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The only thing that really troubles me about exit-focus, to be honest, is the extent to which "a successful exit" can sometimes be conflated with "a successful

The only thing that really troubles me about exit-focus, to be honest, is the extent to which "a successful exit" can sometimes be conflated with "a successful track record." This definitely happens, and not just in the Bay Area. It's true that the ability to take a company from nothing to exit, and the ability to take a company from nothing to success in the marketplace, are correlated to a degree. Maybe even a large degree. Those skill sets overlap. But they're not perfectly correlated, and sometimes spectacularly not.

guelo 15y ago
Achieving a successful exit is really hard and the vast majority of startups fail to do it. If someone has done it more than once they have demonstrated that they are exceptionally skilled at this game.
- sliverstorm 15y ago
  Your point does not address what you replied to. Your parent was pointing out that skill at exiting is not necessarily the same as skill at marketplace success, as an exit does not necessarily equate to marketplace success.
  - guelo 15y ago
    He said that multiple exits should not constitute "a successful track record" which is ridiculous. Such a founder is a rockstar and should be courted by all investors.
    - jonnathanson 15y ago
      "He said that multiple exits should not constitute "a successful track record" which is ridiculous..." First of all, I did not say that. I think you're pretty consistently misreading me here. When I used the phrase "successful track record," I was pretty clearly talking about a record of success in the marketplace, i.e., a thriving company whose product(s) is not just being used, but earning sustainably growing revenue and traction beyond initial interest or buzz, and over a long-term period. My entire point was that a record of multiple exits is to be commended, and is certainly what attracts investor confidence (for good reason!) -- but it can be conflated with in-market/company success, which can be dangerous. The two things are correlated, and they're similar, but they're not identical.

guelo 15y ago

Achieving a successful exit is really hard and the vast majority of startups fail to do it. If someone has done it more than once they have demonstrated that they are exceptionally skilled at this game.

sliverstorm 15y ago
Your point does not address what you replied to. Your parent was pointing out that skill at exiting is not necessarily the same as skill at marketplace success, as an exit does not necessarily equate to marketplace success.
- guelo 15y ago
  He said that multiple exits should not constitute "a successful track record" which is ridiculous. Such a founder is a rockstar and should be courted by all investors.
  - jonnathanson 15y ago
    "He said that multiple exits should not constitute "a successful track record" which is ridiculous..." First of all, I did not say that. I think you're pretty consistently misreading me here. When I used the phrase "successful track record," I was pretty clearly talking about a record of success in the marketplace, i.e., a thriving company whose product(s) is not just being used, but earning sustainably growing revenue and traction beyond initial interest or buzz, and over a long-term period. My entire point was that a record of multiple exits is to be commended, and is certainly what attracts investor confidence (for good reason!) -- but it can be conflated with in-market/company success, which can be dangerous. The two things are correlated, and they're similar, but they're not identical.