4 ms·

You mean "profitable side-project"? "Startup" usually means a company that fulfills a few of the below: - something the founders do full-time - less than

by Maro 15y ago

You mean "profitable side-project"? "Startup" usually means a company that fulfills a few of the below: - something the founders do full-time - less than 3 years old - in a bootstrap phase or burning VC money - in search of a business model (not yet profitable) - has the potential to grow

EwanToo 15y ago
Surely it only has to fulfill one of those, that it's relatively young? A profitable startup with a great business model which doesn't need to give away ownership for VC money is the perfect startup. Any business that's new counts as a startup for me.
peeplaja 15y ago
"A startup is a human institution designed to deliver a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty." -- Eric Ries
- Maro 15y ago
  "A startup is an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model." -- Steven Blank
daliusd 15y ago
You are nitpicking and not delivering answer even if you are right. What if I have officially registered company that fulfills all of your points but full-time?
_delirium 15y ago
The "bootstrap" part can include initial phases being funded by a day-job or consulting though. People don't always quit their jobs right at the beginning, but might if it starts taking off.
- Maro 15y ago
  No problem with that, I just think "project" is a better term as long as it's an after 6PM affair. To me a "startup" implies additional commitment and risk due to the absence of a cushy day job.
Duff 15y ago
I think that you're talking about a very specific type of startup business. People start and build businesses while employed all of the time. Some of those businesses require that the owners devote their full energies to them at a certain milestone. Others do not -- plenty of software and consulting roles do not require 100% commitment, particularly if you have a flexible employer and can bootstrap. Many college professors have side gigs, for example.
- Maro 15y ago
  You said it: "consulting roles", "side gigs". Why overload "startup" with something that can be better described by calling it what it is.
  - Duff 15y ago
    You kinda missed the point. Consulting can be a side gig that stays a side gig. Other businesses can start slow/small, but you reach a point where you need to choose between the full time gig and your startup. There are a few clear examples of this phenomenon in this thread.
- j45 15y ago
  This is such a brilliant point. I find the coder "puritanism" leaking into startups and I can't say I agree with it. Starting a business has been done in many ways. Having been in business for 15 years I have gotten to meet a lot of other small business owners and there is as much variety in how established businesses came to be. Having this delusion of its only a "real" startup if you do it this way is hogwash. So many great businesses were built on hard work, sacrifice, long hours, juggling more than one thing at once, until the new business could stand on it's own two feet. Knowing when, and what your new business needs (more time, stepping away from other obligations) is a critical skill. Simply committing all of your time to one thing without a wider business, or varied experience can in some cases be a detriment.
ticks 15y ago
I agree with this comment. Saying 'start-up' has a load of baggage and hype attached to it... better off just saying something like: spare time project. There are lots of people running websites that make money, but I don't think they would call them start-ups.

by Maro 15y ago

EwanToo 15y ago

Surely it only has to fulfill one of those, that it's relatively young? A profitable startup with a great business model which doesn't need to give away ownership for VC money is the perfect startup. Any business that's new counts as a startup for me.

peeplaja 15y ago

"A startup is a human institution designed to deliver a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty." -- Eric Ries

Maro 15y ago
"A startup is an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model." -- Steven Blank

daliusd 15y ago

You are nitpicking and not delivering answer even if you are right. What if I have officially registered company that fulfills all of your points but full-time?

_delirium 15y ago

The "bootstrap" part can include initial phases being funded by a day-job or consulting though. People don't always quit their jobs right at the beginning, but might if it starts taking off.

Maro 15y ago
No problem with that, I just think "project" is a better term as long as it's an after 6PM affair. To me a "startup" implies additional commitment and risk due to the absence of a cushy day job.

Duff 15y ago

I think that you're talking about a very specific type of startup business. People start and build businesses while employed all of the time. Some of those businesses require that the owners devote their full energies to them at a certain milestone. Others do not -- plenty of software and consulting roles do not require 100% commitment, particularly if you have a flexible employer and can bootstrap. Many college professors have side gigs, for example.

Maro 15y ago
You said it: "consulting roles", "side gigs". Why overload "startup" with something that can be better described by calling it what it is.
- Duff 15y ago
  You kinda missed the point. Consulting can be a side gig that stays a side gig. Other businesses can start slow/small, but you reach a point where you need to choose between the full time gig and your startup. There are a few clear examples of this phenomenon in this thread.
j45 15y ago
This is such a brilliant point. I find the coder "puritanism" leaking into startups and I can't say I agree with it. Starting a business has been done in many ways. Having been in business for 15 years I have gotten to meet a lot of other small business owners and there is as much variety in how established businesses came to be. Having this delusion of its only a "real" startup if you do it this way is hogwash. So many great businesses were built on hard work, sacrifice, long hours, juggling more than one thing at once, until the new business could stand on it's own two feet. Knowing when, and what your new business needs (more time, stepping away from other obligations) is a critical skill. Simply committing all of your time to one thing without a wider business, or varied experience can in some cases be a detriment.

ticks 15y ago

I agree with this comment. Saying 'start-up' has a load of baggage and hype attached to it... better off just saying something like: spare time project. There are lots of people running websites that make money, but I don't think they would call them start-ups.