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How do you start a business online?

7 perspectives · Updated · 3 min read

The founders here started online with very little and sold to a few people before they built much.

Anand Sanwal started CB Insights with a blog and a spreadsheet. Andrew Gazdecki started Bizness Apps with a simple website and a lot of cold outreach. Nicolas Cole wrote on Quora and Twitter before he sold a $5 book.

Their answers cover what to build first, how to find early customers, and when to charge.

The short answer

Pick one specific problem and sell the fix to a handful of people before you build much. Several of these founders started with very little online: a blog and a spreadsheet, a simple website and cold outreach, or posts on Quora and Twitter. The tech stack can wait until someone has paid.

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Who you should listen to

Seven founders, including the co-founder of HubSpot, the founder of CB Insights, and the founder of Acquire.com. Listen for the first step that fits what you want to sell.

  • Brian Halligan · Co-founder and longtime CEO of HubSpot; now builds Sequoia's CEO practice

    Listen for: Talking to users until the same pain keeps showing up.

  • Anand Sanwal · Founder of CB Insights, now co-founder of Forge Prep, a 6th to 12th grade school

    Listen for: Starting with a blog, and charging before it feels ready.

  • Andrew Gazdecki · Founder and CEO of Acquire.com

    Listen for: Cold outreach and getting the first paying customer.

  • Nicolas Cole · Co-founder of Ship 30 for 30 and Premium Ghostwriting Academy

    Listen for: One platform, one niche problem, and an email list.

  • David Jenyns · Founder of SYSTEMology and systemHUB

    Listen for: Selling one offer by hand to ten people before building anything.

  • Cameron Herold · Founder of the COO Alliance and former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

    Listen for: Using the internet as the fastest way to reach a narrow customer.

  • Balaji Srinivasan · Founder of The Network School and author of The Network State

    Listen for: Building your own distribution through content instead of ads.

How did founders start their businesses online?

Brian Halligan

Brian Halligan

Co-founder and longtime CEO of HubSpot; now builds Sequoia's CEO practice

HubSpot co-founder

Why themKnows the move from startup founder to scale-up CEO first-hand.

Brian’s advice: Talk to users until the same pain repeats, then ship the smallest fix and watch what they do.

Start with a problem you actually understand, ideally one you’ve felt yourself, and talk to potential users until the same pain shows up again and again. Then build the smallest thing that solves it, get it into their hands fast, and iterate based on what they do, not what they say.

Answered by their Delphi on .
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Anand Sanwal

Anand Sanwal

Founder of CB Insights, now co-founder of Forge Prep, a 6th to 12th grade school

Founded CB Insights

Why themLeft a data company to rethink school and can explain why.

Anand’s advice: Start small and start now: one problem, the smallest version, and charge before it feels ready.

I started CB Insights with a blog and a spreadsheet, so my bias is to start small and start now. Pick one customer problem you can solve this week, build the smallest version, and charge before it feels ready.

Answered by their Delphi on .
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Andrew Gazdecki

Andrew Gazdecki

Founder and CEO of Acquire.com

Helped 2,000+ founders sell

Why themClear on when and how to sell a startup.

Andrew’s advice: A simple website and cold outreach; only a paying customer validates the business.

I started Bizness Apps with a simple website and a lot of cold outreach, because the only thing that actually validates a business is a customer willing to pay. Build the smallest version of your idea that solves one real problem, then go get your first paying customer before you worry about everything else.

Answered by their Delphi on .
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Nicolas Cole

Nicolas Cole

Co-founder of Ship 30 for 30 and Premium Ghostwriting Academy

Ghostwritten for 300+ leaders

Why themGood for anyone starting to write online or building a writing business.

Nicolas’s advice: One platform, one niche problem, one way to collect emails, then products from the questions people ask.

Pick one platform, one niche problem, and one way to collect emails. I built everything I have by writing on Quora and Twitter first, then turning the questions people kept asking into a $5 book, then a course, then Ship 30.

Answered by their Delphi on .
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David Jenyns

David Jenyns

Founder of SYSTEMology and systemHUB

Author and founder

Why themHelps owners document processes so the business runs without them.

David’s advice: Skip the tech stack: sell one offer by hand to ten people and document what got the yes.

I started Melbourne SEO Services and systemHUB online, and the trap is the same every time: you get seduced by the tech stack before you know what actually works. I’d pick one offer, sell it manually to ten people, then document what got the yes before I built anything to scale it.

