The Real Reason First-Time Founders Struggle — and How Synergii is Redefining Startup Success in 2025

Entrepreneurship is Booming, But the Odds Aren’t in Our Favor

Entrepreneurship is growing in America. In 2024, in the U.S. there were 5.2 million new business applications filed according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the trend continues to grow. Yet, as someone who has studied and experienced the startup world firsthand, I’ve come to understand one harsh reality: even though the entrepreneurial dream is alive and well, the path to success remains elusive and riddled with invisible barriers — making it quite challenging.

My Personal Entrepreneurship Journey

While attending Cornell Tech, I had the chance to delve into the world of entrepreneurship as an unencumbered student. However, my journey to becoming a founder was far from ordinary. While enrolled at Cornell, I couldn’t help but observe the stark contrast between the resources available to me during my formative years and those accessible to an Ivy League student. I wasn’t formally taught skills to help me become an entrepreneur, and as an African American woman growing up in Brooklyn, NY, and I didn’t always see entrepreneurship as a world designed for someone like me.

During my time at Cornell University, I had the opportunity to utilize a range of resources such as mentors and diverse learning experiences that allowed me to explore new ideas in a manner I had always dreamed of. However, despite the advantages of receiving an Ivy League education, it became evident to me how challenging it is for aspiring founders starting ventures for the first time without the same resources — particularly for women and those who don’t fit the traditional mold.

During one of our earliest lectures, one of our studio instructors made a comment that stuck with me. He said: “Most of you in this room won’t succeed.” It wasn’t because I disagreed — statistically, it was unfortunately true. Most new ventures fail. But what I couldn’t shake was how resigned we were to these odds. Why was failure the default, and why wasn’t anyone addressing the systemic gaps and the real reason and root causes that made it so?

Turning Frustration into a Thesis: Understanding the Gaps

At Cornell Tech, I made it my mission to understand what holds founders back — and how we can redefine what success looks like. During my summer in the Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator 2024 cohort, I took this a step further. I interviewed nearly 30 first-time founders, including student entrepreneurs, women who started businesses during the pandemic, and part-time founders balancing startups with full-time jobs. Their stories were both inspiring and humbling.

The Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator 2024 cohort. This program inspired the creation of Synergii and connected me with founders whose stories shaped its mission. (I’m the one in red!)

Here’s what I learned:

1. The odds are against us, and statistics prove it.
   Women-led startups received less than 2% of global venture funding in 2023, while Black entrepreneurs received a paltry 0.5% of venture capital funding in the U.S. (Crunchbase). Despite facing neglect, these marginalized entrepreneurs demonstrate perseverance as they forge ahead in developing cutting edge businesses with significant untapped opportunities.
2. Time is the biggest enemy.
   Many founders juggle their startups alongside jobs, studies, or family responsibilities. They don’t have the time or find it difficult to build networks, pitch investors, or refine their business models.
3. Resilience is undervalued.
   The founders I spoke to shared that their first step was often starting an LLC and self-funding because they didn’t know where to find resources or support. Many lacked guidance on navigating regulations, monetizing their ideas, or scaling effectively. Without this foundation, they struggled not only to get started but also to stay afloat when challenges arose, leaving them vulnerable to early setbacks.
4. Funding is a black box.
   Whether it was student founders at Cornell or women I spoke to who started businesses on their own, the frustration was the same: they didn’t know how to navigate the funding process and felt left out. For most, it felt like an exclusive club where they didn’t belong.

Based on my experience and these conversations, it became clear that founders don’t just need funding. They also value access to resources and connections as well as guidance and a supportive community. Equally important is having someone who believes in them when others won’t because what defines “success” can vary greatly among different founders.

The System Isn’t Designed for Us — So I Built Synergii

Armed with these insights in mind, I transformed my frustration into action. I built Synergii: a platform designed to support founders of all backgrounds, whether they’re first-time entrepreneurs, part-timers, or seasoned innovators. Synergii is currently in beta, offering early adopters the opportunity to shape a platform that aims to revolutionize the landscape of entrepreneurship. Synergii is about rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship so that success isn’t reserved for the lucky few.

Synergii is a platform born out of Cornell Tech and the Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator that connects founders, funders, and entrepreneurial support organizations in a curated community.

At its core, Synergii is built to address the voids I discovered in my research and personal journey. Here’s how the platform works:

1. Access to resources without the guesswork
   When I was at Cornell Tech in New York City, I faced challenges in deciding who to ask for help when building Synergii. I found myself asking questions such as: Do I need a legal expert, a mentor to work on my pitch, or a branding specialist? Synergii aims to solve this problem by linking entrepreneurs with mentors, consultants, and support services — all in one place. So, founders can say goodbye to endless Googling and wasted time.
2. Transparency in funding
   I know how intimidating it feels to approach investors, especially as a first-time founder. On Synergii, we’re making funding more inclusive and accessible. Founders can showcase their business and connect with investors and grant-funding bodies that share their goals. For funders, Synergii is growing and on the path to offer a curated pipeline of startups that are ready to grow.
3. A community that “gets it”
   During the accelerator, I realized how much I relied on my peers and those in the Cornell community to keep going. We weren’t just building startups; we were building a community. Synergii recreates that supportive environment on a larger scale, where founders can share challenges, exchange insights, and grow together — because no founder should have to go it alone.
4. Resilience as a strategy
   One of the biggest lessons I learned at Cornell Tech was the importance of iteration. My professors drilled it into us: great founders don’t fall in love with one idea — they identify a meaningful problem to solve and adapt as needed to find success in the market. Synergii supports entrepreneurs by giving them a dedicated space to develop business concepts and helps to evaluate the progress of their business and themselves as founders over time.

The Evolution of Entrepreneurship and How it Will Shift in 2025

In today’s world and in society, businesses and industries are evolving and will continue to do so in the aftermath of the pandemic. While this can be exciting for the future ahead, it may may come with new opportunities and hurdles. Here are just a few examples of changes that will only continue to grow in 2025:

• 44% of new entrepreneurs started their ventures while holding other jobs (Gusto).
• Student entrepreneurs are on the rise, however a lot of them struggle with expanding their connections, and networks during and after graduation.
• Founders from marginalized communities — including women and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) — encounter systemic obstacles, nevertheless they are at the forefront of some of the most exciting innovations.

At Synergii, we don’t just recognize these patterns — we’re building to directly address them and transform them into advantages. So, whether you’re a first-time founder, a student, or professional explorer of industries, Synergii is here to support you on your journey.

Why Funders, Service Providers and Programs Need Synergii

Synergii isn’t just beneficial for entrepreneurs — it’s also significantly benefits others within the community by facilitating connects that promote collaboration and inclusivity for long-lasting positive effects.

• For funders: Strengthen your network and portfolio by building relationships with a diverse range of startup founders and keep up with their progress over time.
• For service providers: Connect with diverse entrepreneurs who need your expertise and services and are poised to grow.
• For entrepreneurship programs and networks: Maintain engagement and connection among your founders and participants both during and after your programs, competitions, and cohorts.

Making Entrepreneurship Accessible for All

While building Synergii at Cornell Tech, I learned that being an entrepreneur involves more than ideas or funding — it’s ultimately connecting people. It’s about fostering spaces that support creativity and resilience, while promoting adaptability and collaboration. Entrepreneurship is undergoing a transformation, and Synergii is committed to ensuring that no founder is left behind. This is the idea behind Synergii: a platform where all entrepreneurs have the chance to thrive, regardless of where they come from or how they started.

Originally published on Medium