I’m 19 and building my first startup — here’s what that’s actually looked like.

Hey Product Hunt 👋

I’m Baltazar, and I’ve been working on Probado, a feedback platform for early-stage founders who want real, useful input on their MVPs — without wasting money on bloated tools.

The idea came from a problem I was living. I needed testers for something I was building, but had no idea how to get them. So I started cold messaging strangers — not just on Reddit, but in subreddits for user testing, Indie Hackers, entrepreneurs, even the most random communities. I was just trying my hardest to get someone, anyone, to try it.

A few people responded. Most didn’t.

Some thought I was a scam. I’d make posts and get flooded with comments accusing me of being fake, and I’d reply to every single one explaining that I was just a student entrepreneur trying to build something real. It was rough.

At first, it was messy — I sent Google Forms, organized everything by hand, and just tried to learn what kind of feedback actually helped founders. That mess became the seed for Probado.

Eventually, I knew I needed to build something more real — so I started cold messaging software development companies, too. Dozens of them. After a lot of conversations, I ended up working with a team called MADHUPPA, who’ve been helping bring this idea to life in ways I never could have on my own.

Now, the first real MVP is almost ready — and I’m nervous. I want to get it out there and get the ball rolling, but I keep finding myself nitpicking every single detail. I know it doesn’t have to be perfect. I know it shouldn’t be perfect. But I just want it to work so badly that letting go has been harder than I thought.

Since day one, I’ve been trying to figure this out as I go. I’ve already read The Lean Startup and Zero to One, and right now I’m reading The Hard Thing About Hard Things. I’m always looking for more to learn — so if you have book recs, videos, podcasts, or anything that helped you become a better founder, I’d love to hear it.

It’s still early. But it feels real now.

I

came to Product Hunt because I know this is where people build in public, share honestly, and help each other get better.

If you’ve been through something like this — or you’re in it now — I’d love to hear from you.

A few things I’d love advice on:

• How do you know when your MVP is “good enough” to launch?

• What helped you find your first loyal users or testers?

• What books, videos, or content helped you grow as a founder?

— Baltazar