How to Build Products That Succeed by Inverting the Problem

At MyFounders.Club, we believe entrepreneurship is about more than just chasing success—it’s about avoiding failure in smart, strategic ways. One of the most powerful tools for achieving this is the inversion principle, a concept championed by thinkers like Charlie Munger and Carl Gustav Jacobi.

But we also recognise that wisdom and strategic thinking are universal. In the Arabic world, there are timeless concepts that echo this mindset. For example, the idea of "التدبير" (At-Tadbeer), which translates to careful planning and foresight, emphasises the importance of anticipating challenges and preparing for them. Similarly, the concept of "الحكمة" (Al-Hikmah), or wisdom, encourages thoughtful decision-making and learning from experience to avoid mistakes.

The idea is simple: Instead of focusing solely on what will make you successful, focus on what could make you fail—and then actively avoid those pitfalls.

But let’s be clear: Avoiding failure is NOT the same as running away from failure. It’s about being proactive, strategic, and intentional in your approach to building products and businesses.

The Universal Principle: Seek Success by Avoiding Failure

Charlie Munger famously said, “All I want to know is where I’m going to die, so I’ll never go there.” This inversion mindset flips the problem on its head, exposing the cracks and pitfalls in your thinking so you can avoid them.

In startups, one of the most common reasons for failure is wasting resources to build something nobody wants. The solution? Sell before you build.

This approach isn’t about avoiding risk altogether—it’s about taking calculated risks and learning fast. It’s a balance between preemptively avoiding foreseeable failures and systematically confronting unforeseeable ones.

As Gabriele Maddalone from Epona AI Technology shared in one of our recent talks, failing is often part of the journey for junior developers who dive into building before planning. However, as you gain experience, you adopt a more business-minded approach. You start asking critical questions like:

• Do I really need to waste resources here?

• Can I leverage existing solutions to make this faster, easier, and more cost-effective?

This shift in mindset—from building from scratch to strategically optimising resources—separates seasoned entrepreneurs from beginners. It’s about working smarter, not harder, and focusing on what truly moves the needle for your business.

2 Underlying Strategies to Avoid Failure

I. Preemptively Avoid Foreseeable Failures

Inversion helps you identify obvious risks and pitfalls before they derail your project. For startups, some of the most common foreseeable failures include:

• Chasing a small market.

• Falling in love with your solution instead of solving a real problem.

• Over-indexing on stealth mode instead of validating your idea.

At MyFounders.Club, we encourage founders to use tools like Lean Canvas to map out their business models and stress-test their assumptions. By identifying and addressing these risks early, you significantly increase your chances of success.

II. Systematically Confront Unforeseeable Failures

Even with the best planning, unforeseeable failures are inevitable. The key is to avoid big-bang wipe-out failures and replace them with small, fast learning iterations.

Instead of betting everything on one big launch, break your journey into two-week sprints and 90-day cycles. This approach allows you to:

• Replace failing with learning.

• Replace big pivots with small course corrections.

• Compound your progress over time.

As the saying goes, “A 1% daily improvement results in a 37x improvement in a year.” For startups chasing 10x growth, this means focusing on a 0.633% daily improvement.

3 Actionable Tactics to Avoid Failure

I. Build/Update Your Business Model

Start by mapping out your key assumptions using tools like Lean Canvas. This model helps you tame complexity and turn big ideas into testable hypotheses.

Once your project is underway, focus on:

• Key Metrics: Track what’s working and what’s not.

• Key Insights: Understand why what’s working is working.

A strong business model is built on Key Assumptions + Key Metrics + Key Insights.

II. Stress-Test Your Model

Use inversion to:

1. Prioritise your riskiest assumptions.

2. Identify your biggest bottlenecks or constraints.

3. Seek explanations or causality and formulate new theories.

By stress-testing your model, you can avoid obvious failures and refine your strategy.

III. Avoid Big-Bang Failures

Good theories need to be tested. Instead of scaling prematurely, create a traction roadmap and follow it in 90-day cycles. This approach ensures you’re making steady progress while staying agile enough to adapt to new challenges.

Build Smart, Fail Less, Succeed More

Why This Matters for Founders in Saudi Arabia

The Arab world boasts a rich history of trade, innovation, and strategic thinking. Concepts like "التدبير" (At-Tadbeer)—careful planning—and "الحكمة" (Al-Hikmah)—wisdom—remind us that success isn’t just about hard work; it’s about foresight, resourcefulness, and intelligent decision-making.

Saudi Arabia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving, fuelled by Vision 2030 and a young, ambitious population eager to drive change. However, with great opportunity comes great responsibility. Founders must be strategic, resilient, and resourceful to navigate the challenges of building a startup in this dynamic environment.

At MyFounders.Club, we exist to empower entrepreneurs to build meaningful businesses that create impact, inspire change, and shape the future of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We believe entrepreneurship can be successful, enjoyable, profitable, and purpose-driven. By solving real problems, creating opportunities, and leaving a legacy that matters, we aim to drive economic growth and contribute to the nation’s GDP.

The Inversion Principle: Managing Risk Intelligently

The inversion principle isn’t about avoiding risk—it’s about managing it intelligently. By focusing on what could go wrong and taking proactive steps to avoid those pitfalls, you can build thriving products and businesses.

Remember, failure is not the opposite of success—it’s a stepping stone. The key is to fail fast, learn faster, and keep moving forward.

At MyFounders.Club, we’re here to support you on this journey, providing the tools, resources, and community you need to turn challenges into opportunities.

MyFounders.Club: Where the Journey is Fun, the Connections are Real, and the Future is Yours to Build.

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