Founders get told to “just start building.”
So they do.
But instead of validating a behaviour, they outsource it.
They hand over mockups. They brief a spec. They wait for code.
What comes back is a checklist.
What’s missing is judgment.
Dev shops ship tickets.
They don’t care if those tickets matter.
They don’t care if that scope converts.
They care if it’s done.
This is how MVPs become dead weight.
You think you’re progressing.
But what you’re doing is externalising the hard part.
You’re turning assumptions into features.
You’re turning ideas into invoices.
No one will question your logic unless you stay close to it.
No one will protect your budget like you will.
So be ruthless.
Work with people who challenge the brief.
Who push back on scope.
Who know how to turn constraints into clarity.
Founders don’t need yes men.
They need build partners who give a shit.