Casual Habits, Fatal Consequences: How Haphazard Habits Can Kill Startups

The chaos of building a startup from scratch is only to be experienced. Founders and staff have to move quickly, experiment, and scale solutions. And especially for first-timers, this process is not a very smooth one. Along the way, it is pretty easy to focus on the "serious stuff," ignoring the haphazard habits that could do serious damage in the mid-term.

Also, due to limited budgets, smaller architectures, and the pressure to scale, startups are categorically vulnerable to normally insignificant threats. Moving on, we'll highlight how bad security and managerial habits can hinder startups. Follow along.

The Cost of Bad Security Habits

Startups, whether in the tech industry or at large, are especially vulnerable to cyber threats. According to a publication by Insurance Business, nearly 78% of founders report a cyberattack within the first year. This reality makes even the everyday misdeeds especially dangerous for everyone contributing to a startup. 

Without looking so hard, dozens of everyday habits could prove fatal to a growing business. Here are a few of the most profound ones. 

Unprotected Public Wi-Fi Usage

Public Wi-Fi is great for the average folk writing an essay at the coffee shop. However, business owners and staff need an extra layer of security on public networks. Since remote work is big with startups, staff and owners alike often access the company infrastructure with public Wi-Fi. Doing this unprotected is where the main risk lies. 

Most public Wi-Fi services are open to everyone. By open, we mean that so much information is available to anyone who cares to look, from poor configuration to insufficient encryption, and even rogue access points. Businesses just can't afford to run on networks like these, especially unprotected ones. 

Reverting to the unstable foundations of new businesses, a major data breach or cyberattack is a difficult occurrence to absorb. It could slow growth and break consumer trust, which could stifle the business. 

Neglect of Crucial Hardware

Especially in unofficial work environments, leaving work devices unattended is pretty common, whether for a short coffee or restroom break. This habit seems very harmless and casual, but not for growing businesses. As a startup, the business's infrastructure can be targeted remotely and physically, as it makes for an easy target both ways. 

Even cyberattacks can be perpetuated physically. A recent report from the New York Times detailed the cyber incident experienced by UK retail giants M&S and Co-op earlier this year. The story described how individuals posing as stressed employees managed to deceive IT support into granting them access to sensitive systems.

From expert inference, neglecting devices that are crucial to company productivity and security is never a good idea.

Overlooking Data Breach Monitoring

As long as a business startup is managing a large volume of customer data, being cautious may not be enough. Breaches can happen, and it's important to discover and mitigate them quickly. This brings us to another concerning habit that sets back startups: neglecting data breach monitoring.

When monitoring measures are insufficient, startups operate in a state of vulnerability, leaving them unaware of potential threats. This oversight not only jeopardizes customer trust but can also lead to severe legal and financial consequences.

Typical Startup Misdeeds

Aside from security, there are quite a few business habits that slow down a startup's growth. The following are the most common pitfalls that tend to emerge in early-stage companies.

Juggling Ideas

At first, juggling several products and operations may seem like the ideal life for a founder. However, over time, it becomes evident that this approach can spell disaster for a startup. Records show that most successful startups focus on experimenting and establishing a solid product line within their first two years. As such, constantly innovating and chasing the next big thing has never been the best way to scale a startup business.

Not Delegating

For founders, the urge to do everything of the essence alone is very strong. Especially with recently launched businesses, startup owners get too attached to the idea or model and try to make it happen alone and all at once. As noble as this effort may be, it seldom produces optimal results for scaling businesses.

It's important to build a small team and delegate some of the work. Having a team offers benefits beyond just having extra hands. It also pools new ideas, which brings the business a step closer to success.

Overbuilding Certain Features

The tendency to continuously build and expand is common in startups. Whether it's a website, a channel, or a product, overbuilding features can become a detrimental habit. Fundamentally, this urge stems from the desire to get things moving against all odds. So one feature after the next gets remodelled, upgraded, repurposed, or even replaced. 

In the real business world, it's essential to test certain features long enough to gather meaningful data for analysis. Overbuilding never leaves room for this to happen.

In Search of Success

The American entrepreneur and educator Steve Blank once said, "A startup is a search for a scalable business model." These words imply that instability is a huge reason startups are especially vulnerable. 

In essence, certain bad security habits that wouldn't make much difference in an established business could crash a startup. So, it is always advisable for staff and founders to approach their work with an "extra careful consciousness" when it comes to managing a startup.