1. 1 year ago 

   10 tips for launching a startup.

   This is a comment I made on an SAI posting which was covering a post from Chris Dixon. I don’t claim to know everything about launching a business, but I know what’s worked for us since we launched in late 2005:

   I don’t agree with all of them, but here’s mine.
   
   1) Believe. Believe. Believe. Think about it hard for awhile (how long depends on the person), there won’t be any going back.
   
   2) You must have experience in the area you’re looking to get involved in. If you don’t, go get it before you start.
   
   3) Be ready to be involved in everything. The broader experience you have before you pull the trigger, the better. Be technical. Be a salesman (or woman). Be a manager. Be a lawyer. Be an asshole. Be a big brother (or sister). Even if you’re not great at all of them, you WILL have to be comfortable doing it all.
   
   4) Be ready to sacrifice everything in your life for a couple years. People say there’s a work-life balance, that’s BULLSHIT if you want the best chance to be successful at your first startup (or any). You’ll be doing everything from day-1, get used to it. If you’re not ready to sacrifice your bank account, toys, comfort, and the good life you had working for someone else, you’re not ready to create a startup out of thin air. You’ll have an obligation to yourself, everyone who works with you, and everyone that helped you to do everything in your power to succeed. Be ready to to fill that obligation, or stay with the Normals.
   
   4) Talk about it with everyone you can. Listen to their feedback, but don’t follow it. Use it as a guideline for how to proceed. If all your friends tell you it’s brilliant, ignore them they’re just being nice. If nobody tells you it’s stupid, you’re crazy, and there’s no hope, you’re talking to the wrong people. Refer back to #1.
   
   5) Don’t worry about the “Team”. If you’re not ready to be the foundation of your idea and do it from the ground up, by yourself, keep working for someone else (there’s nothing wrong with that, and your life will be much easier).
   
   6) Start building it by yourself. That means hire contractors/friends to do tech work if you’re not technical. Get something built to prove the idea to yourself. Then get some customers/users (it’s like pulling teeth at the start, that’s ok.. don’t give up. refer to #1).
   
   7) From the time you start, remember everyone you talk to and keep track of those who you think you can get involved at a later date. They’ll be the first ones you call when it’s time to build a Team.
   
   8) Do not EVER try to do your first startup while working a normal 9-5 job. You will fail. It’s fine to start toying with the idea while you have a stable job, but once you decide it’s going to be a startup. Quit. Ya that’s rite, quit your nice comfy six-figure job and start buying Cup-O-Noodle. If you don’t show commitment to your idea, nobody will.
   
   9) Stay hungry.
   
   10) Refer to #1.
   
   -mike
   

2. Notes

Following

Tumblr