21–30 of 200 posts
You can do all of the above and still fail. Often, success or failure is luck-based and completely not skill-based.
>One of the most conspicuous patterns we’ve seen among the thousand startups we’ve funded is that the most successful founders are always totally focused on their product and their users. To the point of being fanatical. The best founders don’t have time to get caught up in other things.
>Here’s a list of things that I see easily distract founders. These are like the startup equivalent of wolves in sheeps’ clothing.
[she includes 8 points, of which I quote 4 below - I am quoting selectively.]
> - “Grabbing coffee” with investors
> - Networking
> - Doing a “partnership,” thinking it will get you more users
> - Going to conferences
Now, I need help understnanding this. She has listed some of the items that separate people building startups in unfundable locations where there are 0 startups, and startups building in the Bay Area.
If you don't need to do these things, why did YC shut down it's Boston program and make everyone do it in the Bay Area?
If you don't need to do these things, why can't you build a startup from anywhere in the world as long as you speak good English and have no costs?
Aren't these things literally the things that make startups fundable, financiable, possible to grow into huge businesses?
I and anyone else on HN who has been in the Bay Area and in startup-dead locations knows the huge difference. She seemed to quote some of it under 'distractions'.
Can someone help me understand why they aren't, in fact, part of focus?
Jessica asserts that conventions are too distracting and you shouldn't go to them. I don't completely agree with that. Depending on what type of business you're making, the best way to get work done is to go to conventions, because that's the only time you can easily meet with a bunch of people that are related to your industry and make new partnerships, check out new hardware/software solutions to save time or money…
I would say that her list sounds like stuff you can tell yourself is real work that will grow your product when it is mostly window dressing. The thing is, there are situations where those things will actually be useful. But, often, they are more style than substance.
Jessica asserts that conventions are too distracting and you shouldn't go to them. I don't completely agree with that. Depending on what type of business you're making, the best way to get work done is to go to conventions, because that's the only time you can easily meet with a bunch of people that are related to your industry and make new partnerships, check out new hardware/software solutions to save time or money…
Whenever someone advises "don't do this", it's usually pretty easy to come up with valid reason to do this. Fine. The lesson here is either avoid the sinkhole of conferences/events. Or, if you are so inclined to go, make sure you understand that unless you are extremely focused and efficient, it is likely to be a waste of time for you.
It goes both ways.
Focusing on growth and revenue sounds like the right thing to do for a p2p dog walking marketplace, or a SaaS enterprise meal planning app, but what about the startups solving big problems? Is month over month user growth relevant to a nuclear fusion or jet airplane startup?
I love to shut myself in and write code, don't get me wrong. But consistently tracking sales growth, setting goals, and hitting goals (i.e., execution) is what separates the wannabes from the dids.
Focusing on growth and revenue sounds like the right thing to do for a p2p dog walking marketplace, or a SaaS enterprise meal planning app, but what about the startups solving big problems? Is month over month user growth relevant to a nuclear fusion or jet airplane startup?
For an R&D based startup working on Fusion, that progress would be measured differently.
Many businesses have Key Performance Indicators (KPI's). Startups should be no different.
On "making something people want"... You don't always know. If its a cheaper version of something else then - yah. But if its a new category you don't know. eg Nest - turns out people did want an expensive smart thermostat. But wasn't obvious.
We all know companies that have built products that nobody wants. They went through all the planning, product development, market research, production, and the result was nobody wanted it. It's a myth that if you build it, they will come. People have to want your product at each stage of the process.