The startup black hole, it's a dark and confusing place

Recently there has been a glut of posts discussing the dark times during a startups journey, right now thats something I can totally relate to. I regularly meet with other startups in their infancy, they have all had an idea that's been validated by friends and loved ones, the initial buzz of launching has passed and in sets the fear and confusion of what happens now.

It starts with questioning everything, why is our traffic not exploding? where is the hockey stick growth I'd anticipated? then the realisation that you never actually validated your idea in the first place, there was no plan to get into a market, simply launching and tweeting should have been enough. This generally lasts for 2-3 months, followed by a succession of pivot ideas, each one is spun up to the point of identifying features and getting that excitement back and then shot down when you inevitably find a flaw in the plan, or realise it's been executed perfectly elsewhere.

Desperation starts to creep in, the runway shortens and pivots tend to get more extreme. It's easy to pick out the guys that are in this trench, they stop talking about what they are doing, and are more interested in you than they have ever been. Failing, going through this process and surviving seems to be the journey most people go through. If you can avoid the cracks, keep some focus and hang in there you've got a shot at being one of the few that make it through (it's that easy right?)

if you are feeling the pinch or can relate to this, share your thoughts ,maybe it'll help someone!