7 lessons I learnt from building a new business.

39 days. One new company. Two retainer agreements signed. Together, they marked a significant start for Ember42.

And I’ll be honest, I was thrilled beyond words. Because after three weeks of hustling, shaping ideas into presentations, pitching those ideas to two prospects, going back and forth on scope, and refining the details, both agreements finally came through.

For a new business, that is momentum. It is affirmation. It is trust placed in something that, until very recently, existed only as an idea, a point of view, a proposition, and a whole lot of conviction.

And somewhere in between all that, I was also incorporating a new company… in a new country with a new set of requirements and quirks. Cue the many moving parts: corporate secretary, accountant, tax advisor, lawyers, paperwork, bank account requirements, tax questions, contractual details, and all the things that remind you that starting a business is never just about having a good idea. It is about building a proper foundation that can support growth when that day comnes.

I’ve co-founded a company, led two companies as CEO and headed up functions, markets and teams before. But starting Ember42 feels entirely different. Interestingly, amidst all that chaos is a sense of calmness, level-headedness and clarity I don’t think I had in quite the same way before. Maybe that is what experience gives you. The wins helped, of course. I won’t pretend otherwise.

But what feels different this time is the way I understand what comes after that. The discipline, structure, patience, boundaries, the need to protect what you are building while still giving it everything you have.

So this piece is partly a reminder to myself and partly to share my perspectives with other would-be entrepreneurs still figuring out their next move, and for anyone starting again after having built, won, failed, learnt and carried on. Here are seven lessons I’ve learnt on my own journey to this point:

1. Get your finances straight

You are going to need your finances to build a sustainable business. That may sound obvious, but it is often the least glamorous part of starting up, so people avoid looking at it too closely. You’ll need to ask the difficult questions and also answer them honestly:

• How much do I need to start?

• How much do I need to keep going?

• What can I afford to invest now?

• What must wait?

• What does “enough” look like, not just for the business, but for me?

In today’s startup world, raising funds has become so celebrated that we sometimes forget the most basic thing: a business still needs to make money.

When I was running my previous tech startup, I remember my dad asking me why I was spending so much time pitching to raise funds instead of focusing on sales and building relationships with customers and partners.

He is a self-made entrepreneur who took his own company to IPO many moons ago, so he knows more than a thing or two about building a successful business. And till today, I still hear that question in my head.

Funding can help you grow, yes. But customers are what give your business a reason to exist.

This time, I am much clearer about that. Not because I don’t believe in ambition. I absolutely do. But ambition without financial discipline can quickly become anxiety dressed up as hustle. And that is not how I want to build.

2. Pay yourself, even at the beginning

You may have to take a significant pay cut from your last employed role. That is part of the trade-off many founders make.

But pay yourself a decent salary.

Not an extravagant one that drains the business before it has found its footing. But enough for you to feel like your time, energy, experience and knowledge are valuable.

Because getting paid zero month after month while waiting to break even can be deeply demoralising. And frankly, it is not sustainable.

I understand why founders do it. When cash is tight, the founder is usually the first person to take the hit. You tell yourself it is temporary, that the business needs it more and you’ll catch up later. Sometimes, that may be necessary for a short period. But it should not become the operating model.

You are building a business. You are also part of the business. So your salary is not just an expense. It is a reminder that your work has value.

And if you do not value your own time, experience and contribution, it becomes much harder to expect others to do so.

3. Legitimise what you do

I feel this is one of the most important but sometimes challenging thing to work on. Being a contractor or freelancer can feel like the easier route. It’s certainly simpler, cheaper and gets you started faster. And for some people, that may be the right route.

However, if what you are really building is a business, then treat it like one. Put things in black and white.

Create the right structure. Get proper agreements in place. Be clear on scope, ownership, payment terms, confidentiality, responsibilities and expectations. And most importantly, protect your know-how, your ideas, your frameworks, your connections and access, your experience and everything you have learnt that you now bring into your work.

