Reflecting on 1 year since starting Arpx

Today marks one year since I started Arpx

Here’s how the journey has been so far:

It has been much harder than I expected.

I always knew that starting a company, whether a service business or a scalable product company, would come with its fair share of challenges.

Founders are constantly reminded how many businesses fail, and that building one can feel like “chewing glass while staring into the abyss.”

But hearing it is very different from experiencing it yourself.

My first year has been a constant cycle of experimentation, learning and adjustment.

I have been fortunate enough to receive opportunities from people in my network in order to demonstrate what I can do, and I will always be grateful for that trust.

But I also learned that generating new business is not as simple as sending a few emails or LinkedIn messages.

As a young founder building a new company, you do not automatically carry the trust and credibility of a ten-year-old business with an established leadership team and a long list of case studies.

You have to earn it.

I also learned that working hard is not the golden ticket to building a successful business.

It is simply the minimum requirement.

The most important skill I have developed over the past year is learning to identify what actually matters and then focusing my time and energy on that.

For much of this year, I found myself moving between different offers, positioning and customer profiles, hoping to discover the right service-market fit.

I am still on that journey to be honest but the lessons I have gained throughout the process have been invaluable.

If there was one thing I would tell myself if I went back to the day I started, it would be:

"Learn to crawl before you try to walk"

Despite the challenges, I have had the opportunity to work on some incredibly interesting projects using genuinely cutting-edge technology.

I have worked alongside brilliant people, developed skills I did not have a year ago and learned more than I could have imagined.

Most importantly, I have never felt more fulfilled by the work I am doing.

A huge thank you to everyone who has believed in me, supported me and trusted me over the past year.

Here’s to whatever comes next.