You’re Not Supposed to Know Everything
Let’s have a real chat.
This isn’t my first startup. But it’s the first time I’ve taken a company this far. And with each step forward, I’ve realised how much stuff I’ve never done before. Hiring a full-time employee? Never had to do that before. Sorting out pensions, HMRC registrations, employer contributions — no clue what any of that meant when I started. Now I do.
VAT returns? Honestly, until this year, I thought VAT was just something you added on top of invoices. I didn’t realise how painful it is to deal with it once your business hits the threshold. Now I’ve learned the hard way — that money you think is “yours”? It’s not. It belongs to the government. And if you’re not planning ahead, it hits you hard. It’s basically a built-in cashflow trap.
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Then there’s legal stuff. Shareholders’ agreements. Directors’ duties. Option pool maths. At some point I had to figure out how to grant equity to a team member and realised I didn’t even know the correct steps to do it legally. I had to teach myself how to issue shares, file the SH01 form, update my cap table, and explain to someone what “dilution” means — all while still running the business, and hosting events.
And that’s the thing. Being a founder means constantly switching hats. One minute you’re head of marketing, the next minute you’re head of finance, then legal, then HR, then customer support. And somehow, you’re expected to be good at all of it.
But what really gets to me is this weird pressure to already know everything.
You scroll through LinkedIn and see people talking with authority about things you’ve barely heard of. Founders casually dropping words like “vesting cliffs” and “bridge rounds” and “ratchets” in posts that make it sound like this stuff is just… obvious.
And sometimes, they make you feel like if you don’t already know all this, you shouldn’t be a founder at all (I was literally told that by one advisor who never had to run his own business).
Which is complete bullshit.
Here’s the truth: you’re not supposed to know everything.
Nobody tells you that. But I will. You can’t know it all. It’s literally not possible. Even the best founders I know — people who’ve built and exited multiple startups — still say “I have no idea” at least once a week. And they’re fine with that. Because the job of a founder isn’t to know everything — it’s to learn fast, adapt even faster, and keep moving.
The worst thing you can do is pretend. “Fake it till you make it” sounds sexy, but it can kill your business if you start making decisions without understanding the basics. Especially when it comes to stuff like taxes, equity, legal obligations, or hiring.
I’ve made that mistake before. I’ve agreed to things I didn’t fully understand and had to go back later to fix them. It’s embarrassing. But it’s also part of the journey.
So if you’ve ever felt like you’re falling behind, or that everyone else is “more legit” than you, or that maybe you’re not cut out for this because you didn’t go to business school — take a breath.
You’re not alone.
Every founder hits this moment. Usually more than once. The moment where you realise, “Shit, I don’t know what I’m doing here.”
That moment is normal. That moment is growth. That moment is you levelling up.
What matters is what you do next.
You can pretend and wing it. Or you can own it, ask questions, and figure it out.
Some stuff that’s helped me along the way:
Ask stupid questions.
Not to people who will judge you — but to people who’ve been in your shoes. I message other founders all the time with things like “Can you send me your option pool doc?” or “How did you structure your employee contract?” People are usually happy to help.
Join a proper founder community.
Not just a big Slack group full of noise, but a place where people actually share the messy stuff. You don’t need more inspiration — you need the behind-the-scenes.
Find someone a few steps ahead.
A mentor, an advisor, or even a founder one stage above you. Someone who remembers what it’s like to be where you are now. Their advice can save you from costly mistakes.
Learn on your own terms.
Don’t be afraid to take a course or pay for good advice. You’re not meant to guess your way through everything. Sometimes, a one-hour session with a proper expert is worth weeks of Googling.
If you need a place to ask this stuff – no judgement – we’ve got one.
We’ve built a WhatsApp group for founders who are figuring it out like the rest of us. You can drop a question any time. Doesn’t matter if it’s about VAT, option pools, hiring, fundraising, or just dealing with the mental side of this whole thing.
And starting soon, we’re bringing in advisors — actual founders, not just consultants — to run live Q&As where you can ask anything you’re stuck on. No sales, no fluff. Just real answers from people who’ve done it.
If you want to join, see more details here.
Last thing I’ll say:
Don’t let anyone make you feel stupid for not knowing something they learned five years ago.
You’re not stupid. You’re just building something new. And that takes guts, not perfection.
You don’t need to pretend to be ahead of where you are.
You just need to keep going.
