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This article feels like a call for more calm in the running of a startup. Perhaps it's just me, but I usually feel a rather frenetic urgency from most articles
by saturdayplace 16y ago
This article feels like a call for more calm in the running of a startup. Perhaps it's just me, but I usually feel a rather frenetic urgency from most articles posted here. Iterate. Pivot. Yesterday might be too late. Go big, or go home. When he says:
> We need to build x, y and z, ASAP. Before you've figured out distribution? What evidence do you have that x, y and z, once built, will make customer acquisition any easier?
It feels like he's saying, "Whoah, let's not just go off half-cocked." And when trying to convinces us to spend the our own time on graphic design It feels like he's saying, "Easy, there. It's OK to take longer on something you're not as good at," which is counter to the conventional wisdom around here.
What's interesting, is the advice is still paired with, "Iterate, iterate, iterate." Feels like the message is less "Hurry" and more "Thoughful iteration." This was refreshing.
- haploid 16y agoYes. We could have easily written this. We've been building our business slowly, brick by brick, for a little over 5 years now. We never took outside capital, we have always conducted our development in an iterative manner, and we're quite happy with the results. There are many things we've opted to teach ourselves to do, in preference to going on a hiring binge. Maybe this is because my partner and I went through the late 1990's dot com boom, saw the aftereffects of mindless staffing, and decided against it.
- alexqgb 16y agoIf you were there, it's hard to forget. Weird fun for a while, but ultimately a bad turn for a lot of people.
- noodle 16y agoagreed, although i think the reason why the urgency is present in the articles is because the default reaction of a founder or small business is to take it slow and calculate. one can be too calculating, and one can be too frantic in their pivots and iterations. the idea should be -- don't be afraid to change, but don't change for no reason.
- spitfire 16y agoManeuver with cadence and intent.
- edw519 16y agoGreat observation, saturdayplace. Your comment reminds me of David Brown's comment in the TechStars book _Do More Faster_: "...we have to strike while the iron is hot! My experience is that this is rarely true." This from a guy who's President of an Emergency Medical Services firm and a TechStars advisor. Probably good advice for many of us here.
- PStamatiou 16y ago"...we have to strike while the iron is hot! My experience is that this is rarely true." Wow that was the exact quote that helped me come to a similar conclusion in my "Startup Fundraising is a Time Sink" post below. I rather enjoyed the TechStars book. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2029190 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2029190
- lkrubner 16y agoHe is largely re-stating Steve Blank's thesis, that you need to figure out if there is a real market for something before you increase your burn rate. Otherwise, says Blank, iterate through different ideas, again, before increasing the burn rate.
- lkrubner 16y agoHe is largely re-stating Steve Blank's thesis, that you need to figure out if there is a real market for something before you increase your burn rate. Otherwise, says Blank, iterate through different ideas, again, before increasing the burn rate.
- nazgulnarsil 16y agobefore you slam on the gas be sure you're pointed in the right direction.