Warsaw, January 22, 2025 – Eleanora, founder of Qlode, recently took the stage at Fuck Up Night, hosted by U Hub Community, to share critical lessons from her entrepreneurial journey.
Speaking to an engaged audience of founders, investors, and startup enthusiasts, she highlighted key mistakes that can make or break a business.

Smart money - dumb choices
One of the most significant takeaways from her experience: trading equity too early can be a costly regret. While securing funding is crucial, handing over company shares prematurely—or to the wrong investor—can lead to difficult decisions and lost opportunities down the road. “Smart money can sometimes lead to dumb choices,” Eleanora emphasized, urging founders to seek investors who align with their vision rather than simply chasing capital.

Another key insight was the importance of understanding market positioning. She warned against approaching luxury brands with a mass-market strategy—or vice versa. "A Chanel executive will never see the value in an H&M business model, just as a fast-fashion retailer won’t resonate with a luxury pitch," she explained. Startups must tailor their messaging to the expectations and values of their target customers.

Eleanora also reinforced a crucial lesson for early-stage founders:

🚀 The right co-founder is everything.
Building a startup is like a long-haul flight—you don’t want a passenger who’s just along for the ride. A strong co-founder actively drives the business forward, shares the workload, and navigates challenges alongside you. Choosing the wrong partner can be one of the most difficult setbacks to overcome.

💰 Custom-built backend solutions can drain resources early on.
Investing heavily in a custom backend before product validation is often unnecessary. Founders should focus on speed and adaptability, leveraging existing solutions rather than over-engineering too soon. "No need to reinvent the wheel before you even know if your car has a market," Eleanora noted.

While startup journeys are filled with missteps, the ability to learn, adapt, and pivot is what defines long-term success. "Mistakes happen, but if you extract the right lessons, even failures become stepping stones," she concluded.

For more insights and updates on Qlode’s journey, visit www.qlode.ai.