Founder shares relatable startup lessons on focusing on core value.

Okay, I've reviewed the provided Reddit post snippet.

KOL Identification:

The author of the Reddit post ("I wasted 10 months building everything except what actually mattered") is a strong potential Key Opinion Leader (KOL) or influential community member.

• Reasoning: The author shares a candid, self-reflective, and highly relatable story about common entrepreneurial mistakes (focusing on non-essential features, "shiny object syndrome"). This kind of vulnerability and shared learning really hits home for startup, developer, indie hacker, and product management communities. By sharing their hard-earned lessons, they come across as genuine and impactful, positioning them as a potential thought leader in lean development and prioritization.

Potential Collaboration Partners & Suggestions:

Based on the author's experience of building "the perfect auth flow," "dashboard animation," and "a sleek admin panel" instead of core value, here are some collaboration suggestions:

1. MVP Development Agencies / Lean Startup Consultancies:

   • Collaboration Idea: A guest blog post, a joint webinar, or a series of short social media videos where the author details their experience and explains how working with an MVP-focused agency/consultancy (or adopting lean principles they teach) now helps them (or would have helped them) focus on validating core ideas first.
   • Example Angle: "From Feature Creep to Focused MVP: My Journey and How [Agency/Consultancy Name] Gets Founders on the Right Track Faster."
   • Expected Benefit: The partner gains authentic testimonial content that showcases their value proposition directly addressing a common founder pain point. It builds trust and provides social proof. The KOL gains exposure and solidifies their status as a thoughtful founder.

2. No-Code/Low-Code Platforms (e.g., Bubble, Webflow, Retool, Glide):

   • Collaboration Idea: The author could create content (blog, video, tutorial) demonstrating how a no-code/low-code platform could have allowed them to quickly build and test the core functionality of their idea, or a specific part like an admin panel, without getting bogged down in extensive custom development early on.
   • Example Angle: "If I Knew About [Platform Name] Sooner: How I Could Have Built My Core Product in Weeks, Not Months."
   • Expected Benefit: The platform gets a real-world use case demonstrating speed and efficiency, appealing to founders looking to validate ideas quickly. The KOL provides practical advice to their audience.

3. Product Management / Roadmapping / Prioritization Tools (e.g., Productboard, Canny, Aha!, Trello, Asana, Linear):

   • Collaboration Idea: A case study, testimonial, or "how-to" guide where the author explains how using a specific tool now helps them prioritize features, gather user feedback effectively, and stay focused on "what actually matters."
   • Example Angle: "How [Tool Name] Keeps Me From Wasting Months on Unnecessary Features."
   • Expected Benefit: The tool is showcased as a solution to a critical problem (lack of focus, poor prioritization). This resonates with product managers, founders, and developers struggling with similar issues.

4. Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) or Authentication Service Providers (e.g., Firebase, Supabase, Auth0):

   • Collaboration Idea: While the author mentioned "perfect auth flow" as an addiction, they could collaborate by showing how using a BaaS or dedicated auth service now allows them to implement robust auth quickly and efficiently, freeing them up to work on core differentiating features.
   • Example Angle: "Stop Obsessing Over Auth: How [Service Name] Gave Me Back Weeks to Build What Matters."
   • Expected Benefit: The service is positioned as a time-saver and enabler for focusing on core business logic, appealing to technical founders who might otherwise over-engineer this part.

General Expected Benefits for Partners:

• Authenticity & Relatability: The author's story is genuine and will connect with audiences more effectively than traditional marketing.
• Targeted Reach: Access to the author's audience, likely composed of other founders, developers, and product people.
• Content Generation: High-quality, story-driven content that can be repurposed across various channels.
• Brand Association: Aligning the partner's brand with valuable lessons in lean development, efficiency, and entrepreneurial wisdom.
• Lead Generation: Content can drive interested individuals to learn more about the partner's product or service.

This author is a prime candidate for collaborations that emphasize learning from mistakes and building smarter.