Newsletter No. 19 | The Hardest Part? Actually Committing.

Last time, I talked about how too many businesses hold onto the wrong things for too long. They keep underperforming projects alive just because they generate some revenue—but in reality, they drain focus, time, and execution power. The takeaway? Cut the distractions.

But there’s another side to the problem. Most people don’t commit deeply enough to one thing. Instead of holding onto too much, they chase too many things at once. They hesitate, they explore, they hedge their bets—because, let’s be honest, committing to one path is scary. But here’s the truth: You don’t discover the perfect idea. You make an idea work. Just like dating. Swiping endlessly doesn’t bring you love—at some point, you have to commit, put in the effort, and figure it out together.

One Insight from Me

Most of what actually matters in a venture can’t be figured out in advance. You only learn it by doing:

1 | Do I actually enjoy working on this?
You might think AI-powered robotic toothbrushes are the future, but do you really want to spend five years selling them?

2 | What’s the real customer problem?
Everyone wants automation—sure, it saves money. But why don’t off-the-shelf solutions work? What’s the actual pain point?

3 | What existing solutions are out there, and how do they differ?
Who’s already doing this? Are you actually solving a problem, or are you just making another overpriced productivity SaaS that nobody asked for?

4 | What makes us different—besides enthusiasm?
Passion is great. So is coffee. But what’s your actual edge? And no, “we’re cheaper” isn’t a strategy—unless your whole business model is Aldi meets AI.

5 | Is this idea Switzerland-ready, or just another overhyped Silicon Valley trend?
Some ideas thrive in the Swiss market. Others? Not so much. Just because it works in San Francisco doesn’t mean it will fly in Zürich.

6 | Can we actually pull this off?
You don’t need a 50-page business plan. But you do need to know if you have the right skills, resources, and market conditions to make this work. Execution > Theory.

Most teams never get these answers because they don’t stick with one thing long enough to find out. They keep hedging, pivoting, or starting from scratch. And that’s why they fail.

What Happens When You Don’t Commit?

I saw this firsthand in my first-ever project with dawn. A successor wanted to expand his family’s B2B manufacturing business by launching a D2C e-commerce brand—essentially selling the same product, but directly to consumers. On paper? Smart move. In reality? It never took off. Not because the idea was bad. Not even because the execution was wrong. But because the commitment wasn’t there.

They treated it like a side hustle. A let’s see if this works experiment rather than a real business. Instead of sticking with the idea and iterating, they were constantly evaluating whether they should do this or something else—always keeping one foot in, one foot out. And here’s the thing: If you don’t commit to an idea fully, you’ll never get deep enough to see what actually makes it work.

By the time they started seeing real challenges, their runway was gone, and they hadn’t put in enough focused effort to figure out how to make the model work. They were waiting for things to take off instead of making them take off.

One Question for You

Are you still thinking about the perfect idea, or are you picking one and making it work?

One Opportunity for Us

Ever wanted to know what VCs actually think of your idea? Now’s your chance.

I’m sharing a unique research study where over 100 Swiss VCs are analyzing real startup pitch decks to understand how investors evaluate startups and predict their success.

How it works:

• If you submit your pitch deck (pre-seed version), it will be anonymized to remove all identifying details.
• If selected, it will be reviewed by 50+ experienced VCs.
• You’ll receive a report or analysis on how VCs assessed your pitch—giving you direct insight into what makes a startup fundable.

Interested? Reply to this email, and I’ll connect you with the research team.