| hey diwank, I like the way you've responded to some of these comments. You're a class act. Interesting blog too (the bootstrap frontpage confused me for a moment though). found the post about the conversation with your co-founder rather interesting. so I think i've had a peek at how you plan to generate ideas. What I'm about to outline might seem obvious to you, though might seem blasphemous to lotsa folks out there.
I'd like to outline the one thing (most) founders ignore during their idea process. ----- Given the inital variables: - no idea how much the idea would scale - market factors sketchy (platforms changing etc.) - wise to assume failure - chances of a pivot close to 99% for most startups these days. (yeah, they're all thinking it) - sticking with an idea is hard in the absence of positive traction ----- Imagine the 1-2% of your life that you're giving away.
depending on how old you are, that might not seem like much. As a startup founder here's a few things you could get out of the 1-2%: (1) money (sustainable growth/revenue, acquired etc.) (2) PR (3) credentials (4) connections ----- IMHO, younger founders who're thinking of startup life as a career (long haul), should work on maximizing (2), (3) and (4) primarily.
There's a lot of perception hacks that can be applied to get ahead with those three. Now, here's the ONE thing:
I'd like to suggest that founders imagine the kinds of people they'd like to connect with during this span of time: women(yeah!), movie stars(?), other founders, journalists, scientists, atheists, social workers.
Don't just think it though, get it down on paper, turn it into a goal of sorts: I must form connections with these people! It's possible you wouldn't cross off that entire list with a single startup. You'll have to imagine yourself answering the 'what do you do' question to these people. (maybe you'd have to do some research into what they might likely want to hear)
Now, regardless of the traction you have (ideally > 0, for mental reasons),
that fact that you're running a 'startup' can get you places these days. Before I get carried away,
answering 'what you do' can get you massively different reactions varying with the audience, locality etc. we're usually just thinking about what investors want to put money into.
so yeah, think about the money, what's trendy, but also the kinds of people you want to connect with OUTSIDE the startup community. I think the above holds extreme importance, especially if you're going on an 'what would you like me to build for you' marathon. Good luck. Looking forward to updates on your blog. |
I like the way you've responded to some of these comments. You're a class act.
Thanks for the encouragement! (Really hard to come by these days.) :)
Interesting blog too (the bootstrap frontpage confused me for a moment though).
I just stitched together the design in a hurry. Redesigning the blog is lower in my priority list right now. Expect an overhaul soon though.
found the post about the conversation with your co-founder rather interesting.
I'm glad you did. This is why I put it there in the first place. I thought people like you'd help me figure out if we're on the right track.
IMHO, younger founders who're thinking of startup life as a career (long haul), should work on maximizing (2), (3) and (4) primarily.
I totally agree. It is easy to take these things for granted. Especially the value of connections and the fact that you have to be constantly working to make new ones.
It's possible you wouldn't cross off that entire list with a single startup.
Like I said, I think connections are a perpetual work in progress. It's more than likely that we won't cross off even half of it.
Before I get carried away, answering 'what you do' can get you massively different reactions varying with the audience, locality etc.
Don't even get me started on that one! A few relatives of mine are actually horrified by the idea that I despise the idea of a regular job and would rather start my own thing. Sigh.
I think the above holds extreme importance, especially if you're going on an 'what would you like me to build for you' marathon.
Haha, exactly. In fact, the whole point of this (even-if-you-have-to-make-a-fool-out-of-yourself) exercise was to get two things into our heads:
- Ideas are like girlfriends. Have fun with them but think twice before getting emotionally involved.
- The hardest thing for startups (and for most things in life) is to be able to talk to people and successfully get your idea across. Practice it.
Good luck. Looking forward to updates on your blog.
Thank you. Trust me when I say that I have derived great value from your comment.
Take care.