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Repeatable and scalable sound like ingredients for fast growth. To demonstrate that Steve Blanks definition is materially different from Paul Graham's, perhaps

Repeatable and scalable sound like ingredients for fast growth. To demonstrate that Steve Blanks definition is materially different from Paul Graham's, perhaps you could name a few successful startups which found a scalable/repeatable business model, but that were not designed to grow fast?

wpietri 9y ago
Seriously? I already demonstrated that it was materially different by showing that some-fast growing companies were not formed to search for business models. All successful startups grow fast, because that's how we define business success. Not all fast-growing companies are startups, though.
- paulsutter 9y ago
  Ok great, Steve Blank excludes companies that already have a scalable repeatable model? Somehow I doubt that's his intention EDIT: Most ecommerce startups would fall into your "proven business model" category, and yet they, like McDonalds before them, do extensive experimentation to find the path to rapid growth. Which is why Steve Blank underscores that the search is never finished.
  - wpietri 9y ago
    Not quite. His definition is about what the organization was formed to do. If a company was formed to search for a scalable, repeatable business model, then he's still interested in it when they have found it. Then they're in the growth stage. But if a company was formed, as most companies are, intending to use a proven business model, then it's not in his definition of a startup. No matter how fast it grows.
    - throwawayknecht 9y ago
      > But if a company was formed, as most companies are, intending to use a proven business model, then it's not in his definition of a startup. This would seem to exclude virtually all delivery service, cleaning service, car service, etc. companies, which are usually considered the prototypical SV startups.
      - wpietri 9y ago
        It depends on how they're doing it. Uber and Lyft, for example, are definitely startups under Blank's definition, because they were searching for a new model. Postmates too was new; I don't believe there was a successful delivery company that worked like they do. If you were to start a Postmates competitor today, though, and were just doing what they did, then it wouldn't be a startup. At $250m ARR, their business model is already proven.

wpietri 9y ago

Seriously? I already demonstrated that it was materially different by showing that some-fast growing companies were not formed to search for business models. All successful startups grow fast, because that's how we define business success. Not all fast-growing companies are startups, though.

paulsutter 9y ago
Ok great, Steve Blank excludes companies that already have a scalable repeatable model? Somehow I doubt that's his intention EDIT: Most ecommerce startups would fall into your "proven business model" category, and yet they, like McDonalds before them, do extensive experimentation to find the path to rapid growth. Which is why Steve Blank underscores that the search is never finished.
- wpietri 9y ago
  Not quite. His definition is about what the organization was formed to do. If a company was formed to search for a scalable, repeatable business model, then he's still interested in it when they have found it. Then they're in the growth stage. But if a company was formed, as most companies are, intending to use a proven business model, then it's not in his definition of a startup. No matter how fast it grows.
  - throwawayknecht 9y ago
    > But if a company was formed, as most companies are, intending to use a proven business model, then it's not in his definition of a startup. This would seem to exclude virtually all delivery service, cleaning service, car service, etc. companies, which are usually considered the prototypical SV startups.
    - wpietri 9y ago
      It depends on how they're doing it. Uber and Lyft, for example, are definitely startups under Blank's definition, because they were searching for a new model. Postmates too was new; I don't believe there was a successful delivery company that worked like they do. If you were to start a Postmates competitor today, though, and were just doing what they did, then it wouldn't be a startup. At $250m ARR, their business model is already proven.