[huhtenberg]

This is not "Data Science" specific, but bootstrapping a client base for a new company with no street cred is done nearly exclusively through networking, e.g. you would start by aggressively asking your contacts for referrals, poaching clients that you've previously worked with, etc.

Also, what you are describing is like opening a mechanical engineering shop and saying "we can invent anything that moves". Consider how well that would go. Specialization is the key, at least in the early stages.

[taprun]

So, let's say that you call yourself a specialist in crunching data about agricultural matters. You go up to farmers and say "I have lots of data about estimating the ideal amount of phosphate to use. It could save you big money." Then the farmers say "Wow, I didn't want a data scientist, but I do want a guy to help me cut costs. Thanks!"

[vaib]

It's an interesting point you bring up - no street cred and actually that's the whole basis of my question here. Given no 'street cred', how do we get our first clients. And your comment makes sense but then we do have industry experience working in 'big firms'. Maybe we can leverage that in some way? I mean what all can we do to have some street cred before actually having a first client? What do you think? Any street smart ways to do that? :)

[brudgers]

If you have industry experience at big firms already, then targeting those firms and similar firms is the place to start.