I think the main factor is momentum. People underestimate just how brutally hard it is to do literally anything when you aren’t already doing it regularly. Luc

I think the main factor is momentum. People underestimate just how brutally hard it is to do literally anything when you aren’t already doing it regularly. Luck plays a huge role in early momentum. So does money and previous experience and a growing market. They all fade sharply as you get established. It’s still not a particular helpful frame to evaluate startup success. In some ways it’s a tautology, momentum comes from momentum. But I still think it’s probably more descriptive than most of the original post. That’s why the best startup advice is often so frustratingly vague. Stay focused, pick the right collaborators, release the first version as quickly as possible. They’re all dancing around the same basic idea which is you need to get the flywheel moving at basically any cost.