Five things most first-time founders wish they'd known.

1. It's harder than you think. The first two years are mostly grind.
2. Most businesses fail. Yours might; that's fine — you can start again.
3. Your co-founder choice matters as much as your product choice.
4. You'll need 2-3× the runway you initially planned.
5. Success requires 5-10 years of consistency; overnight success is selection bias.

Five truths. None disqualifying, all worth accepting before you commit.