As builders, we prepare for bugs, scaling issues, or bad design decisions.
What we don’t prepare for? Payments failing when you need them most.

That’s exactly what happened to me with Replicate.

The Struggle Nobody Sees

After multiple failed attempts to solve my Replicate payment problem, I hit a wall.

At first, I thought it was just a temporary glitch. Then I realized it might be an e-mandate issue with my bank. Even after retries, nothing worked.

Out of desperation, I ended up ordering another debit card from a different bank account, hoping this would finally solve it.

But the damage was already done. That small hiccup delayed my product launch.

The Hidden Cost of Roadblocks

When you’re bootstrapping, even tiny delays hurt.

They break your momentum.
They push back your timelines.
They test your patience more than debugging ever could.

And the frustrating part? These aren’t “technical problems” you can solve with code. They’re external, messy, and completely out of your control.

What I Learned

Always have backups. Multiple cards, multiple accounts. Don’t rely on just one payment option when infra tools are your lifeline.
Factor in “unexpected delays.” Not just for code, but for everything around it — payments, APIs, hosting, even compliance.
Keep building. While I was stuck waiting for my new card, I focused on other parts of the product so momentum didn’t completely die.

The Bigger Picture

Every founder talks about product–market fit, customer acquisition, or retention.
But rarely do we talk about the boring, frustrating realities like:

payment gateways failing,
cards getting declined,
or billing systems locking you out.

These things don’t show up in startup playbooks, but they can be the difference between launching today and launching weeks later.

Final Thought

This delay was painful, but also a reminder:

Building isn’t just code. It’s solving every problem between you and your users — even the boring ones like payments.

If you’re building too, expect roadblocks. Not just in the product, but in everything around it.

Because that’s the real startup grind.

When Payment Problems Delay Your Launch