Answered by their Delphi on .
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Cameron Herold

Cameron Herold

Founder of the COO Alliance and former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Author of 6 bestselling books

Why themKnows how to build the second-in-command role and scale operations.

Cameron’s advice: The internet is just the fastest way to reach a narrow customer; sell the fix to ten people first.

I don't start online businesses for the sake of being online. I start them because there's a painful, specific problem I can solve for a narrow customer, and the internet is just the fastest way to reach them. Stop building a website and start selling the fix to ten people who actually need it.

Answered by their Delphi on .
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Balaji Srinivasan

Balaji Srinivasan

Founder of The Network School and author of The Network State

Former CTO of Coinbase

Why themOriginal thinking on crypto, governance, and new kinds of communities.

Balaji’s advice: A prototype for ten paying users, then your own distribution through content instead of ads.

Start with a prototype that solves one real use case for ten people who will actually pay. Then go direct: build your own distribution through content and social media rather than buying ads or praying for press.

Answered by their Delphi on .
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Everyone’s advice at a glance

How 7 people answer: How do you start a business online?
WhoTheir advice
Brian HalliganCo-founder and longtime CEO of HubSpot; now builds Sequoia's CEO practiceTalk to users until the same pain repeats, then ship the smallest fix and watch what they do.
Anand SanwalFounder of CB Insights, now co-founder of Forge Prep, a 6th to 12th grade schoolStart small and start now: one problem, the smallest version, and charge before it feels ready.
Andrew GazdeckiFounder and CEO of Acquire.comA simple website and cold outreach; only a paying customer validates the business.
Nicolas ColeCo-founder of Ship 30 for 30 and Premium Ghostwriting AcademyOne platform, one niche problem, one way to collect emails, then products from the questions people ask.
David JenynsFounder of SYSTEMology and systemHUBSkip the tech stack: sell one offer by hand to ten people and document what got the yes.
Cameron HeroldFounder of the COO Alliance and former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?The internet is just the fastest way to reach a narrow customer; sell the fix to ten people first.
Balaji SrinivasanFounder of The Network School and author of The Network StateA prototype for ten paying users, then your own distribution through content instead of ads.

How to start a business online, step by step

  1. Pick one problem you understand. Brian Halligan says to start with a problem you've felt yourself and talk to potential users until the same pain shows up again and again.

  2. Sell it to ten people. David Jenyns and Cameron Herold both say to sell to ten people before building more. Balaji Srinivasan starts with a prototype for ten people who will pay.

  3. Build the smallest version. Anand Sanwal, Andrew Gazdecki, and Brian Halligan all say to build the smallest thing that solves the problem.

  4. Charge early. Anand Sanwal says to charge before it feels ready. Andrew Gazdecki says the only thing that validates a business is a customer willing to pay.

  5. Build your own audience. Nicolas Cole picks one platform and one way to collect emails. Balaji Srinivasan builds distribution through content and social media instead of buying ads.

  6. Write down what worked, then scale it. David Jenyns documents what got the yes before he builds anything to scale it.

Where they disagree

They differ on where the first customers come from. Andrew Gazdecki used cold outreach. Nicolas Cole and Balaji Srinivasan build an audience through writing and social media. Cameron Herold doesn't start online businesses for the sake of being online; for him the internet is the fastest way to reach a narrow customer with a painful problem.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a website to start an online business?

Not at first. Cameron Herold says to stop building a website and sell the fix to ten people who need it. Andrew Gazdecki started Bizness Apps with a simple website and cold outreach.

How do I get my first customers online?

Andrew Gazdecki used cold outreach. Nicolas Cole wrote on Quora and Twitter, then turned the questions people kept asking into a $5 book. Balaji Srinivasan builds an audience through content and social media.

When should I start charging?

Early. Anand Sanwal says to charge before it feels ready, and Balaji Srinivasan starts with ten people who will pay.

The bottom line

Pick one problem, sell the fix to ten people, and charge before it feels ready. Then ask the founder whose start looks most like yours what to do next.

How this page was made

We asked this question to founders on Delphi. Each quote is that person's Delphi answering in their own words, built from their own writing, talks, and interviews, and shown as given. Delphi wrote the introduction, the summary, and the steps from their answers. Last checked .

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