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Also reminds me of mittelstand companies in Germany which often favour independence over growth. So, for example, they avoid borrowing too much in order to reta
by discreteevent 8y ago
Also reminds me of mittelstand companies in Germany which often favour independence over growth. So, for example, they avoid borrowing too much in order to retain complete control over their destiny.
- discreteevent 8y agoCome to think of it a lot of the motivation for start ups seems to be distributive - not working for the man, etc. The problem is that borrowing puts on pressure to be aquired or to aquire until you become the man. Maybe Joel Spolsky and DHH have the right idea. To remain a startup and keep that buzz you have to forego the Megabucks.
- bobthechef 8y agoYou seem to be confusing startups with small businesses. They are not the same thing. The former is often motivated by the desire to make enormous amounts of money eventually. Most startup founders probably want to be acquired.
- zaarn 8y agoThere is also much more focus on sustainability, atleast in the mittelstand companies I encountered, it was common to target a certain customer base size and maintain it, reducing churn and making customers happy. Growth is often slowed artificially to prevent problems when scaling up, etc.