Figure It Out as You Go
Start with the essentials, then learn each next task by doing it
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
Figure It Out as You Go is a learn-by-operating approach for starting before every unknown has been resolved. Begin with an idea, basic tools, and enough determination to complete the first real transaction. Build only the immediate operating path: sourcing, a simple storefront, payment, packaging, and fulfilment. When a knowledge gap appears, learn that specific task, apply the lesson, and continue. The mechanism is progressive problem discovery: real activity exposes the next constraint, while each solved constraint expands the founder's capability. Saunders described building Fate this way, teaching herself Shopify, product photography, shipping, and other functions as they became necessary. The approach does not excuse avoidable legal, financial, or safety mistakes; it limits preparation to what is genuinely required before a small, reversible test.
Origin
Extracted from The Foundr Podcast
Core principles
- 01You do not need complete knowledge before starting
- 02Determination can carry you through unfamiliar tasks
- 03Small practical actions create the next learning opportunity
- 04Operating reveals problems that planning cannot
How to run it
- 1
Choose a testable idea
Select an idea you care enough about to pursue and can test without a large irreversible commitment.
Pro tip Shrink the first version until one person can buy and receive it.
Watch out Do not treat enthusiasm as proof that customers want the offer.
- 2
Assemble the essentials
Get only what the first operating cycle requires, such as a phone or laptop, basic stock, packaging, a storefront, and a fulfilment account.
Pro tip Use simple off-the-shelf services before building custom systems.
Watch out Check legal, tax, safety, and financial obligations that cannot safely be learned after launch.
- 3
Complete the first cycle
Create the product presentation, make the offer, take an order, and fulfil it. Let real work reveal what you do not yet know.
Pro tip Document each friction point while it is fresh.
Watch out Do not hide indefinitely in preparation or branding work.
- 4
Learn the next constraint
When a gap blocks progress, learn that specific skill or seek a useful connection, then apply the answer immediately.
Pro tip Ask experienced contacts for a concrete pointer rather than a complete education.
Watch out Do not improvise where a qualified professional is required.
- 5
Upgrade through repetition
Repeat the operating cycle and replace clumsy methods as better ones become visible. Keep the business moving while systems mature.
Pro tip Use recurring friction as the signal for the next process improvement.
Watch out A temporary workaround becomes costly if it is never reviewed.
In the wild
Saunders began Fate in a rental garage with plastic tubs, a self-built Shopify site, a paper photography backdrop, local models, and packaging she sourced herself. She taught herself e-commerce photography and fulfilment while the business was already operating rather than waiting to master every function first.
→ The small home operation became a multi-store fashion business, according to the interview.
For roughly two years, the team printed shipping labels on A4 paper, cut them out, and taped them to parcels. Saunders later discovered adhesive label rolls and changed the process, using the mistake to illustrate how operating exposes improvements over time.
→ The fulfilment method became simpler after the team learned a better option.
Common mistakes
Waiting to know everything
Complete certainty is unavailable, so using it as a launch condition prevents the real operating lessons from appearing.
Ignoring professional obligations
Learning by doing should not extend to tax, legal, safety, or regulatory duties that can create serious liabilities.
Keeping every workaround
A rough first process is useful for starting, but it should be replaced when repetition reveals a cheaper or safer method.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for determined first-time founders testing a low-cost idea with manageable downside.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for regulated, dangerous, or capital-intensive ventures where expert preparation is essential before launch.
From the transcript
“you don't need to know everything”
“you'll figure out the rest as you go”
“you never stop learning um in business even when you're so far in”
From the episode
568: No Experience, No Investors, 5 x Million Dollar Businesses - How Brittney Saunders Did it
Brittney Saunders