In a recent post over at the Lean Startups Blog, the author gives three reasons why he doesn't try to offer his consulting services to startups. The 3 reasons he gave were kind of negative.  The reasons are 1. They don't know what they don't know.  2. The "let's wing it" attitude.  3. Excitment and total engagment with the business.

I thought it was interesting that these 3 "problems" are really what startups need to survive.  It is the Y Combinator idea of getting something launched, throwing yourself into it, and never taking no for an answer.

Here are his 3 "problems".

  " * Vast majority of true 1st time entrepreneurs don’t know what they don’t know. With luck, they will start a startup in the area of their expertise. Problem is, just because you are an absolute genius software developer, does not mean you are a great business manager. Unfortunately, you can’t help someone who doesn’t want help.
   * Attitude of “let’s wing it” is something that is required for survival in an early stage startup, especially if you are self-funded /bootstrapped. It is many times more expensive to fix the mistakes down the road that are being made in this stage. But, as the saying goes: “the first pancake is always burnt”. I never “chase” first time entrepreneurs in the early stage. Until you have burnt yourself, you will not know the value of good advice or execution.
   * Excitement of starting his/her first venture is something that takes over someone’s entire mind. Early stage is a highly emotional stage for vast majority of 1st-timers. It is like that high-school crush. You need to let it pass. In order for them to run their business properly, they need to learn how to control their adrenaline and emotions. Entrepreneurs in this stage need mentors and not consultants."