The £40,000 Graveyard: Why Most Founders Bury Their Startup in Dev Costs
Every week, another founder tells us the same war story:
"We spent £40k on a dev team, and now we have a half-built app no one uses."
Classic.
You thought you were buying progress. What you really bought was delay, dressed up in code.
Here’s the inconvenient truth:
Most first-time founders treat building a product like ordering a latte. Choose a dev shop. Pay the bill. Wait for delivery.
But startups aren’t Amazon packages.
They’re science experiments with bank accounts.
Code is not progress. Users are.
You don’t need an app.
You need proof.
Proof that real people, with real pain, will:
- Pay attention
- Pay money
- Pay again
Until that happens, all you’re doing is burning money to feel busy.
The Three Graveyard Lies
Most founders get seduced by three common myths:
"We just need a prototype."
No you don’t. You need someone to buy, not browse."Let’s build the MVP first."
MVP doesn’t mean "most valuable platform." It means "minimum validation possible.""Once it's built, users will come."
If they’re not knocking now, they’re not coming later.
The 3-Test Method
At Presso, we don't touch code until your idea passes these three filters:
1. Sales Test
Can you pitch it today and get a yes?
Not hypothetically. Actually.
If you can't sell it now, building it won’t help.
2. Behaviour Test
Will people use a manual version?
No automation. No product. Just steps.
If they won’t jump through hoops for the outcome, your slick UI won’t save you.
3. Value Test
Can you deliver the outcome manually?
Can you get someone the result using Google Docs and duct tape? If not, code won’t change that.
Each one filters out another layer of delusion.
Most ideas die here. The right ones survive.
Pass all three? Now you earn the right to build.
Why Founders Fail
They build to feel legitimate. Not to get proof.
They chase product-market fit with tools, not with truth.
They outsource clarity to developers who don’t understand the market.
Here’s the punchline:
You don’t have a tech problem. You have a traction problem.
And traction is tested, not coded.
Before You Build
Ask:
- Can I sell this without code?
- Can I deliver this manually?
Do people care enough to try it the hard way?
If the answer is no, building won’t fix it.
Build Proof, Not Product
Stop chasing features. Start chasing truth.
Because building a startup is not about looking legit.
It’s about being undeniable.
Here’s what to think about next:
Do you want a pretty prototype?
Or do you want a real business?