The Firehose Effect: What I Learned About Learning, Listening, and Leading in the Early Days
Hey,
Welcome back to Founder Mode!
I want to share something with you today. It's about those early days when everything feels like chaos. You know the feeling. You join a startup or start something new, and it's like drinking from a firehose. Information comes at you from every direction. You're supposed to know everything yesterday.
I've been there. And I've made every mistake in the book.
But here's what I learned: The chaos isn't the problem. How we handle it is.
Here are five lessons that changed how I see learning, listening, and leading. These aren't theories from a textbook. They come from tough lessons learned through open talks, failures, and wins.
Lesson 1: Slow Down to Speed Up
When I first started, I thought speed was everything. Move fast. Break things. Get information out there. The faster I talked, the more I explained, the better, right?
Wrong.
I was creating my own firehose effect. I’d unload everything on new team members or potential customers. Features, benefits, vision, roadmap. All at once. I thought I was being thorough. Really, I was being overwhelming.
Here's what changed my mind: I watched a new hire struggle for weeks with something I explained once. Just once. I assumed they got it. They nodded. They took notes. But they didn't really understand. And I didn't realize it until much later.
That's when it hit me. Saying something once isn't teaching. Even saying it twice isn't enough. Real understanding takes time. It takes repetition. It takes patience.
Now I do things differently. When I bring someone new onto the team, I slow down. I explain the same concept multiple times. I check for understanding. Not in a condescending way, but in a genuine way. "Does this make sense?" isn't enough. I ask them to explain it back to me. I ask how they'd use this information.
Yes, it feels slower. Yes, it feels repetitive. But you know what? People actually learn. They retain information. They feel confident. And in the long run, we move faster because everyone's on the same page.
The best leaders I know do this. They don't rush through onboarding. They don't assume one explanation is enough. They deliberately slow down, even when their instincts push them to go faster.
Think about it like building a foundation. You can pour concrete fast, but if it doesn't set right, your building might be unstable. Or you can take the time to do it right. The building might take longer to start, but it stands strong for years.
That's leadership. Slow down now to speed up later.
Lesson 2: Listen First, Solve Second
I used to think I was a good listener. I'd sit in meetings. I'd nod. I'd take notes. But really? I was waiting for my turn to talk.
I came up with my solution before the customer finished talking. I knew what they needed. Or so I thought.
Here's a tough memory: I spent 30 minutes pitching a solution to a possible customer. I was proud of that pitch. It was polished. It covered everything. At the end, they said, "That's interesting, but that's not really our problem."
My face went red. I had completely misunderstood what they needed.
Your first grasp of a customer's problem is likely incorrect. Maybe not completely wrong, but incomplete. You're seeing symptoms, not the disease. You're hearing what they say, not what they mean.
To boost sales and develop products, start by listening. Deep listening. The kind where you shut up and let the customer talk. Where you ask follow-up questions. Where you dig deeper.
I learned to ask better questions:
- "Tell me more about that."
- "What does that look like in your day-to-day?"
- "How does that affect your team?"
- "What have you tried before?"
And then I learned to wait. To let silence hang in the air. People fill silence with truth. They keep talking. They reveal the real issue.
Often, the problem they lead with isn't the real problem. It's the acceptable problem. The one they're comfortable sharing. The deeper issue comes out later, once they trust you.
I had a customer once who said they needed to reduce call volume. Simple, right? But as I listened, really listened, I learned the real problem. Their best support agents were burning out. The call volume was just a symptom. The real issue was retention, morale, and training.
It transformed my entire approach to the solution.
Now I start every conversation the same way. I ask questions. I listen. I take notes. And I don't pitch until I truly understand the problem. Not the surface problem. The real, burning, keep-them-up-at-night problem.
This is hard. Especially when you’re excited about your project. You want to jump to the solution. But resist that urge. Listen first. Solve second.
Lesson 3: Win the Battle Before the War
When you bring in something new and disruptive, you face a challenge. People are skeptical. They've heard big promises before. They don't believe you.
So what do you do?
I used to lead with the big vision. "We’ll revolutionize how you work with AI for greater efficiency." Sounds great, right? But customers would glaze over. Too big. Too vague. Too much like every other pitch they'd heard.
I learned to flip the script. Start small. Win one battle first. Then talk about the war.
Find the immediate, tangible benefit. The thing they'll see value from on day one. Not in six months. Not after a full rollout. Day one.
For us, that was often "We'll cut your call volume by 20% in the first month." That's concrete. That's measurable. That's believable.
Once they see that win, everything changes. They trust you. They engage. They want to know more. Now you can talk about the bigger vision. Now they will take in your ideas on AI, efficiency, and transformation.
But not before. Never before.
Think of it like dating. You don't propose on the first date. You don't even talk about marriage on the first date. You have a good conversation. You make them laugh. You show you're worth a second date. The bigger commitment comes later, when you’ve earned trust.
Business is the same way. Give them a small win. Something they can see, touch, and measure. Something that makes their life easier right now.
I had a customer who was drowning in support tickets. I could have mentioned our full platform, its features, and the benefits over time. Instead, I said, "Let's tackle your most common question first. We'll automate responses to that one issue. You'll see results in a week."
They agreed. We delivered. That one small win opened the door to everything else.
This approach does something else too. It reduces your risk. If the small thing doesn't work, you haven't bet the farm. You learn, adjust, and try again. But usually, it does work. And that small win becomes your foot in the door.
Start with the battle. Win it convincingly. Then talk about the war.
Lesson 4: Every No Is a Data Point
I hate rejection. Always have. When someone rejected our product, I took it personally. I felt like I'd failed.
But then I changed how I looked at it. Every interaction is data. Every no tells you something. Every confused look gives you information.
