Let’s be real. Building a start-up is hard.

But some mistakes? They’re totally avoidable—if you’re willing to learn from those who’ve been through the fire.

During the Future Food Global Accelerator, delivered on behalf of Brisbane Economic Development Agency, Mark Livings shared the kind of wisdom most founders only get after a few battle scars.

“Most of my worst failures came down to trusting the wrong people, spreading myself too thin, or chasing sunk costs too far.”

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. But you can do better.

The 3 Most Common (and Costly) Founder Mistakes

1. Choosing the wrong people
Founders often ignore red flags. Whether it’s a misaligned co-founder or a team member who can’t keep up, who you build with determines how far you go.

2. Doing too much
If you’re wearing every hat, you’re not building—you’re just busy. Focus beats frenzy.

3. Sunk cost syndrome
Just because you’ve invested in an idea doesn’t mean it’s the one.

“Sometimes the boldest move is cutting your losses and trying again later,” Mark said.

Smart Founders Course-Correct Early

These aren’t rare missteps. They are repeat offenders in the start-up world.
But if you’ve got the awareness, support, and courage to act early—you can build smarter, faster, and with fewer regrets.

Humble was built to help founders avoid the avoidable.
From mentoring to strategic advisory, we’ve got your back—so you can grow without burning out.

Find out more here.