can help with, and what expectations are simply not realistic right now.
Founders should not have to figure this out alone.
Strong businesses are built with support, introductions, and shared knowledge. When people who work closely with entrepreneurs help connect them to the right resources early, it prevents a lot of damage later.
Helping founders protect their ideas, their money, and their momentum benefits everyone in the ecosystem.