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The Fatal Mistake I Made When I Started My First Business

What most first-time founders misunderstand about demand

Tommy McDevitt's avatar
Tommy McDevitt
Mar 05, 2026
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A doctor holding a stethoscope up to a coffee cup.
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“Do what you love” or “do what you’re good at” is lousy advice for starting a business.

I’ve been a casual photographer for over a decade. I mostly ever did it for fun, but I always wondered what it would be like to monetise. People had told me my artwork was pretty good, so I figured it was worth trying.

So, I began my very …

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