Dave, a recent addition to the North Forge Founders Program, is an agentic business platform for trades contractors.
Of the nearly 4 million construction businesses in Canada and the US, most still run on fragmented apps and spreadsheets. Existing software records data but doesn't act on it. Dave models their operational flow and executes the work: estimates, invoices, payments, and project management. The more they use it, the more it automates. Just like a person would!
Like most early-stage startups, the path to building Dave hasn’t been linear.
In this post, the Dave team shares their perspective on some of the challenges they’ve faced so far, from shaping the right product to navigating uncertainty, and what they’ve learned by working through them. Their experience offers a real look at what it’s really like to build a startup in the early days.
Lessons Learned Building a Startup
Building a startup is full of trial and error, especially when you start working with your first customers. Here’s a look at the lessons the Dave team has learned along the way that might resonate with founders across the board.
1. Winning Has Mattered More Than Being Right
Early on, Dave was positioned around a specific niche: tools for general contractors. But as the team talked to more pros, it became clear that the original framing didn’t quite match the real needs they were discovering.
Instead of clinging to that first concept, the team listened, learned, and pivoted toward something that genuinely worked. What mattered wasn’t being “right” about the original idea, it was giving the product the best chance to succeed long term. This process led them to build a totally different platform that is now gaining traction.
Key takeaway: Being willing to change your mind early is more valuable than being attached to your first idea.
2. Let Users Shape the Product…But With Direction
User feedback has influenced nearly every major decision Dave has made. But not all feedback is equally useful. Customers are great at explaining pain points, but not always at sketching the perfect solution.
The team found that focusing on patterns across many conversations, rather than individual feature requests, helped avoid feature creep and kept the product focused.
Key takeaway: A product that does a few things really well wins over one trying to solve every edge case.
3. Deep Industry Understanding Is as Important as the Product
The founders didn’t just build software. They immersed themselves in the contracting world, testing any competitor tools they could find, watching how pros worked in the field, and studying the industry.
This deep industry context helped them make better product decisions and avoid building in a vacuum.
Key takeaway: To build something meaningful, you have to understand the ecosystem it lives in.
4. Most Things Take Longer Than You Think
From technical work to refining the product strategy, nearly everything took more time than expected. At first frustrating, the team learned to plan for it, accepting that slow, steady progress often results in stronger outcomes.
Key takeaway: Patience and persistence matter more than trying to rush everything.
5. There’s No One “Right” Way to Build a Startup
Advice varies wildly, from launching early with users to waiting until the product feels complete. The Dave team realized the real answer depended on their audience, product, and stage.
Rather than chasing a universal playbook, they focused on what made sense for them.
Key takeaway: Commit to a direction and give it time. There’s no single best approach.
6. Talking to People Has Helped More Than Expected
Reaching out to contractors, other founders, and people further along the path has been one of the most underrated parts of the journey. These conversations helped ground decisions and provide clarity.
Key takeaway: Seek broad input, but synthesize it thoughtfully.
7. Momentum Comes in Waves
Progress hasn’t been linear! Some weeks feel fast, others slow or unclear. What’s mattered is showing up consistently so that even quiet periods build momentum underneath.
Key takeaway: Steady effort compounds even when it doesn’t feel like it.
8. It’s Not Just About the Product
As Dave evolved, the team learned that running a long-term business isn’t just about what you build. It’s also about how you structure the company, sell, and work with people you trust.
Early decisions around corporate structure and relationships helped create space to focus where it counts.
Key takeaway: Good structure and strong relationships create room to focus on what matters.
9. Being “All In” Matters More Than Having It All Figured Out
There are emotional highs and lows, excitement and uncertainty. The team discovered that partial commitment makes the tough days harder. What helped most was trusting themselves and the journey. You don’t need full certainty, but you do need to be genuinely invested in seeing things through.
Key takeaway: Being fully committed doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means trusting yourself to handle whatever comes next.
Looking Ahead
Dave is still early in its journey, but the lessons learned so far reflect the realities facing many startups, especially those building tools for real-world professionals.
Having the right support system can make a meaningful difference in navigating those challenges. For the Dave team, being part of the North Forge community has provided both accountability and perspective.
“One of the biggest benefits of North Forge has been having the right people in our corner. Our EIR, along with the rest of the North Forge team, has consistently pushed our thinking and helped us approach decisions with more perspective. Nothing is ever straightforward, so being part of a community that understands the realities of building something from scratch has been a huge advantage for us.” — Jakeob Maltesen, Co-Founder, Dave
If you’re a founder or builder, take these insights as encouragement! Listen deeply, stay adaptable, and keep showing up.
To learn more about Dave or try the platform, visit buildwithdave.com.
