81–90 of 143 posts
1. Ensure the list of tips are easily accessible. (The advice will do nothing for you if you can't find it when you are making critical decisions.)
Once you have solved the distribution problem, now comes the real opportunity:
2. Follow through with the list. :-)
Maybe Ive read too many blogs. Maybe its because I watched the class but Im starting to feel like this is the "generic" advice for startups. It doesn't make it any less true or valuable, but everytime I read it I feel somewhat empty; as if there is something critical missing that everyone but me knows but doesn't write down because it feels like common sense. I'm not sure other people feel this way or how to not feel…
With the risk of sounding ignorant I'm going to go out on a limb and say one of the biggest missing pieces for most people is financial security - or at least the availability of a safety net. Based on my experience there are four scenarios where someone could start a company: - You have financial support from someone (whether you're in college or have a spouse that makes a good income - probably the most common) - Y…
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Honestly, startup advice articles are lead collection tools for ycombinator and other accelerators targeting "fresh" audiences. You may see similar advice articles from VCs too; blogging makes them more visible and help attract entrepreneurs.
You hit the nail on the head. As a top entrepreneur I spend a lot of my time reading VC blog posts. It's the best way to filter the investors I'm going to bless with the opportunity to invest in my next home run.
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- control your costs - spread your risk (no single customer > 20% of your business) - save for the next crisis when the money is good - focus - cashflow beats cash - find your peers and establish relationships - know your strengths, more importantly, know where you're weak - working overtime is no substitute for bad planning - every deal should make money - better 10 small deals in the pocket than one huge one that y…
> - working overtime is no substitute for bad planning I feel like I know what you mean, but this one feels off to me. I think you mean, "working overtime is no substitute for good planning." As in, working overtime is a consequence of bad planning (not always, but an indicator at least).
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that really is all there is to it. if you've read enough that all of this strikes you as obvious, then you don't need to read anymore--get to work! :) i wrote this because i think it's useful for people thinking about startups for the first time to have an outline of the advice all in one place--the startup class i did last fall is good but long.
My problem with this isn't that the advice is obvious, but rather obvious _only in hindsight_: "The best startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas but are good ideas.", "the fast-growing market is going to be important but others dismiss it as unimportant" these aren't obvious at all before they happen, not just for first-time startup people but everyone.
Don’t waste your time on stuff that doesn’t matter (i.e.
things other than building your product, talking to your
users, growing, etc.). In general, avoid the kind of
stuff that might be in a movie about running a startup
—meeting with lawyers and accountants, going to lots of
conferences, grabbing coffee with people, sitting in
lots of meetings, etc. Become a Delaware C Corp (use
Clerky or any well-known Silicon Valley law firm) and
then get back to work on your product.
Don’t waste your time on stuff that doesn’t matter (i.e. things other than building your product, talking to your users, growing, etc.). In general, avoid the kind of stuff that might be in a movie about running a startup —meeting with lawyers and accountants, going to lots of conferences, grabbing coffee with people, sitting in lots of meetings, etc. Become a Delaware C Corp (use Clerky or any well-known Silicon Val…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
My problem with this isn't that the advice is obvious, but rather obvious _only in hindsight_: "The best startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas but are good ideas.", "the fast-growing market is going to be important but others dismiss it as unimportant" these aren't obvious at all before they happen, not just for first-time startup people but everyone.
Exactly. One could easily come up with a corollary: "The worst startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas and really are." Which is a truism that probably applies to most startup ideas.