In 2021, I Quit My Own Startup: Lessons On How To Know When To Quit A Project

Have you ever quit something and weren’t sure it was the right move?

The whole year of 2021, I was building Designvote — a SaaS for designers to get feedback faster. I woke up at 5 every day to code it and promote it. After 11 months, nobody was paying the subscription, and thoughts of quitting were seeping in. I tried direct marketing, promoting my Instagram page on Twitter (slightly).

At the beginning of 2022, I decided it was time to end it.

I wanted to build an audience and solve real problems people complained about.

When I officially ended the project, my mind was liberated, but not for long.

I started to explore other areas, discovered Twitter, and became active. I found #ship30for30 and signed up immediately, eagerly waiting for March.

Now I have several startup ideas, and I met many interesting people.

The doubts of whether it was the right move to quit never went away.

I’m glad I ended it, but there is this feeling of “Maybe I could’ve done more.”

Am I sad I quit? No! But there is something to be said about perseverance in the face of no results. I learned that it would be easier for you to continue building your startup if people offered you money for your product.

Never be afraid to ask for money!

You will always have doubts! Make sure to gather enough evidence in the beginning.

Before I quit, I was looking for reasons to build. Now I look for reasons not to.

Before starting a new project, I will test the market with landing pages and pre-selling customers. If nothing “moves” for your company in a year (clients, investors, people willing to join), consider pivoting to something else.

I hope this was valuable to you. Perseverance is essential, but when applied to the right things!

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