Your startup has more than 5 people
Here's 18 things you can do in 2022 to screw it up
Want your startup to end 2022 weaker than when you started?
Follow these tips
🧵 (ya, I know)
Here's 18 things you can do in 2022 to screw it up
Want your startup to end 2022 weaker than when you started?
Follow these tips
🧵 (ya, I know)
1/ Keep the high-performing asshole on your team
You've got a small team
1 of them is an epic jerk
But he's really good at his job
Don't worry
He'll get better. And he's just that important. Keep him.
Plus, your other teammates don't have other options in this job market
You've got a small team
1 of them is an epic jerk
But he's really good at his job
Don't worry
He'll get better. And he's just that important. Keep him.
Plus, your other teammates don't have other options in this job market
2/ Don't hire anyone unless they've worked at name brand company or went to a top tier school
There is no good talent anywhere else
Focus exclusively on pedigreed folks
These people will ensure your startup is successful
There is no good talent anywhere else
Focus exclusively on pedigreed folks
These people will ensure your startup is successful
3/ Don't talk to customers or users
You have a vision. Stick to it.
Ignore the noise.
You have a vision. Stick to it.
Ignore the noise.
4/ Just keep talking to customers/users
Talk to as many as you can - 30, 50, 100
You can never talk to too many customers
Why build based on their feedback and then go back to talk to customers when you can get all the feedback up front
Feedback is a gift, right?
Get some
Talk to as many as you can - 30, 50, 100
You can never talk to too many customers
Why build based on their feedback and then go back to talk to customers when you can get all the feedback up front
Feedback is a gift, right?
Get some
5/ Build software that just works for everyone
Your solution works whether you are an SMB or an enterprise ✔️
It's great if you're a mom with 2 kids or a college kid ✔️
Go big or go home!
Focus is the enemy
Your solution works whether you are an SMB or an enterprise ✔️
It's great if you're a mom with 2 kids or a college kid ✔️
Go big or go home!
Focus is the enemy
6/ Assume all input is good input
You posted on Hacker News and someone who isn't your target market had smart sounding feedback or just hated your idea
Be sure to adjust / pivot your idea based on what they tell you
Remember -- feedback is a gift!!!!!!!!!
You posted on Hacker News and someone who isn't your target market had smart sounding feedback or just hated your idea
Be sure to adjust / pivot your idea based on what they tell you
Remember -- feedback is a gift!!!!!!!!!
7/ Ensure your startup involves web3, metaverse, AI, etc
"A rising tide lifts all ships"
"The trend is your friend"
Right?
Do what others are doing
It'll make the journey easier
"A rising tide lifts all ships"
"The trend is your friend"
Right?
Do what others are doing
It'll make the journey easier
8/ It's all about product-led growth so ensure you have that
It used to be about gamification, freemium, or whatever
But if you don't have PLG, are you even doing a startup?
See what folks are saying is the way to grow a startup
And do it ASAP!
It used to be about gamification, freemium, or whatever
But if you don't have PLG, are you even doing a startup?
See what folks are saying is the way to grow a startup
And do it ASAP!
9/ When a position on your team is open for a while, fill it with someone who seems 'good enough'
By lowering your standards, at least the work will get done
And people sometimes just get better over time
A butt in seat is better than nothing
Hire fast!
By lowering your standards, at least the work will get done
And people sometimes just get better over time
A butt in seat is better than nothing
Hire fast!
10/ Ensure you get funding
The quickest way to let people know you are successful is to raise money
Do this with some urgency
The quickest way to let people know you are successful is to raise money
Do this with some urgency
11/ Ensure there is no technical debt. EVER!
Your code must be pristine at every step of the journey
Technical debt indicates you don't care
And you care deeply
So never ever have technical debt.
In fact, customers and revenue come second to ensuring no technical debt
Your code must be pristine at every step of the journey
Technical debt indicates you don't care
And you care deeply
So never ever have technical debt.
In fact, customers and revenue come second to ensuring no technical debt
12/ The key to solving your most pressing challenges is just one hire away
There are messiah out there
Find them & they will solve your most difficult challenges
Don't worry about solving these challenges on your own. Just find this messiah
Watch this wizard do their magic
There are messiah out there
Find them & they will solve your most difficult challenges
Don't worry about solving these challenges on your own. Just find this messiah
Watch this wizard do their magic
13/ Give everyone an important title
You're five people and your org is:
CEO
CTO
CMO
CFO
CPO (people, product, etc)
This is good
Clients will be impressed
And this scales remarkably well
You're five people and your org is:
CEO
CTO
CMO
CFO
CPO (people, product, etc)
This is good
Clients will be impressed
And this scales remarkably well
14/ Focus on scalability
You have 4 users today
What if that blows up and become 400,000 by end of month
Exactly!!!
Always build technology, systems, etc that scale
Cuz it's not a matter of if but when and you need to be ready
In meetings, always ask "will it scale?"
You have 4 users today
What if that blows up and become 400,000 by end of month
Exactly!!!
Always build technology, systems, etc that scale
Cuz it's not a matter of if but when and you need to be ready
In meetings, always ask "will it scale?"
15/ Make sure you are trying new things in HR
- Our team only works 3 days per week
- After 1 year, we give every teammate a 3 month sabbatical
Along w/ no tech debt, this is where you should focus
Your job is to innovate in HR from the start
Product innovation is secondary
- Our team only works 3 days per week
- After 1 year, we give every teammate a 3 month sabbatical
Along w/ no tech debt, this is where you should focus
Your job is to innovate in HR from the start
Product innovation is secondary
16/ Ensure you have killer snacks/perks
Google had these
Seen their mkt cap?
Exaaactly
Q: How will you recruit w/out these?
A: You won't
Biz models, flywheels, network fx, etc -lol. What a waste of time.
Kombucha, fresh fruit, gluten-free snacks
Get these right (or else)
Google had these
Seen their mkt cap?
Exaaactly
Q: How will you recruit w/out these?
A: You won't
Biz models, flywheels, network fx, etc -lol. What a waste of time.
Kombucha, fresh fruit, gluten-free snacks
Get these right (or else)
17/ Attend as many networking events as possible
Conferences, roundtables, speaker series
Whatever - attend them all
You might meet a VC, future hire or customer
Ya never know, right?
Just go & make serendipity happen
Your network = your net worth, right?
Conferences, roundtables, speaker series
Whatever - attend them all
You might meet a VC, future hire or customer
Ya never know, right?
Just go & make serendipity happen
Your network = your net worth, right?
18/ Be sure to blindly follow this advice
Many years ago, I wrote about my 68 screwups as a startup founder
You can find that presentation here
Some of it might still be useful
cbinsights.com/reports/saas-s…
Many years ago, I wrote about my 68 screwups as a startup founder
You can find that presentation here
Some of it might still be useful
cbinsights.com/reports/saas-s…
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