Every startup begins with an idea. Maybe it’s groundbreaking. Maybe it’s not. But an idea alone? Not enough. The real challenge isn’t coming up with something great, it’s turning that idea into a product that people want, need, and are willing to pay for.

At The Threadsmith Group, we’ve worked with startups at every stage, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: it’s not the product but the strategy that makes or breaks a startup.

It doesn’t always look like a dramatic meltdown. In fact, it often doesn’t, because you’re too tired for meltdowns.

It’s the slow drain of waking up every day with a sense of dread. It’s the lack of motivation that creeps in where pride used to be. It’s getting through the week by telling yourself, "just a little longer," even though you said that three months ago. Maybe even three years ago.

It’s subtle, it’s sneaky, and it is so, so real.

Marketing vs. Sales. Product vs. Engineering. Leadership vs. Literally Everyone. These aren’t fun little rivalries. They’re not spicy workplace banter. They’re dysfunctions. And if you’ve normalized them, your company is running on broken systems.

You are not on opposing teams. You are one team with different roles.

While it’s true we get to do a lot of cool work with various companies, it’s no secret that our individual coaching is considered the crown jewel of The Threadsmith Group. If we can make one person’s life better through the coaching we provide, the business is a success.

BUT, not everyone is able to make the investment to get 1:1 coaching, and we believe in giving back to the community. So welcome to WednesdAMA, in which we take a mix of reader submitted questions and LinkedIn questions and answer them

If you’ve ever looked at a team and thought, “They’re better than this, why can’t they get anything out the door?” this one’s for you. Sometimes (I’d argue about 70% of the time) it’s not about the people. It’s not even about the work. It’s about the systems, or lack thereof, those people are trying to operate in.

Let’s get this out of the way: burnout is not your fault.

Yes, you’re tired. Yes, you’re overextended. Yes, you might be procrastinating, snapping at your partner, zoning out in meetings, or fantasizing about quitting everything to run away to a cabin in the woods. But that doesn’t mean you’re broken.

While it’s true we get to do a lot of cool work with various companies, it’s no secret that our individual coaching is considered the crown jewel of The Threadsmith Group. If we can make one person’s life better through the coaching we provide, the business is a success.

BUT, not everyone is able to make the investment to get 1:1 coaching, and we believe in giving back to the community. So welcome to WednesdAMA, in which we take a mix of reader submitted questions and LinkedIn questions and answer them.

Psychological safety is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot, usually by someone who read an article and decided to bring it up in a meeting as a buzzword to make them seem cool and smart. And while it’s become a buzzword, it’s still one of the most powerful indicators of whether a team will succeed or slowly fall apart.

The problem is, most people don’t know how to actually build it. Or worse, they make it weird.

Burnout doesn’t always show up as full-blown collapse. Sometimes it sneaks in slowly, dressed like "normal work stress." But left unchecked, it will wreck your energy, your clarity, and your confidence.

And while burnout can have a thousand little causes, there are four major culprits we see over and over again. We call them the 4 Horsemen of Burnout—and if they’re riding through your workplace, it’s time to take a serious look at what needs to change.

While it’s true we get to do a lot of cool work with various companies, it’s no secret that our individual coaching is considered the crown jewel of The Threadsmith Group. If we can make one person’s life better through the coaching we provide, the business is a success.

BUT, not everyone is able to make the investment to get 1:1 coaching, and we believe in giving back to the community. So welcome to WednesdAMA, in which we take a mix of reader submitted questions and LinkedIn questions and answer them.

There’s a moment in almost every business when someone looks around and says, "Wait. Why are we doing it this way?"

Sometimes, that question leads to clarity.

You’ve probably heard some version of this at work:

"We were shocked when they put in their notice. We thought they were happy."

Spoiler: they weren’t.

While it’s true we get to do a lot of cool work with various companies, it’s no secret that our individual coaching is considered the crown jewel of The Threadsmith Group. If we can make one person’s life better through the coaching we provide, the business is a success.

BUT, not everyone is able to make the investment to get 1:1 coaching, and we believe in giving back to the community. So welcome to WednesdAMA, in which we take a mix of reader submitted questions and LinkedIn questions and answer them.

When we talk to burned out professionals, they almost always say some version of this:

"I did everything right. I followed the rules. I climbed the ladder. And now that I’m here, it just feels...off."

That’s because the ladder was never really built for most of us. It rewards sameness. It punishes divergence. It assumes your only goal is to go up, whether or not that direction actually fits who you are or what you want or your skillset.

If you’ve ever been told you’re “too sensitive,” “too emotional,” or “too much,” I want you to pause and ask yourself one question:

Too sensitive for what, exactly?

Too sensitive to sit through a meeting where people casually mock a department they don’t understand? Too sensitive to question a process that’s clearly not working? Too sensitive to call out behavior that’s rude, dismissive, or flat-out inappropriate?

While it’s true we get to do a lot of cool work with various companies, it’s no secret that our individual coaching is considered the crown jewel of The Threadsmith Group. If we can make one person’s life better through the coaching we provide, the business is a success.

BUT, not everyone is able to make the investment to get 1:1 coaching, and we believe in giving back to the community. So welcome to WednesdAMA, in which we take a mix of reader submitted questions and LinkedIn questions and answer them.

We hear it all the time: “I love the work, but my boss…”

And then comes the long pause. The awkward laugh. The slow exhale that says everything they aren’t ready to say out loud yet. We get it. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and the emotional scarring to prove it.

You’d be amazed how often we get called in because a team wants to adopt a new project management tool, sales platform, communication suite—you name it. They’re convinced this one new tool will finally fix all their workflow problems.

And listen, I’m renovating a house, I am positively drowning in tools. I love them. Don’t even ask me how many measuring tapes I own, it’s horrifying. But here’s the hard truth: if your process is broken, no tool is going to save you.

While it’s true we get to do a lot of cool work with various companies, it’s no secret that our individual coaching is considered the crown jewel of The Threadsmith Group. If we can make one person’s life better through the coaching we provide, the business is a success.

BUT, not everyone is able to make the investment to get 1:1 coaching, and we believe in giving back to the community. So welcome to WednesdAMA, in which we take a mix of reader submitted questions and LinkedIn questions and answer them.

You’re the one everyone turns to because you always get things done. You double-check every detail. You prep for the meeting like it’s a final exam. You’ve got color-coded to-do lists, backup plans, and notes on everyone’s communication style. You’re the undisputed QUEEN of being Type-A. Look at you.

From the outside? You look like you’ve got it all together.

On the inside? You’re buzzing. Wired. Exhausted. And always bracing for something to go wrong.