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Upcoming tech IPOs have one thing in common: none of these originated from “lean startup”.
They were deliberate efforts, toiling away in obscurity for several years and then launching with well-formed products focused on design and user experience.
LYFT, PINT, UBER, SLAK, ABNB
They were deliberate efforts, toiling away in obscurity for several years and then launching with well-formed products focused on design and user experience.
LYFT, PINT, UBER, SLAK, ABNB
Summarized my key thoughts from this thread in this link along with the book recommendations and other references: medium.com/@startuphacker…
Thanks all for the feedback.
Thanks all for the feedback.
Lyft
Logan Green got inspired after a trip in 2006 from observing people in Zimbabwe giving rides to others and started Zimride. The team decided to create a peer to peer mobile app called Lyft in 2012/2013 and sold Zimride to Enterprise.
6 yrs journey to founding of Lyft!
Logan Green got inspired after a trip in 2006 from observing people in Zimbabwe giving rides to others and started Zimride. The team decided to create a peer to peer mobile app called Lyft in 2012/2013 and sold Zimride to Enterprise.
6 yrs journey to founding of Lyft!
Uber
Garrett Camp got inspired after feeling the frustration of hailing a cab in SF around 2008. Keen continued observations + belief, seed funded himself with $250k, attracted Travis Kalanick as an adviser and then later on to become the CEO.
2 yrs from idea to SF launch
Garrett Camp got inspired after feeling the frustration of hailing a cab in SF around 2008. Keen continued observations + belief, seed funded himself with $250k, attracted Travis Kalanick as an adviser and then later on to become the CEO.
2 yrs from idea to SF launch
Slack
Stewart Butterfield and team were building a game called Glitch starting in 2009. It just didn't work out, but looking at the usefulness of their internal team chat collaboration tool, they decided to package and launch it in 2014.
5 yr journey to launch!
Stewart Butterfield and team were building a game called Glitch starting in 2009. It just didn't work out, but looking at the usefulness of their internal team chat collaboration tool, they decided to package and launch it in 2014.
5 yr journey to launch!
Airbnb
The founders got inspired about the idea in 2007. At their 2nd soft launch in SXSW, they got *one* customer. After their 3rd launch at DNC, they got some traffic but it fell and as a startup they were dying. Then YC happened and they re-launched in 2009.
2 yr to launch
The founders got inspired about the idea in 2007. At their 2nd soft launch in SXSW, they got *one* customer. After their 3rd launch at DNC, they got some traffic but it fell and as a startup they were dying. Then YC happened and they re-launched in 2009.
2 yr to launch
Pinterest
Ben Silbermann created multiple fully-formed versions of the website. But 9 months after launch there were very few DAUs. He didn't quit; the site eventually started growing with networks of design bloggers.
Ben Silbermann created multiple fully-formed versions of the website. But 9 months after launch there were very few DAUs. He didn't quit; the site eventually started growing with networks of design bloggers.
Since this is a special day for astrophysics. These founders understood based on their deliberate insight that this market must exist. Lean startup ideology would have meant to not believe, and to give up too early, because data..
Give up too early is what "The Upstarts" covered in Chapter 3. All these nonstarters had a fantastic head start to Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Postmates... but let go of their advantage for multiple reasons. "Lean startup" made giving up too early into a movement and acceptable exit door
Wisdom of the crowd here points in a very specific direction. Thank you Garrett Camp, Keith Rabois, Eugene Wei, Sizhao Yang and many others from across the spectrum here for your input with a "like" on the original tweet, and Philipp Moehring for a spirited, thoughtful debate 🙏
Finally, my own skin in the game here
I have been working on my startup:
- 3.5 years, part-time
- Built & scratched 3 apps
- Time away from family
- $, vacations skipped
- Opportunity cost
in the pursuit of/to discover/belief in a specific insight. 4th version is when it worked
I have been working on my startup:
- 3.5 years, part-time
- Built & scratched 3 apps
- Time away from family
- $, vacations skipped
- Opportunity cost
in the pursuit of/to discover/belief in a specific insight. 4th version is when it worked
To bootstrap further till a pre-seed/seed round, I am selling these domains. Please DM if interested. Thank you 🙏
.COM domains
adzle
lokkle
bakdi
svayum
neeyar
neeyr
gappae
roborrito
.CO domains
supperman
gappe
.COM domains
adzle
lokkle
bakdi
svayum
neeyar
neeyr
gappae
roborrito
.CO domains
supperman
gappe