Your first pitch will be wrong. Accept it. Your tenth pitch will be better. Your hundredth will be pretty good. But that first one? It's a starting point, not a finish line.
I remember our early customer calls. I'd finish and think, "That went terribly." And it did. But then I'd ask myself: "What did I learn? What would I do differently?"
Sometimes the lesson was about the pitch. I was using jargon they didn't understand. I was talking too fast. I was focusing on features they didn't care about.
Sometimes the lesson was about the customer. They weren't the right fit. They didn't have the problem we solved. They weren't ready for our solution.
Both lessons are valuable.
I started keeping notes after every call. Not just what happened, but what I'd change. Those notes became gold. I'd review them before the next call. I'd adjust my approach. Slowly, my pitch evolved.
Here's the thing about iteration: It never stops. Even now, months or years later, I'm still learning. Still adjusting. Still improving.
Customer reactions vary. What works for one doesn't work for another. That's not a bug. It's a feature. You’re exploring different customer segments. You’re identifying their pain points and finding new ways to offer value.
Rejection is part of the process. It's not fun. But it's necessary. Each no gets you closer to yes. A confused customer shows you how to better clarify your message. Each objection helps you strengthen your offer.
I had a stretch where I got ten nos in a row. Ten. It was brutal. But I learned something from each one. By the eleventh call, I was ready. I knew what questions to ask. I knew what objections would come up. I knew how to address them. And I got a yes.
Those ten nos weren't failures. They were lessons. Expensive lessons, maybe. Time-consuming lessons, definitely. But lessons nonetheless.
So embrace early iteration. Don't expect perfection. Expect progress. Track what you learn. Apply it. Adjust. And keep going.
Lesson 5: Practice Makes Progress
Here's something nobody tells you about new roles: You have to practice.
Not just do the work. Practice. Deliberately. Like an athlete or a musician.
When I started doing demo calls, I thought showing up was enough. I'd wing it. I'd figure it out on the fly. After all, I knew the product. I knew the value. How hard could it be?
Turns out, pretty hard.
The best salespeople I know don't wing it. They practice. They rehearse their pitch. They anticipate objections. They role-play tough conversations.
I started doing the same. Before a big call, I'd practice my opening. I'd write down potential questions and my answers. I'd even practice in front of a mirror sometimes. (Yes, I felt ridiculous. Yes, it helped.)
But practice isn't just about rehearsing what to say. It's about reflecting on what happened.
After each call, I'd ask myself:
- What went well?
- What felt awkward?
- Where did I lose them?
- What would I do differently?
The real learning occurs in this reflection. You're not just repeating the same actions. You're improving them. You're getting better.
Perseverance matters too. Novel roles are hard. You're going to fail. You're going to have bad days. You're going to want to quit.
I had those moments. Days where nothing worked. Where every call was a disaster. Where I questioned if I was cut out for this.
But I kept going. Not out of stubbornness (though that helped). Out of commitment to getting better.
Success in new roles isn't about talent. It's about resilience plus deliberate practice. It’s showing up, doing the work, thinking it over, making changes, and showing up again.
Think of it like learning an instrument. You don't pick up a guitar and play like a pro. You practice scales. You make mistakes. You sound terrible for a while. But if you stick with it, if you practice deliberately, you get better.
Business skills are the same. You're not born knowing how to pitch, or negotiate, or lead. You learn. You practice. You improve.
The key word is "deliberate." Not just practice, but deliberate practice. Practice with intention. Practice with reflection. Focus on getting better through practice, not just doing it over and over.
What sets apart those who improve from those who only gain experience?
Five Key Takeaways
Let me distill everything into five things you can apply today:
1. Repeat yourself more than feels comfortable. When teaching or leading, repeat key points three times. Use three different ways to share them. This helps everyone grasp the message better. Check for understanding. Don't assume one explanation is enough. Your goal isn't to feel efficient. It's to ensure people actually learn.
2. Ask one more question before you pitch. Whatever you think the problem is, dig deeper. Ask "why" one more time. Let the customer keep talking. The real issue often appears in the third or fourth layer of a conversation, not in the first.
3. Find your Day One win. Find the smallest, clearest benefit you can offer. Something measurable that happens fast. Lead with that. Save your big vision for after you've built trust with results.
4. Track what you learn from every interaction. Keep a simple log. After each call or meeting, write down one thing you'd do differently. Review these notes regularly. Let your approach change with real feedback, not by guessing.
5. Practice before the pressure. Don't wing important conversations. Rehearse. Write down potential objections and your responses. Reflect after each attempt. Deliberate practice beats raw experience every time.
Final Thoughts
Looking back at my early days, I cringe at some of my mistakes. The customers I confused. The team members I overwhelmed. The opportunities I missed because I was too busy talking to listen.
But here's what I've come to understand: Everyone goes through this. Everyone drinks from the firehose. Everyone makes these mistakes.
People who grow and those who stagnate don’t differ by avoiding mistakes. It's learning from them.
These five lessons didn't come easy. They arose from tough talks and difficult truths. From customers who gave me honest feedback. From team members who trusted me enough to tell me I was moving too fast.
If you're in the early days of something new, know this: It's supposed to be hard. You're supposed to feel overwhelmed. You're supposed to make mistakes.
But you're not supposed to make the same mistakes forever.
Slow down when you need to. Listen more than you talk. Win small before you win big. Treat every interaction as a chance to learn. And practice deliberately, not just repeatedly.
These aren't just lessons about sales or startups. They're lessons about growth. About becoming better at anything new.
The firehose never really stops. There's always more to learn. More to improve. More to figure out.
But you can learn to drink from it without drowning.
You can turn chaos into clarity.
You can get better, one conversation at a time.
That's what I'm still doing. Every single day.
Thanks for reading!
See you on Friday,
-kevin
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