The zero-to-three stage of many projects

The zero-to-three stage of many projects

Survive your startup or project before you figure out how to grow it. That's the part some creators, entrepreneurs, or project initiators don't give enough attention to.

The zero2three stage occurs from the inception of your idea until it's three years old. It is the fragile, messy, soul-shaking early phase of starting a business, where more things fall apart than come together and where the most significant threat isn't competition. Fatigue, isolation, self-doubt, and sometimes delusion take over.

What we're told

We're sold on the idea that success is linear. That you map a plan, stick to it, hustle, and "just believe."

But in reality, many coaching conversations with early-stage founders don't sound like that. They sound more like:

"I think I made a mistake leaving my job."

"I haven't paid myself in months."

"I love what I do, but I'm exhausted."

"I'm supposed to scale, right? But I can barely make it."

This zero2three stage isn't about scaling. It's about staying.

Staying in the ring. Staying focused when everything around you is shaking. Staying you, when you don't know who you are anymore.

What coaching can give you at this stage

It's not strategy first. It's not structure first.

It's survival with structure, clarity in the chaos, and a reminder that the person building the thing needs just as much attention as the thing being built.

Because here's my truth:

Some early-stage businesses don't fail because the product was bad. They fail because the founder lost the will to keep going.

Or he scaled too early. Or she hired too fast. Or he thought he needed 10,000 followers when he needed 10 customers.

What I wish more founders knew

✅ You don't need a five-year plan. You need a 90-day runway.

✅ You don't need a million users. You need to solve one real problem for one real person and get paid for it.

✅ You don't need to look like a founder. You need to feel like a human.

You will pivot. You will get it wrong. You will forget why you started. Hopefully, you will eventually get something right.

You will learn that every no is information. That momentum beats perfection. Find a coach who will support you. Coaching isn't a luxury — it's a tool for oxygen when gasping in month 13.

Some founders wait too long to ask for help

There's this pride that early-stage founders carry — a badge of grit that says,

"I'll figure it out on my own."

Until you don't.

Until the burn hits. Or your personal life crashes. Or you spend six months building something no one wants. Or you realize your pricing does not make sense.

This isn't failure. It's feedback. But if no one can help you interpret the feedback, you start believing it's you.

And that's not good..

Our role as coaches in the zero2three stage

We're here to ask you:

"What do you need today?"

"What's draining you?"

"What would make this feel lighter?"

We're here to remind you that you're allowed to change your mind, to rest, and to succeed according to your benchmark, not someone else's formula.

As business coaches:

Sometimes, we're strategists. Sometimes, we're a mirror. Sometimes, we're the annoying voice that says, "That sounds great, but how does it help your customer?"

And sometimes, we're just the people who believe in you when you forget how to believe in yourself.

Final thought

If you're in your zero2three stage — I see you.

You're not behind. You're building. It's supposed to be this difficult. Not because you're doing it wrong, but because building something from nothing demands more of you than any book can teach. Sometimes, difficult is fun.

But you don't have to do it alone.

Find your people. Get support. Get support just in time, where it hurts most.

Success isn't a finish line. It's the permission to build something that feels like you, one brave, messy, aligned decision at a time.

💬 What year are you in — zero, one, two, or three?