Diwakar Kumar Singh's Linkedin Analytics

18 Months. 3 Brutal Business Lessons I Wish I Knew Earlier. When I decided to go all-in and build our agency, I expected long hours. What I didn’t expect was how much the lack of capital and clarity would cost me. Here are 3 hard-earned lessons I want every new founder to know: 1. No Seed Fund? Prepare for a Slower, Rougher Climb. Hard work alone isn’t the problem Scaling without savings is. Without funds to hire, invest, or even breathe, growth becomes survival. If you're starting from scratch, try saving up at least 12 months of runway. It’ll buy you freedom. 2. Build Your Brand Before You Sell. I didn’t have a network. I didn’t have funding. But I had content, consistency, and conversations. Your brand is your compound interest. Sales will follow if trust is built. 3. First Hire = Sales. Always. Don’t hire for operations. Don’t hire for delivery. Hire for revenue. A sales-first hire gave us clarity, momentum, and confidence. Everything changed from there. If you're building something from scratch, This post is your shortcut to a few fewer regrets. What was the hardest early-stage lesson you had to learn?

One mistake most performance marketers make? Discovery Call ≠ Sales Pitch. Don't treat discovery calls like interviews to impress the client. But real growth starts when you ask the right questions to understand if you can deliver results. Right Question = Right roadmap = Right Execution = Happy client Here’s what I always ask on a performance marketing discovery call: ✅ 1. What’s your current cost per acquisition (CPA) or lead? If they don’t know, start by helping them define it. That’s where the real gap lives. ✅ 2. What platform(s) have you tried before, and what failed? No need to repeat the same expensive mistakes. ✅ 3. Do you have ad creatives ready or need support there, too? Because performance doesn’t start with targeting it starts with messaging. ✅ 4. What’s your ideal ROI timeline? Some want instant results. Others want sustainable growth. Know what you’re signing up for. ✅ 5. Who’s handling follow-ups or lead nurturing on your side? A great campaign can die fast if leads aren’t handled well. Bonus: I also ask, “Why now?” It helps reveal their urgency, intent, and mindset. If you're not asking the right questions, You’re just selling a service instead of solving a problem. 💬 Want a complete list of discovery call questions? Comment " Yes" and I will share with you the link.

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