Revealing Startup Reality

If you're thinking about launching a startup because it sounds exciting, you might want to listen to this first. In a recent episode of the Brandstories podcast, I spoke about the unglamorous side of building companies — and why startups aren’t for everyone.

We covered a lot:
💡 Why passion alone isn’t enough
🧠 Why the ideal founder is someone with real experience and life stability
🛠️ Why I'm not interested in ideas, but in execution and adaptability
🔥 And why the first year is a fight for survival, not a victory lap

I've been in the startup space for over 25 years — as a founder, investor, and mentor — and I’ve seen too many people jump into this world unprepared for its intensity. It’s not about raising money or chasing hype. It’s about building something real under pressure.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1taf7yo3upuiYQ2jDPPv4e?si=1129d6d2c2744922

📖 Or read the article summary on CzechCrunch (in Czech):
https://cc.cz/podcasty/startup-neni-pro-kazdeho-pokud-nemate-radi-adrenalin-radeji-se-do-nich-nepoustejte-rika-petr-kovacik/

I know this perspective might challenge some startup clichés — but maybe it's time we stopped romanticizing failure and started demanding more from ourselves and the ecosystem.

Curious what you think. Does this match your experience?