7 Deadly $500k a Year Mistakes to Avoid
Jan 30, 2024I wrote about 7 Mistakes I see agency owners make, too good to keep a secret:
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Afraid of rejection. Scared to ask for what they want, afraid to be told no. Hence trapping themselves in the same situation again and again.
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Solution mode too early. Didn’t listen to the client enough to understand the core problem, jumped into problem-solving mode way too early.
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Failed to identify champion. Not enough time was spent on building trust, did not identify an internal champion who would help to close the deal.
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No follow through. After the initial contact, nothing was done to keep the client in-the-loop and updated with your availability and offer.
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Unrealistic expectations. Never specified the expected outcome, over-promised in the scope. Did not set-up the engagement as an experiment instead of working deliverables.
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Broken system: Running an agency is as much about building repeatable systems as build a product company.
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Scaling too early: It’s tempting to hire all your friends when you land that second client. But pay attention to your margin.
I learned many things on the way to making $500k/y, things that every developer turned agency founder should know and have in the their tool belt.
It took me a long time to realize that being good at selling is really just having the thick skin to repeatedly try new ways to become a more likeable person, while being repeatedly told no.
I spent hundreds of hours over 3 months, 120 interviews, and a decade and half of my agency and software development experience to create the Practical guide to building a $500K/Year Solo Dev Agency playbook.
Join 400 readers and agency owners who've used my playbook to boost their existing revenue.