It takes three years to build a business

How do you find customers? Are all methods guaranteed to take 2 - 3 years to break even?

Great post.

When I quit my job in big services firm, I went for advice before moving out & also to say goodbye to one of the vice-presidents (who had run his own start-up which was eventually acquired by this big services company).

His specific message to me was: make sure you have enough money to last 3 years and make sure all your partners will also be able to stick together for 3 yrs. Because anywhere between 2 to 3 yrs is the inflection point when people are forced to quit due to whatever circumstances. If you guys can successfully see through 3 yrs I am sure you'll all figure out ways to make money with your business.

He advised me to start looking at alternate channels to generate revenue right from day one: network & find training / consulting opportunities even while you are building the product. Even one or two weeks of such work in 2 to 3 months will go a long way in sustaining the business was his advice.

That's good advice for solo cofounders. The running is key for me. I'm not a morning person - at all - so I roll out of bed around 6 am, go to work for 8 hours, come home to run around 3pm (I enjoy the nicer weather in the afternoon and I get all my frustration out from my day job), and then I have a clear mind and lots of energy to get a few solid hours of coding done in the evening.

I do usually have to set aside a couple hours for family time. I used to bring my laptop and try to get something done, but it wasn't enough benefit to deal with the added stress while trying to enjoy family time.

So that's my advice:

* Do something to clear your mind and give you energy before you work on a side project/job

* Be realistic about when you can get things done - "you don't need more hours, you need smarter hours" ~ Rework

Great post. I would add some advice to this based on my experiences... If you're just starting out and are having trouble gaining the trust of your target customers, you should consider seeking out channels through which to sell your services.

In my example, we built credibility with our desired end clients by building great case studies working through channel partners. Once we had these examples under our belt, bigger companies were more likely to trust us. Plus, the channel partner acts as your sales rep until you can get your own sales funnel working in-house.

However, I don't recommend this forever, as selling through a channel has its own set of challenges (e.g., lack of pricing controls, inability to sell into the account without approvals, potential for the channel to copy your product/approach, inability to control the client relationship, etc.).

It can be done, but it's tough.

I was laid off a couple of years ago and used that as an opportunity to start a business.

You need to have the right balance of being hungry, which can be solved my having enough money in the bank for a year or so.

If you have too much money or are too comfortable, you'll never get your app finished, because there will always be other things you need to do (I've been there many times). If you are freaking out about making rent, you won't be able to concentrate either.