A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
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A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
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Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#2Unless you stop trying to be someone else, and start trying to the best "you" you can be, you're not a novel opportunity.
Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#3I'd argue that Opzi is actually better off describing themselves that way than trying to explain what they are without references to existing things. Yes, sure, explaining yourself by comparison to existing things raises questions. No one would claim you're done explaining at that point. But you're now only those questions away from being done. Whereas if you give people a long description that attempts to convey all the nuances of what you're doing, you just lose them entirely. Especially in a noisy environment like a conference where lots of other startups are presenting.
In an algorithm for calculating answers by successive approximations, it's fine if the initial approximation is bad, so long as the process converges rapidly.
Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#4Unless you stop trying to be someone else, and start trying to the best "you" you can be, you're not a novel opportunity.
This isn't about what startups are, merely how they describe what they are.
Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#5I think the Quora example does give off a bad vibe.
a) We are a Quora for the enterprise
b) We are Youtube for audio
Quora for the enterprise sounds like a superset. Quora, plus enterprisey features. Quora could compete, their core competency is in that set.
Youtube for audio sounds like disjoint sets. OK, I know what Youtube does. They do video well. I could see a good audio site that does it similarly, allows user submissions, etc. Youtube isn't a competitor, it is a model.
Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#6I disagree. For every startup that can easily and succinctly communicate their purpose and value, there's ten that stumble over vague, non-descriptive utterances. If you can say "We're like Facebook for pets", that has value and we can immediately hone-in on what specifically differentiates you.
Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#7Unless you stop trying to be someone else, and start trying to the best "you" you can be, you're not a novel opportunity.
This isn't about what startups are, merely how they describe what they are.
What I meant with that last comment was that in a setting like Disrupt, you are exactly what your audience thinks you are during a pitch, and an "x of y" description can leave the incorrect first impression that you are "me too" opportunity, which Opzi and many other startups are not. In non-SV areas, that thinking is a paradigm that cannot be unshifted. I've seen a great deal of cool and creative ideas come out of places like OKC that get brushed aside with the "x of y" description. Arguably, it's one of the more intangible benefits of SV.
Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#8I'd argue that Opzi is actually better off describing themselves that way than trying to explain what they are without references to existing things. Yes, sure, explaining yourself by comparison to existing things raises questions. No one would claim you're done explaining at that point. But you're now only those questions away from being done. Whereas if you give people a long description that attempts to convey all…
The problem with analogies is picking one that doesn't break down too quickly.
Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#9I'm not a fan of this approach, or the "we're like x meets y meets z" (mashup of services), but I can see the value in giving unfamiliar listeners familiar reference points. As long as you can easily field the followup questions -- you can differentiate yourself or describe competitive advantage -- I think you're fine.
edit: Another problem I've seen with using this approach is that sometimes they use existing services to describe their service, and it actually undercuts their value. For example, someone builds service to capitalize on the networking, information sharing, and shared knowledge base of pet owners but sells as "facebook for pet owners." Well, pet owners use Facebook, so the value proposition is lost in the analogy without further reinforcement.
Re: A Huge Mistake Startups Make - we are the x of/for the y
#10Strongly disagree with this (and I've seen my fair share of pitches). I'd much rather hear you're the "x of y" followed by an explanation of your key differences than listen to you reinvent the wheel.