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90% of startups fail. And in impact, this figure is even more cruel. Because in addition to having to survive economically, they must prove that they have meaning, a mission, and legitimacy. But the good news is that some of these failures could be avoided. By knowing the classic pitfalls, by anticipating them, and by structuring a sustainable project from the start.
Are you launching a responsible startup? Do you want to avoid shortness of breath and maximize your impact? Here are the 10 most common mistakes — and how to avoid them.
Because a good project is not enough.
Because an idea, no matter how noble, does not spread without a plan.
Because a lot of founders come from the field, not from marketing.
They know the reality of climate change, exclusion, and short supply chains. But not always that of the acquisition funnel, backlinks or media visibility strategy. The result: great initiatives that are stagnating, teams that are running out, and fundraisers that fall by the wayside.
The aim of this article? Saving you time, clarity, and energy.
Do you want to save the oceans, fight against textile waste, preserve wetlands? Great. But it's not a value proposition. It is an intention.
The value proposition is the clear answer to this question:
Why would a customer pay you? And what does he actually gain?
Example: “We are reducing food waste” • “We are offering a B2B platform to redistribute unsold food to solidarity restaurants, in less than 48 hours.”
🎯 425PPM advice: work your Product pitch As much as your Pitch Impact. And get it tested by people who don't know you.
Waiting for customers to come “because we're doing good” is a fatal mistake.
🎯 Without a clear acquisition strategy (SEO, paid, networks, PR...), you have no growth.
🎯 Without growth, you have no numbers.
🎯 Without numbers, you won't last 12 months.
👉 Example: a textile recycling startup with a great platform... but which does not rank on any SEO request, does not make payments, has never contacted a media.
🎯 425PPM tip: Start with one channel. And structure one Funnel simple with a lead magnet, an email sequence, a key call.
You sent a press release. You posted on LinkedIn. You wait. But the press is not responding.
The truth? The press doesn't owe you anything.
She doesn't have time. She's drowning in emails. And she will only talk about your project if you Give him a good reason : an exclusivity, an unprecedented data, a visual event.
425 PPM advice: prepare your media pitch, identifies 5 key journalists, and works on the relationship. We talk about it here: How to advertise your fundraiser in the media
You're making an impact, so you don't want to “make money.”
Or on the contrary, you over-price to compensate for your model. In both cases, it's flawed.
The economic model is your driver of sustainability. This is what makes it possible to hire, to invest, to maintain.
Example: a startup in the circular economy that charges too little for its services, and cannot pay itself. The result: burn-out, closure, frustrated customers.
🎯 425PPM advice: from the start, test different pricing, do MVPs, talk to other impact founders. And above all: agree to make money. The lasting impact is also that.
You have to do everything: recruit, raise, sell, sell, manage, pitch, write, count...
But in addition, you have a mission. You want to be consistent, you refuse shortcuts, you make yourself feel guilty at each compromise.
Result: overload, isolation, fatigue. And sometimes, you want to stop.
🎯 425PPM advice: surround yourself from the start. Find a peer, a team, a coach. Don't be alone. And remember to allow yourself some breathing time.
Your site is online. You put it on Webflow or Wix. But you don't appear on any requests. No organic traffic. No leads.
SEO is an asset.
It is the only free acquisition channel that increases over time.
And if you lay the right foundations from the start, it can become your main driver of reputation.
🎯 425PPM advice: structure your site, work on your internal network, target the right requests (such as “startup with an environmental impact”). In fact, we have a whole department dedicated to sustainable SEO.
Your logo is green. Your baseline talks about “tomorrow.” Your LinkedIn post mentions “the emergency”. Your site says “available soon.” In short, we don't understand anything.
🎯 425PPM tip: align your message, your tone, your colors, your keywords. A communication strategy is not a luxury. It is a base.
Waking up too early is a risk of diluting your vision, wasting time on useless appointments, or building a machine that is too heavy too quickly.
🎯 425PPM advice: check if you have validated your model, if you know your CAC, and if you have a real story to tell. Otherwise, stay lean. And get support to build the right narrative.
You have the impression that everyone succeeds, that you should do it alone, that asking for help would be an admission of weakness.
It's not true.
The most solid impact projects are those that know how to collaborate, learn, ask.
🎯 425PPM Tip: Talk to other founders. Ask for feedback on your pitch. Join groups like Impact France. And keep in mind that you are not alone.
Your project is technical, but you're not telling the story. You talk about “carbon footprint”, “lifecycle analysis” and “externalities”... but nobody understands.
🎯 The human brain remembers stories, not Excel tables. What makes the difference are the stories, the faces, the journeys.
🎯 425PPM advice: Put yourself on stage. Tell me why you started this project. What impressed you. What you want to change. What allies you're looking for.
Do you want to go far? Here are some solid foundations:
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