I love the idea of keeping some powder dry — I think that’s a mindset I need to internalize more: pacing myself, staying sharp, and being ready when the right opportunity comes. But at the same time, I'm getting tired, failure after failure and words from my relatives and even from my wife. It's getting super hard. Still I want to move forward.
Thanks for this perspective — truly appreciate your honesty. You’re right in pointing out that my wife has been incredibly patient and supportive through all this. I’m lucky there.
And yes, Quadregal has indeed been my safety net all these years. I’ve always seen it as a fallback, not the main bet — but maybe I’ve been undervaluing the fact that it has delivered consistently. I guess I got caught up in chasing bigger “startup-style” wins and forgot that there’s real value (and freedom) in growing something that already works.
That said, I still feel there’s something powerful in Tillit’s core idea — but you’ve made me realize that I need to draw a line between ambition and recklessness. Maybe there’s a middle path: treat Tillit like a disciplined side venture (with clear boundaries), and double down on growing Quadregal with the same energy I pour into these “new” ideas.
Thanks again for the much-needed reminder Would love to hear how you’ve approached similar crossroads, if you’ve faced them.
I appreciate you responding to my comments. Rarely do I get any responses from the person originally posing the question.
I got involved in my first startup soon after I graduated with my undergrad degree and started on a part-time masters degree. I worked on a day job to pay my rent, food, etc. And I worked for the startup the rest of the time. Sometimes I would work all night and go to the day job without any sleep, just a quick shower. It didn't work out. The startup did a pivot and in so doing screwed me out of at least a million AUD. That was lesson #1. It was decades ago.
I have since been involved in many other startups, most on a full-time basis. Varying durations until runway got burnt up. I'm very much the tech guy. In hindsight I put too much faith in the business acumen co-founders and investors. Had to return to consulting work in between those startup attempts. That is how I kept myself afloat.
I'm in Australia and VCs are nothing like those in SV. In general risk aversion is high and the success dynamics in the USA don't translate well to local conditions, culture, etc. I think you may be in a comparable environment. So you need to temper your expectations for Tillit in light of your local environment. Read up on Steve Blank https://steveblank.com/books-for-startups/ The takeaway: find product market fit. If you don't you don't have a business.
I have gone on to get my PhD in software engineering and from time to time I teach at one Australia's best universities. I'm now retired courtesy of some good real-estate investments. I learnt a lot about the business world through consulting work. I now focus technical mentoring for startups on behalf of the investors rather than the founders.
Thanks a lot.
I’m going to sit down and define what success looks like for Tillit over the next 18–24 months — in terms of traction, funding, and team growth. But still with the current situations, I don't know, how long can I move.
Would love to know: What kind of milestones or decision points would you recommend for an early-stage marketplace like Tillit that’s solving cash flow and delivery problems for retailers?
Onboard 20-30 retailers consistently ordering through your platform
Establish 3-5 functioning mini-warehouses in one focused neighborhood or district
Achieve 70%+ retention rate (retailers placing second and third orders)
Demonstrate consistent 1-2 day delivery timeframes vs. industry standard
6-Month Milestones:
Develop a simple but scalable credit scoring system for your retailers
Implement a minimal credit offering for your best customers (even if limited)
Create streamlined logistics model that can handle 3-5x your current volume
Document 3-5 case studies showing measurable retailer benefits (time/cost savings)
12-Month Decision Points:
Revenue covering operational costs (excluding your time)
10-15% month-over-month growth in transaction volume
Clear unit economics showing profitability per delivery
At least one key metric where you're 2-3x better than
traditional wholesalers
Rather than trying to fund everything from your agency, consider a "minimum viable credit" approach - perhaps starting with net-15 payment terms for your most reliable retailers, then gradually extending as you validate repayment behavior.
Could you saturate just one neighborhood or product category first to demonstrate density advantages?
The key now is focused execution rather than trying to solve every problem at once. What's the absolute minimum version of Tillit that delivers real value and can grow without significant outside capital?
Thank you, this is something similar to what we have in mind.
And currently, as you told, we are focusing just on perishable bakery snacks, which only have 1 day life. And the credit period for that product is just 1 day. So with that, we are trying to capture 10 shops with in a month, who orders daily.
Just to add — I’m not looking for sympathy or praise. I genuinely want honest advice from fellow builders and thinkers here. If you’ve been in a similar place — hitting walls, pivoting endlessly, with family pressure mounting — what helped you decide to keep going or step away?
Also, if you think there’s a smarter way I should be leveraging my skills or experience, I’m all ears. I’m not married to any single idea — I just want to build something that works and helps people.
