The document provides advice for starting a business and building a successful startup company. It discusses the importance of understanding customer needs, developing a good product, building a strong team with domain expertise, raising money, selling the vision, managing growth, and establishing the right company culture. The key lessons are to focus on solving problems for customers, gain traction by getting early revenue, learn from mistakes, communicate goals openly within the team, and remember that success depends on execution, not just having a good product or idea.
2. 6 Things
You Need To Start
1 2 3
4 5 6
People Idea Plan
$$$$ Turn Idea Into
Product
Managing
Evolution
3. A Team
You Need To Build
Domain Expertise
Team with smart skills
Let meetings be there quite often
Non business types are loved more
Product development team delivers certainly better
4. Think
Like An Investor
What’s the problem?
Define a solution
Will customers really care?
Yes they will. Design their solution
Why win?
Because you’re here to make a difference
Gross characteristics of financial forecast
Don’t focus on profits, make a good product, revenues will
follow you
5. Think
Like An Investor
What’s the problem?
Define a solution
Will customers really care?
Yes they will. Design their solution
Why win?
Because you’re here to make a difference
Gross characteristics of financial forecast
Don’t focus on profits, make a good product, revenues will
follow you
12. Basic rules of business
# of competitors
Depth of value-add
What are customer options?
MeasureTheDepthofBusinessSituation
13. Basic rules of business
# of competitors
Depth of value-add
What are customer options?
Know relevant models
What are competitive models?
What are historical models?
Why have predecessor technologies failed?
MeasureTheDepthofBusinessSituation
14. Basic rules of business
# of competitors
Depth of value-add
What are customer options?
Know relevant models
What are competitive models?
What are historical models?
Why have predecessor technologies failed?
Know your own model
What are you betting on?
How soon does it have to work?
What’s important to your success?
MeasureTheDepthofBusinessSituation
16. Raising
Money
Angels, Friends, and Family
Govt. grants of various kinds
Venture Capital
Many different flavors and tastes
Tradeoff between dilution and time
How much do you need to get to the next milestone?
$$$
17. Getting
Early
Get revenue, ‚traction‛, start selling
Customer satisfaction more important that product and technology
Build customer relationships and customer feedback loop
Make mistakes early and cheaply
19. Become A
Domain Expert
Focus on success of customer—every decision should be weighed against this
Listen to customers—Fine line between vision and passion, and being stubborn
All startups are in the service business
More things liable to change than stay constant
Everyone sells
Be the voice of the customer
21. Vision
&
Struggle
2X Rule: Everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much
Sales learning curve
Be realistic about valuation milestones
Raise more money; relax about valuation
23. Too Scared To Get Failed
But WHY?
Good intentions…but it is a slippery slope
It isn’t supposed to be comfortable
What culture do you want to establish?
It is okay to be small for awhile
What do you really need?
Minimum now vs. cash crunch
Growth and progress are not linear
25. Few Good Things:
The Real Menu
Invest in Culture Early
Invest in ‚team‛ values: balance, support, communication,
shared values, collaborative, flexible job descriptions
Promote Openness
Consistent values + clear priorities simplifies management
Managing The Cubicles
Communicate goals and objectives, Share successes and
failures, Enroll people; Encourage debate
Knowing What You’re Good At
Focus on your strengths, Complement yourself, Focus
outward