Don't Wait for Perfect: A Serial Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching Products w/ Martijn Smit of WhatPulse

Summary

Martijn Smit is the kind of builder who just doesn’t stop. From hacking together early games in high school to launching consumer-facing and enterprise SaaS products with hundreds of thousands of users, Martijn has carved out a startup journey that is all about execution over perfection. In this episode, we get a candid look at how he ships products quickly, validates ideas without overbuilding, and balances personal discipline with strategic focus.

Martijn talks about how he split his product Wattpulse into consumer and enterprise branches—and the complexity that came with that decision. We also dive into his methodical approach to product ideation: from Notion boards to user validation to deciding which ideas deserve full builds. For aspiring entrepreneurs or indie hackers, Martijn’s process is both highly repeatable and refreshingly no-nonsense.

The episode also explores common myths in the startup world—like the obsession with fundraising or the fear of someone stealing your idea. Martijn brings clarity and humility to both. Whether you’re launching your first MVP or wondering how to juggle multiple projects, his advice is a masterclass in momentum.

Takeaways

1. You don’t need funding to start. Most software projects can be built lean, and bootstrapping keeps control and equity in your hands.
2. Perfectionism slows momentum. Shipping usable, functional products quickly creates room for real-world feedback and iteration.
3. If you build it, they will not come. Marketing is often harder than building—and it has to be planned from day one.
4. Validate before you build. Martijn uses a Notion system to track ideas, validate them through repeated thought, and test user interest.
5. Split focus is risky but manageable. Running both B2C and B2B versions of Wattpulse forced Martijn to balance complexity with strategic gains.
6. Hire or consult experts when needed. Especially for things like cold outreach or paid marketing, don’t try to wing it if it’s not your area.
7. Avoid distractions like shiny tech trends. Martijn fights the urge to chase every AI idea by sticking to his systems and filters.
8. Let bad ideas die. If an idea resurfaces only once, archive it. Good ideas will resurface and push you to act.
9. No one will steal your idea. Execution is everything, and even when people tried, they didn’t follow through.
10. Atomic habits matter. Building daily systems and managing personal discipline is at the core of Martijn’s ability to ship.

Chapters

• [00:01] Why Martijn builds
  • Martijn shares how his obsession with creating useful things—dating back to high school—naturally led him to entrepreneurship.
• [01:24] From games to startups
  • He explains how his early passion for building software transitioned into professional startup work.
• [03:46] The cost of hardware
  • Martijn breaks down why building hardware is slower and riskier than software—and why he pivoted to a software-only strategy for Mutes Deck.
• [06:29] Perfection is the enemy
  • Two lessons: don’t aim for perfection and don’t believe “if you build it, they will come.”
• [13:01] B2C vs B2B strategy
  • The strategic decision to split Wattpulse into consumer and enterprise products and how that added complexity—but also value.
• [18:27] The only feature that matters
  • Martijn shares his golden question: “How little do I need to build to make this work?”
• [23:00] Fundraising is not step one
  • He debunks the myth that startup success starts with VC funding.
• [28:24] His product filtering system
  • A deep dive into Martijn’s idea-tracking system in Notion and how he decides what to build.
• [34:48] No one is stealing your idea
  • The myth of idea theft and the importance of execution over novelty.
• [38:06] How he handles weak spots
  • He learns just enough to hire smart and leans into expert help for everything outside his domain.
• [45:36] Fighting distractions
  • Martijn talks about the constant pull of shiny new tools and how he fights it through process.
• [50:33] What he’d do with $1,000
  • He’d get a job, support himself, and build on the side—just like he did in real life.
• [53:47] Tool he can’t live without
  • “Atomic Habits” by James Clear shaped the way Martijn manages his time and productivity.