[pettycashstash2]

At 37, you're actually at a prime age for entrepreneurship. Research from the Harvard Business Review found the average age of successful startup founders is 45, with the highest-growth startups founded by entrepreneurs with an average age of 45-50. Your accumulated experience is an asset, not a liability.

Rather than seeing this as a binary choice between continuing or quitting, consider a third path: being more selective and focused. What if you committed fully to Tillit for 18-24 months with clear milestones and decision points?

[bibinmohan]

Thanks a lot. I’m going to sit down and define what success looks like for Tillit over the next 18–24 months — in terms of traction, funding, and team growth. But still with the current situations, I don't know, how long can I move.

Would love to know: What kind of milestones or decision points would you recommend for an early-stage marketplace like Tillit that’s solving cash flow and delivery problems for retailers?

[pettycashstash2]

3-Month Milestones:

Onboard 20-30 retailers consistently ordering through your platform

Establish 3-5 functioning mini-warehouses in one focused neighborhood or district

Achieve 70%+ retention rate (retailers placing second and third orders)

Demonstrate consistent 1-2 day delivery timeframes vs. industry standard

6-Month Milestones:

Develop a simple but scalable credit scoring system for your retailers

Implement a minimal credit offering for your best customers (even if limited)

Create streamlined logistics model that can handle 3-5x your current volume

Document 3-5 case studies showing measurable retailer benefits (time/cost savings)

12-Month Decision Points:

Revenue covering operational costs (excluding your time) 10-15% month-over-month growth in transaction volume

Clear unit economics showing profitability per delivery At least one key metric where you're 2-3x better than traditional wholesalers

Rather than trying to fund everything from your agency, consider a "minimum viable credit" approach - perhaps starting with net-15 payment terms for your most reliable retailers, then gradually extending as you validate repayment behavior.

Could you saturate just one neighborhood or product category first to demonstrate density advantages?

The key now is focused execution rather than trying to solve every problem at once. What's the absolute minimum version of Tillit that delivers real value and can grow without significant outside capital?

[bibinmohan]

Thank you, this is something similar to what we have in mind.

And currently, as you told, we are focusing just on perishable bakery snacks, which only have 1 day life. And the credit period for that product is just 1 day. So with that, we are trying to capture 10 shops with in a month, who orders daily.