Startup Anti-Patterns
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
An anti-pattern is a common process that appears effective but has more bad consequences than good.
The article introduces the concept of startup anti-patterns, drawing on Simeon Simeonov's 2013 work. Anti-patterns are patterns that increase startup failure risk, though pursuing one doesn't guarantee immediate death. Itamar Novick and Simeonov are creating a series with examples from their experience as founders and investors in 100+ startups. The article includes a working list of 75 anti-patterns, including Elephant hunting, Ignorance, Platform risk, and If you build it they will come, noting the list is not drawn to scale and some patterns are more common or dangerous than others.
What commenters are saying
Commenters split into three camps: those who find the list useful but generic, those who debate specific anti-patterns like tech stack choices, and those who argue anti-patterns are only knowable in hindsight. One top comment suggests "Pretending you are Google" as a missing anti-pattern, arguing startups should prioritize simplicity over scalability planning. Another commenter claims Python is an anti-pattern for startups due to performance and type checking, sparking pushback from those who value development velocity. Others advise that outside advisors who challenge assumptions help founders recognize anti-patterns in real time.