Starting Something in a Slow Year
Should you build when the world is on pause?
Let me be real for a second. This is not the year most people would pick to start something.
Everywhere you look, things feel tight.
Capital is harder to come by. Investors are cautious. Friends are telling you to wait it out.
“Maybe give it a year.”
“Let the market settle.”
“You don’t want to launch into a recession.”
But if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re still thinking about building anyway.
So was I.
A while back, I got excited about a new idea. Small team, real pain point, early traction. We started shaping it into something. Then all the economic stuff hit.
We had a decision to make. Put it on ice or keep moving. And after all the conversations and spreadsheet stress, we moved forward.
It wasn’t because we felt invincible. It was because the problem still mattered, maybe even more now.
There’s something strange that happens when the world slows down. Yes, it gets harder. But it also gets quieter.
You can actually hear yourself think.
Why this might be the “right” time to start
In fast markets, there’s pressure to scale quickly. Everyone’s comparing growth curves. Left and right, all and sundry hiring.
It creates noise. It pushes founders to do more, spend more, chase more.
In a slow market, all that disappears. The expectations shrink. The room to breathe grows. You’re not trying to impress anyone. No, you’re just trying to make something that works.
That shift changes everything…
Conversations with customers become more grounded.
Ideas get tested in smaller yet more meaningful ways.
Before building anything your questions shifts from "Can we?" to "Will someone actually pay for this?"
There’s less pretending and more probing.
Instead of assuming what works founders are pushed to experiment.
Scarcity creates clarity
When you have less money than the norm, heck, you learn to use what you have well. Every spent cent becomes a conscious choice. Every hire needs a reason. Results are tracked with precision. You listen more carefully.
As well, you also let go of ideas faster. In a tighter climate, “maybe” is expensive. You need clearer signals before you double down. And when you find something that does work, you build around it with more confidence.
Not because the charts say so, but because real people are telling you.
That’s the thing about building now. You get answers faster. Not always the ones you want. But real ones.
You are not behind
This is something I wish more people would say out loud. The market being slower doesn’t mean you’ve missed the window.
It means a lot of people are waiting on the sidelines and you’re not.
Every big wave starts small. Slack, Airbnb, WhatsApp they all launched in rough years.
Not with grand visions, but with tight feedback loops and clear pain points.
They built carefully. Then, when the timing shifted, they were already in motion.
That can be you and me.
What to focus on when things feel uncertain
There’s a lot you can’t control.
The economy. Investor behavior. Timing.
But instead of crying about it, here’s what you can do right now:
Talk to customers: Hear what’s frustrating them today. Not last year. Now.
Run small experiments: No need to launch a full product. Solve one part of the problem and test it.
Watch your cash: Track burn, delay things that can wait, be honest about your numbers.
Find your pace: This is not a sprint. It’s not even a marathon. It’s something in between.
Build with care: Small teams. Focused goals. Real feedback. That’s the recipe right now.
You won’t get everything right. No one does. But the lessons you learn now will stick , because they cost something.
One more thing
You’ll see a lot of founders slow down right now. And that’s okay. Everyone has a different risk appetite.
But if you’re still building. Even if it’s quietly and cautiousl, you’re already doing the hardest part. You’re moving forward when it’s easier to stand still.
And when the market picks up again, you won’t be getting ready. You’ll be ready.