These are your greatest assets.

Your knowledge isn’t free. Your experience isn’t one that can be bartered with. Your relationships nurtured over time aren’t exchangeable. Your ideas aren’t just ideas when they are what clients are paying you to bring into a project.

This is also where I would challenge anyone who thinks legitimacy is just about incorporation. It’s not.

Creating an entity has real purpose, as do the contracts, clauses, commercial terms, IP protections, insurance, tax structure, compliance and professional advice around it.

Yes, it may cost more upfront but there is something powerful about saying: this is real, this is mine, this is valuable, and this needs to be protected.

4. Don’t overthink it

There is never a perfect time to start a business. You can plan, research, analyse, ask around, compare yourself to others and second-guess every decision until the original idea starts to lose its spark. Some call this “analysis paralysis”. And they’re right.

At some point, you just have to begin. That does not mean being reckless. It does not mean quitting everything overnight with no plan, no savings and no sense of what you are offering. But it does mean accepting that clarity often comes from doing, not just thinking.

You learn when you speak to prospects, when someone asks a question you were not ready for, when you try to explain your mission in one sentence and realise you have made it too complicated. You learn when someone says yes… and when someone says no.

The important thing is to start with something you are genuinely good at, and something you care enough about to keep showing up for when the excitement wears off. Because it will get hard.

Passion alone will not carry you. But it will help you stay connected to why you started.

5. Find someone who will tell you the truth

Not just someone who only cheers you on. You need encouragement, yes. Especially in the early days when everything feels fragile and half-formed. But you also need someone who can tell you when something does not make sense. Someone who’ll cheer you on but has no qualms about saying:

“I don’t get it.” “You are trying to do too much.” “That description is too vague.” “That pricing does not reflect your value.” “You are not thinking clearly here.”

Find yourself an advisor or mentor who is bluntly honest, but whom you trust. Blunt without trust can feel careless. Trust without honesty can become comforting but unhelpful.

When you are building, especially at the beginning, you need clarity. You need someone who sees you, sees the work, and is willing to help you sharpen both. I’m ever so grateful I have my husband who’s both my loudest cheerleader and critic.

6. Know when to say no

Or even be prepared to walk away from what looks, to everyone else, like a great opportunity.

This one is tough, especially when you are starting out and every opportunity feels like it could matter. But your time, energy and attention are limited.

I’ve learnt the hard way that not every opportunity is the right opportunity. Some will distract and drain you. Some will pull you away from the business you are actually trying to build. Some will look impressive from the outside, but feel completely wrong once you are inside the conversation.

To me, knowing when to say no is also a form of self-love. It’s how you protect your time and standards. And it’s how you protect the business from becoming shaped by every request, every opportunity and every person who wants access to your thinking without valuing it properly.

And related to this, build boundaries from the start. Keep the naysayers at a distance while you build. Not everyone deserves access to your early-stage dreams.

And honestly, stay off social media for a while if you need to. Build quietly. Think clearly. Share less than you feel tempted to. Then, when you are ready, share what you have built with the world.

7. Make time for your people

The business will always ask for more… more time, more attention, more energy, more of you.

There will always be another email to send, another deck to refine, another proposal to tweak, another document to review, another idea to chase.

So make time for yourself and the people you love. Appreciate their care, support and presence. Because no Founder really builds alone. Even when your name is on the company documents, when you are the one pitching, deciding, signing, worrying and carrying the responsibility.

There are always people quietly holding the edges of your life together while you build. Do not forget them. And more importantly, do not forget yourself.

While I’m giving myself time to celebrate... fully, gratefully and with a very full heart… the real work is calling my name. The journey to this starting point has been absolutely exciting, grounding, slightly surreal and deeply affirming all at once.

For anyone reading this who is planning to or is making the bold move to start something new… go for it, you can do it. Really. I’m sending you all the positive vibes to make it happen.