Startup Don'ts
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![Page 1: Startup Don'ts](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022031918/55a464aa1a28ab694b8b4839/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
A SHORT AND CONCISE GUIDE OF WHAT NOT TO DO IF YOU INTEND TO STAY ALIVE IN THE OVERLY COMPETITIVE
WORLD OF STARTUPS
(PART 1 OF MANY)
by @herval
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KNOWING WHAT TO DO IS EASY
have an idea
work a little bit
profit!
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MISTAKES SLOW YOU DOWN
Success = making less mistakes (and learning from the ones you make)
Learning from others’ is a shortcut
“I’ll fail until I succeed”(I just hope I’m not 90 years old when I do)
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HERVAL FREIRE
Starting up since 2002
Founder of 4 companies, a dozen projects
Helped founding a gazillion other companies (mostly as a hacker)
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THIS PRESENTATION SPONSORED BY...
(we’re hiring!)
&
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DON’T DELAY THE PAPERWORK
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DON’T OVERENGINEER
Build as few things as possible
Solve specific problems, don’t generalize too soon
Be quick - that’s your only weapon as a startup
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DON’T HIRE INTERNS FREELANCERS NOOBS
A strong foundation requires a brilliant team
No time for unexperienced people or mistakes
The first 10 employees will determine your company’s DNA. Make the best of it.
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DON’T UNDERESTIMATE COSTS
Starting with empty pockets will only bring you frustration
Hidden costs, taxes and accidents
Having money to eat is peace of mind
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DON’T EXPECT ANYONE TO SUPPORT YOU
Your friends will think you’re crazy (unless you’re in the Valley, in which case they’re probably crazy too)
Your family will ask you to get a job
Users won’t flock at your door
Ignore the naysayers and do your stuff
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DON’T ASK CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WANT
“If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse”- Henry Ford (that dude that went broke 5 times before Ford Motors)
Measure everything!
DATA is King
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DON’T PANIC
Nothing is as easy as it looks
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong
Everything will take longer than expected to get done (rule of thumb: 3 times longer)
Expect the best, plan for the worst
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DON’T BLAME OTHERS
The economy downturn
Those pesky developers
My disappointing sales team
The weather
Blame yourself and yourself alone
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DON’T PIVOT TOO MUCH...
“so many opportunities out there! Gotta catch them all” - Pokemón entrepreneur
“It didn’t work at first try, so it sucks, let’s do something completely different”- Glass-half-empty entrepreneur
“revenue is so 90‘s! We should gamify those micropayments. Everyone is doing it!”- The trend-follower
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...BUT PLEASE DON’T BE STUBBORN
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”- Albert Einstein (that kid who didn’t speak until he was 4!)
(that MMORPG)(SMS group messaging) (Bourbn - another Foursquare)
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DON’T DIE
Paul Graham’s “How not to die” - http://bit.ly/nYDNaT
Rovio: 52 games, 8 years, almost zero
revenue before Angry Birds
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. “- Thomas Edisson, that dude that invented the lamp (and a thousand other things)
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QUESTCHUNS?
about.me/herval