✅ If this hit home, pass it on. There’s probably a founder in your circle who’s quietly feeling the same.
POLL TIME
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How often do you feel judged for not knowing something “obvious”?
INDUSTRY PULSE 🩺
(Last week’s poll results)
👉 By the end of 2025, will Europe still matter in the global startup race?
Update on the Demo Day
RAFE FOUNDERS EVENTS ❤️
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How to Influence Investors, Teams & Customers
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OTHER LONDON EVENTS🌟
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In-person event
66 City Rd, London, EC1Y 1HH, UK
Thu 18 Sep, 18:00 - 21:00 BST
PLUGGED
Open House: Founders Co-Working, Workshops & Curry Night
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In-person event
Hoxton Area, London, UK
Fri 19 Sep, 09:00 - 19:00 BST
SparkCoach
AI-Powered Business Building Masterclass
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In-person event
54 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LJ, UK
Fri 19 Sep, 09:30 - 16:00 BST
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Novabook
How To Protect Your Startup From Term Sheet Traps With Cooley
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Online event
Mon 22 Sep, 11:00 - 12:00 BST
SeedLegals
Global Isn’t A Goal, It’s A Atrategy: Learn From Wise Product Director
The session explores how startups can achieve faster, more sustainable growth by adopting a global mindset from the start. Attendees will gain practical insights into scaling products, building international teams, navigating regulations, and creating strategies for successful market entry.
Online event
Tue 23 Sep, 17:00 - 18:00 BST
Rubik Hub
Eastern European Edge Demo Day
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In-person event
50th floor, 22 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4BQ, UK
Tue 23 Sep, 17:30 - 21:30 BST
Mass Technology Leadership Council
Benefits Overview Webinar - September 2025
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Online event
Wed 24 Sep, 12:00 - 13:00 BST
The AI Collective
Collective Intelligence: Becoming an AI Engineer
Join a session that explores the role of AI Engineers, showing how it differs from data science and software engineering while providing a roadmap to build essential skills and stand out with portfolio projects. Participants will gain practical insights into turning AI breakthroughs into scalable products and positioning themselves at the forefront of innovation.
Online Event
Wed 24 Sep, 13:00 - 14:00 BST
Neuro Voices
Pitch Day – An Event Spotlighting Neurodivergent Founders
A pitch event designed for neurodivergent founders, creating an inclusive space that highlights their innovation while providing real access to investors, partners, and supporters. Attendees can expect founder pitches, an AI in business panel, networking, and an evening built around equity and opportunity.
In-person event
Shoreditch Exchange Senna Building, Gorsuch Pl, London, E2 8J
Wed 24 Sep, 16:00 - 21:00 BST
Operators & Friends
Builders Night - Everything Is AI
A small group of founders and aspiring founders will gather in London for an intimate evening exploring practical lessons from leading AI builders on driving product velocity across teams. The night combines a fireside chat, Q&A, and casual networking over food and drinks in a relaxed setting.
In-person event
Bloomsbury Street Area, London, UK
Wed 24 Sep, 18:00 - 21:30 BST
Entrepreneurs First
After Work Hack
Join an after-work hackathon featuring a talk on building voice agents, a demo on automating internal operations, and a 90-minute voice agent sprint. Participants can enjoy pizza, drinks, and swag while collaborating in a creative setting.
In-person event
Senna Building, Gorsuch Pl, London E2 8JF, UK
Wed 24 Sep, 19:00 - 22:00 BST
Founders Capital
The Future Of Venture Capital: Investing In A World Transformed By AI
The event explores how artificial intelligence is transforming industries and reshaping investment strategies, highlighting both opportunities and risks in emerging technologies. A panel of experts will share insights on identifying game-changing startups, scaling with AI, and the evolving venture capital landscape.
In-person event
Charing Cross Area, London, UK
Thu 25 Sep, 18:30 - 22:00 BST
Enterprise Nation
Lunch And Learn: Using Automation And AI To Save Time And Money
Join this session to discover how AI and automation can streamline marketing, with a focus on email strategies that build relationships, grow subscribers, and drive customer loyalty. Participants will gain practical approaches to personalisation, engagement, and audience expansion.
Online event
Thu 25 Sep, 19:00 - 19:30 BST
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Vasily Alekseenko
Founder
@ Rare Founders
Rare Founders - building the bridge between founders and investors via regular in-person and online events, meetups, conferences.
