[kogepathic]

> if you don't focus on your core product first and foremost and demonstrate the utmost competency in it, you're just pissing money away and are likely to fail.

I don't have direct experience running/selling a startup, but I have worked for several as an employee.

In my experience, the product is important, but not necessarily the deciding factor in whether the company succeeds. Most of the success is down to the management team (e.g. CEO, CTO, CFO) being able to sell the company (and product) to investors during funding rounds.

Doesn't matter how good the product is, if management can't pitch it to get funding you're dead.

Obviously it is important to have a good product, but just look at Uber for example. Losing billions of dollars per year, with no clear path to profitability, and yet they're valued at something like $60B. Great sales/marketing by their management to investors!

[lightedman]

"Doesn't matter how good the product is, if management can't pitch it to get funding you're dead."

Good products literally fund themselves and don't need outside investors. Just like drugs sell themselves, a good product will sell itself without the need for anything like marketing or investors. The money will naturally come.