You can move fast, get traction, and still be building the wrong thing. That is the reality most founders do not want to face. Vida Stanic, founder and CEO of Astute, learned that in real time. After quickly gaining customers with an AI startup, she realized the model was flawed and made the call most founders avoid. She walked away. Not because it failed, but because it was not built to last. Vida’s journey is not about chasing ideas. It is about knowing when to pivot your startup, even when things look like they are working. From navigating the chaos of building in New York to scaling a platform that connects brands with real media, she shares what it actually takes to find product market fit. The pressure, the uncertainty, the constant decision making that comes with building a startup that actually works. This conversation hits on the part founders feel but rarely say out loud. When to hold on, when to let go, and how to make the call before it is too late.

Hello Chaos

[email protected] (Vida Stanic, Jennifer Sutton, Chandler Mays (Producer))

Ep. 198 Vida Stanic

APR 26, 202644 MIN
Hello Chaos

Ep. 198 Vida Stanic

APR 26, 202644 MIN

Description

Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Traction does not mean you are right Vida got customers fast and still walked away. That is the part most founders ignore. Just because people are buying does not mean the foundation is strong. If you keep building on the wrong thing, you are not scaling. You are just going faster in the wrong direction. 2️⃣ The real skill is knowing when to pivot Most founders hold on too long because it is working enough. Vida made the call early because she knew it would break later. That decision is what separates momentum from wasted time. If you avoid the pivot, you end up rebuilding everything when it is more expensive and harder to fix. 3️⃣ You cannot grow if you refuse to let go The hardest shift was not building the product. It was giving things up. Delegating, trusting others, and accepting that no one will do it exactly your way. If you hold on to everything, you become the bottleneck. And your business will only grow as fast as you are willing to step back. Timestamps: 00:00 Why moving fast can still lead you in the wrong direction 01:45 The frustration that sparked a new kind of marketing platform 04:20 When early success hides a bigger problem 07:10 Why you cannot guarantee results in AI and what that means 10:15 The real insight that led to the pivot 13:00 How founders actually find the right idea 16:05 London vs New York vs San Francisco where startups really grow 20:30 Why the media landscape is changing and what founders need to know 23:15 The bottleneck every founder hits when they start scaling 26:00 Letting go is harder than building 29:10 The mindset shift that reduces stress and drives progress 32:20 What founders get wrong about being a CEO 35:10 The trait that actually moves your business forward 38:00 Speed decisions that change everything 41:30 Why consistency matters more than talent 44:30 The advice every founder needs to hear right now 47:00 What success actually looks like when it works If you want to get your brand in front of the right audiences without guessing, check out Vida’s work and connect with her below. Website: https://www.joinastute.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidastanic/ Substack: https://substack.com/@vidastanic Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join our community HERE and connect with us on social media for the latest updates and more great content.Connect With Us:LinkedIn Instagram YouTube