The best founders are masters of both grit and strategy. They wear many hats and face countless setbacks, yet sustainable success often comes from working smarter — knowing where to focus their time and energy.

Brex, a financial partner to one in three venture-backed startups in the U.S., gathered advice from experienced founders to guide others through their entrepreneurial journeys. These 22 tips cover everything from validating ideas and raising capital to hiring, leadership, and scaling operations.

Their stories show that success often comes after trial and error, strong networks, and a return to first principles.

01. Fundraising is really hard, so find ways to stay positive.

“Everything is going to be OK in the end. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end.”
— Madeline Fraser, Founder and CEO, Gemist

02. Sell the bigger picture to get press coverage.

“If you’re trying to just sell your product or service, you may fall short. Instead, pitch a journalist a story that’s interesting and doesn’t feel like an ad. We’ve been featured in over 500 publications, all through cold outreach. If you give value to a journalist, you can get a lot of published content.”
— Zach Schleien, VP Marketing & Head of Matchmaking, Spark Networks

03. Choose a co-founder for impact, not speed.

“My biggest mistake was thinking I needed co-founders without knowing exactly why. Now, I’m clear about the unique value my current co-founders bring, and I respect them deeply. If a co-founder doesn’t add massive value, it’s better to keep going solo until the right person comes along.”
— Fabiano Rocha, Founder, Jumpstart Finance

04. Your network might be your exit plan.

“I met one of the founders of the company that acquired my business five years earlier — before I even had the idea for Send Ribbon. My exit came through my organic network and building relationships with other founders in New York’s tech scene.”
— Kelly Parker, Founder, Send Ribbon (acquired by UrbanStems)

05. Get the credit you need before you need it.

— Imran Syed, Founder and CEO, Hatchproof

06. Support your customers by being human first.

“Many say they can solve your finances through AI. Of course, we use AI to scale, but for big life-changing questions like, ‘Can I afford to buy this house?’ — you want to talk to a person you can trust. It all starts with being human.”
— Sam Lewis, Founder and CEO, Fruitful

07. Get clear on why you’re hiring.

“For most roles, I look at whether not hiring would mean leaving money on the table. For risk-related positions, I consider the potential issues we might face if something goes wrong.”
— Fabiano Rocha, Founder, Jumpstart Finance

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09. Get help understanding your financial strategy.

“Founders have three core imperatives: managing finances, evolving product–market fit, and retaining your best people. Tools like Brex give me the clarity I need without taking up the time I don’t have. It’s a true win.”
— Imran Syed, Founder and CEO, Hatchproof

10. Balance new features with bug fixes.

— Thomas Mirmotahari, Co-founder and CEO, PerkUp

11. Be comfortable putting yourself out there.

“You have to be OK with criticism. Success often requires doing things that feel cringe or shameless. Posting content is one of them — the only way to stop the scroll is to catch attention. But I never want to become a caricature; what I authentically feel often resonates the most.”
— Arjun Mahadevan, Founder and CEO, Doola

12. Remove the finance busywork from your plate.

“In my last business, I spent about two hours a week sorting and logging expenses — it was a real pain. Now I spend less than 10 minutes doing it with Brex.”
— Hunter Brooks, Co-founder and CEO, Ellipsis

13. Hard work will bring you the right mentors.

“You can’t be afraid of failure; the key is to put yourself out there and meet people. You probably won’t find the perfect mentor right away — you’ll need different ones at each stage of your company. Choose mentors who respect and support your vision unconditionally.”
— Madeline Fraser, Founder and CEO, Gemist

14. You can’t do it all — so don’t feel like you have to.

“Employees were using personal cards for expenses, travel, and stipends, and then sending me emails for reimbursement. I asked myself, ‘Why am I doing this every month?’ I didn’t know a solution like Brex existed that was so easy yet appropriate for small and growing teams.”
— Jake Disraeli, Co-founder and CEO, Treet

15. Don’t be afraid to use your own playbook for recruiting.

— Andrew Rea, Co-founder and CEO, Taxwire

16. Go all in on the grand vision when pitching investors.

“A big challenge early in fundraising was pitching something bigger than today’s solution — it sometimes felt like exaggerating. But that’s what you’re raising money for: to bring the idea to the next level. Good investors want to see your vision and where you’ll take the company.”
— Avante Price, CEO, Posh

17. Try gamification to create community and drive loyalty.

“Gamification adds fun, urgency, and a feedback loop. The more your product feels part of someone’s identity, the better your retention, revenue predictability, and business value. Airlines and hotels use this in their loyalty programs — it keeps users engaged.”
— Parth Detroja, Founder and CEO, PairAI

18. Consider emerging channels in your growth strategy.

“Social media is a great way to test the market. I started with TikTok to gauge interest in our services. For organic growth, TikTok is best because discoverability is the easiest.”
— Kathryn Cross, Founder, Anja Health

19. Bring everyone into the trenches.

“At Public, every manager is also an individual contributor. We want people who love the craft and obsess over the product. It’s easy to get distracted as you scale, but staying close to the work is critical.”
— Leif Abraham, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Public

20. Embrace AI but don’t force-fit it into your product.

— Zoe Weil, Founder, Faber Labs

21. Prioritize customer growth over perfecting pitch decks.

“I believe that if you focus on the business, everything else follows. We prioritized customer growth and delight over refining pitch decks, and it paid off in fundraising thanks to positive customer testimonials.”
— Paul Lee, CEO, Patlytics

22. Combine government innovation funds with visionary venture capital.

— Maeve Wang, Co-founder and CEO, IAMBIC

These lessons collectively underscore that building a successful startup requires resilience, adaptability, and a focus on fundamentals — from financial discipline to hiring wisely, building networks, and staying close to the product and customers.

This article is a summarized adaptation of content originally published by Brex. To read the full version, visit the original site: brex.com