Launching a startup can happen really quickly. Making it a real business — Now, that takes a lot of time. But how much time does it take to make a successful startup?

I get asked this question a lot. The short answer is it takes at least 4 years just to get pointed toward a real business, and I’d argue it takes 7-10 years to make your startup truly the success that you had in mind when that idea came to you.

Having been part of the journey of thousands of startup founders and having started lots of companies myself, I’ve noticed a very consistent pattern in how those formative years come together which I’d like to share with you.

If you’re reading this and nodding your head along the way it’s not because I̵...