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What skills are most crucial for running small internet companies?

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Re: What skills are most crucial for running small internet companies?

#11

Post by mrskitch »

I actually just wrote a bit about this on an interview at brandfetch with regards to browserless.io (https://blog.brandfetch.io/automating-browsers-with-browserl..., wish I could deeplink the section that's relevant). The TL;DR here is get really good at both your written and verbal communication. You're nothing if you can't properly articulate what you're building, for whom, and respond to critical feedback. This lone skill helps immediately in just about every aspect of running a business: programming, sales, and more. You need to be able to interact with your audience in a way that is concise and clear, and communication skills are how you do that.

Write, speak, blog and keep on doing it!

Re: What skills are most crucial for running small internet companies?

#13

Post by arthurcolle »

kareemm wrote: post #7

I'm running Savio[1], which is my fourth small internet company I've run since 2007 (the previous three were sold). At the risk of sounding cliche, the three skills that have been most valuable are: 1. The ability to build software that meaningfully solves a customer's problem 2. The ability to reach people who have the problem my software solves 3. The persistence to grind until we have a decent product and can regu…

How did you tackle problem (2) here? trade shows or something? How do you go from 0 (no connections to industry X, or people who face problem Y) to being able to do 2 without some inside connection?

Re: What skills are most crucial for running small internet companies?

#14

Post by thebokehwokeh2 »

onion2k wrote: post #8

Marketing and sales. As awful as that sounds to many people it just isn't enough to build an amazing product, write great code, or design something beautiful. You need to be able to get out there and tell people it exists in order to succeed. Without that ability your startup will fail. In fact, in my experience at least, far more companies fail because they couldn't reach customers than fail because they couldn't bu…

Absolutely agreed. My current job is far and away the least technically challenging/complex/interesting work I've done in my 15 year career but it's the most monetarily successful because of stellar sales and marketing and support teams.

Unless you're audience is as technical as you are, the layperson on the street will not know the difference between 2 products given numerous similarities. They NEED to be told that one product is better and just want to talk to a real person to explain how the damned thing works.

Good UX is primary. Good code is secondary. When good UX and good code fail, good human interaction is what is the kicker.

Re: What skills are most crucial for running small internet companies?

#15

Post by treebornfrog »

onion2k wrote: post #8

Marketing and sales. As awful as that sounds to many people it just isn't enough to build an amazing product, write great code, or design something beautiful. You need to be able to get out there and tell people it exists in order to succeed. Without that ability your startup will fail. In fact, in my experience at least, far more companies fail because they couldn't reach customers than fail because they couldn't bu…

100% this.

You can have the best castle, but if no-one visits, what use is it?

I've met too many programmers with great ideas and execution, but have failed with marketing/sales because they think it's all fluff. Communication is key.

Re: What skills are most crucial for running small internet companies?

#16

Post by ghaff »

arthurcolle wrote: post #13
kareemm wrote: post #7

I'm running Savio[1], which is my fourth small internet company I've run since 2007 (the previous three were sold). At the risk of sounding cliche, the three skills that have been most valuable are: 1. The ability to build software that meaningfully solves a customer's problem 2. The ability to reach people who have the problem my software solves 3. The persistence to grind until we have a decent product and can regu…

How did you tackle problem (2) here? trade shows or something? How do you go from 0 (no connections to industry X, or people who face problem Y) to being able to do 2 without some inside connection?

How are you even going to know what problems need to be solved if you have no connections to industry X?

Re: What skills are most crucial for running small internet companies?

#18

Post by dfcagency »

onion2k wrote: post #8

Marketing and sales. As awful as that sounds to many people it just isn't enough to build an amazing product, write great code, or design something beautiful. You need to be able to get out there and tell people it exists in order to succeed. Without that ability your startup will fail. In fact, in my experience at least, far more companies fail because they couldn't reach customers than fail because they couldn't bu…

I'm a marketer here. If you want some help, reply. I'm happy to grab coffee in the Bay Area and help give early direction to your startup.

Re: What skills are most crucial for running small internet companies?

#20

Post by erichocean »

arthurcolle wrote: post #13
kareemm wrote: post #7

I'm running Savio[1], which is my fourth small internet company I've run since 2007 (the previous three were sold). At the risk of sounding cliche, the three skills that have been most valuable are: 1. The ability to build software that meaningfully solves a customer's problem 2. The ability to reach people who have the problem my software solves 3. The persistence to grind until we have a decent product and can regu…

How did you tackle problem (2) here? trade shows or something? How do you go from 0 (no connections to industry X, or people who face problem Y) to being able to do 2 without some inside connection?

Read The Startup Owner's Manual, or the previous version of the same, Four Steps to the Epiphany, and apply what you've read.
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