Author: Brett Lee
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Building Psychological Safety in Startup Teams: Why It Matters and How to Do It
In a fast-paced startup environment, innovation and risk-taking are the lifeblood of success. But these qualities thrive only when your team feels safe to speak up, make mistakes, and collaborate openly. This is where psychological safety comes in—a concept that is not just a buzzword but a critical component for building a high-performing team. Here’s…
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Using AI-Assisted Software Development Tools or Vibe Coding to Build Your Startup
Startups face unique pressures to quickly deliver software solutions that demonstrate clear value. Agile methods, rapid prototyping, and continuous integration have long helped teams scale rapidly from proof of concept to minimum viable products (MVPs). Today, there’s another powerful tool in your software engineering toolkit: AI-assisted development, often known as “Vibe Coding.” AI-assisted coding leverages…
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How to Build Processes Without Killing Startup Innovation
Startups thrive on creativity, agility, and the ability to pivot at lightning speed. But as your business scales beyond a proof of concept to deliver an MVP and beyond, chaos can creep in. Processes become necessary to maintain consistency, quality, and efficiency. The challenge? Introducing structure without suffocating the innovative spirit that got you here.…
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How to Prioritize Feedback from Early Adopters Without Losing Focus
Early adopters are a startup’s most valuable resource—they provide insights, validate ideas, and shape the trajectory of your product. But if you’re not careful, their feedback can overwhelm your roadmap and dilute your vision. Striking the right balance between listening to your early users and staying focused on your core goals is crucial for startups…
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How to Track and Reduce Cycle Time in Small Software Teams
In the fast-paced world of startups, delivering value quickly and consistently is key to scaling your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and staying competitive. One critical metric for achieving this is cycle time, the time it takes for a task to move from start to finish. For small software teams, reducing cycle time can lead to…
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Managing Technical and Product Debt During High-Growth Phases
In the early stages of a startup, speed is everything. The ability to deliver a product quickly and capture market share often outweighs concerns about technical or product debt. However, as your startup begins to scale and enters a high-growth phase, unmanaged debt—whether technical or product-related—can become a critical bottleneck, slowing down development, frustrating customers,…
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The Lean MVP: Validating Product-Market Fit Before Scaling
For startups, moving from a proof of concept (PoC) to a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is an exciting milestone. But scaling prematurely—without truly validating product-market fit—can be costly and even detrimental. A lean MVP approach ensures you focus on delivering value while minimizing waste, setting your startup up for sustainable growth. Here’s how you can…
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Decoupling Your Monolith: A Step-by-Step Guide to Transitioning to Microservices
For many startups, the monolithic architecture used to build their proof of concept (PoC) or minimum viable product (MVP) eventually becomes a barrier to growth. Monoliths are simple to start with but can hinder scalability, agility, and innovation as your application evolves. Transitioning to microservices is a powerful way to address these challenges, but it…
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Building a Healthy Startup Engineering Culture
In the chaotic and exhilarating world of startups, scaling from a proof of concept (PoC) to a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and beyond isn’t just about choosing the right technologies or frameworks. At the heart of every successful startup lies a healthy engineering culture. A strong culture not only attracts top talent but also fosters…