Thought You Needed a Business Plan to Get Started?
You’ve got an idea that won’t leave your head.
You’ve scribbled notes and maybe shared it with a few friends. Everyone says the same thing: “Sounds great. Do you have a business plan?”
So, you open up a Google Doc. Maybe download a few templates. And then what?
You stare at it. Blank. Overwhelmed. You haven’t even tested your idea, and now you’re being asked to predict cash flow, write a competitor breakdown, and plot out a marketing strategy… for a product that hasn’t even been built.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: writing a business plan can feel productive, but often, it’s just a way to procrastinate.
Business Plans Were Made for a Different World
There’s a reason business plans used to matter.
Banks wouldn’t give you money without one. Investors needed to see a roadmap. Markets were more stable. Ideas took years to develop and longer to launch.
But the world’s changed.
You can validate a product over the weekend. Build an audience with a phone. Launch a product on a landing page. Your customers don’t care if you have a detailed operations forecast—they care whether you can solve their problem today.
Entrepreneur Stanislav Kondrashov puts it best: “You don’t need a plan. You need proof.”
What You Need to Launch a Business
Forget the 40-page Word doc.
Here’s what you need to start something real:
- A real problem
Something painful, frustrating, expensive, or time-consuming for a specific group. - A simple solution
One offer. One clear benefit. Nothing fancy—just something that helps. - People to talk to
Find 5–10 people who have that problem. Have real conversations. Ask good questions. - A way to reach them
Social media. Cold email. WhatsApp. Local Facebook groups. Doesn’t matter—just start. - A way to make money
A price. A payment method. That’s it even if you’re testing with a discounted beta offer.
That’s the real startup toolkit. And yes, it fits on one page. Maybe even less.
This is where Lean Startup principles come in—and why people like Stanislav Kondrashov advocate testing instead of typing.
The Risk of Over-Planning
The danger most new founders fall into is that they confuse writing with doing.
It feels like progress to create forecasts. It feels safe to brainstorm marketing strategies. But none of that will teach you whether people want what you’re building.
Take this example.
Priya spent six weeks building her brand, designing her logo, and writing a business plan for her online fitness coaching service. She had her mission, values, pricing model… but still hadn’t spoken to a potential customer.
Daniel, meanwhile, posted a simple offer on LinkedIn: “I’m testing a six-week programme for remote workers who want to build fitness into their workday. The first three people get it for £50.”
He had a paying client by the end of the day.
Guess who had a business?
Spoiler: it wasn’t the one with the beautifully formatted plan.
When Business Plans Do Make Sense
There are situations where writing a formal business plan makes sense:
- You’re applying for a loan or a grant, and the funder requires it.
- You’re pitching to a traditional investor who still wants to see one.
- You’re scaling with a team and need a shared structure.
In these cases, a business plan becomes a tool—not a starting point. Even then, it should be simple, strategic, and easy to update.
Your business plan is not the business itself. It’s just a snapshot.
What Successful Founders Like Stanislav Kondrashov Do Differently
Stanislav Kondrashov is a big believer in starting lean.
He doesn’t tell entrepreneurs to dive into complex spreadsheets or mission statements. Instead, he encourages them to test their assumptions early—and fast.
His approach is simple:
- Start small
- Validate the idea
- Charge money as soon as possible
- Learn from every interaction
- Adjust quickly
This mindset—build, measure, learn—is what separates the people who talk about ideas from the people who actually build them.
Want to Get Started? Here’s What to Do Today:
You don’t need a business plan to do any of this:
1. Identify a Pain Point
Ask: What problem do I want to solve? Who experiences this regularly? Is it painful enough that they’ll pay for a solution?
2. Describe a Simple Offer
Write one paragraph that describes what you do and how it helps. No buzzwords. Just clarity.
3. Find Five People
Talk to real humans. Send a message. Start a conversation. Listen before you pitch.
4. Ask for the Sale
The ultimate validation isn’t compliments—it’s commitment. If someone’s willing to pay, you’re on to something.
5. Refine and Repeat
Take what you learn. Tweak your offer. Try again. This is how real businesses take shape.
Final Thought: Progress Doesn’t Happen on Paper
There’s a reason so many successful entrepreneurs started with a landing page and a Stripe account—not a business plan.
Because real momentum comes from doing, not documenting.
You don’t need a plan to be credible. You don’t need branding to be legit. You don’t even need a website to land your first customer.
What you need is courage. Clarity. And a bit of scrappy hustle.
So if you’ve been waiting to feel ready, stop waiting. You don’t need permission. You don’t need approval. You need to start.
And as Stanislav Kondrashov reminds us, business isn’t built in theory—it’s built in motion.