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Dave, not sure whether you read HN; I have a question for you - I believe what you are describing are "feature" startups. Which of course are derided by everyon

by dm8 14y ago

Dave, not sure whether you read HN; I have a question for you - I believe what you are describing are "feature" startups. Which of course are derided by everyone. Now you can always say we are going to be a product and then company by covering growing beyond niche. But lot of times people don't believe in your grand vision as it sounds BS. So how do you convince someone that you are going to grow beyond niche? Or niche is just the foot in the door of market?

DanielRibeiro 14y ago
He does have an HN account: http://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=davemc500hats http://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=davemc500hats ...
astrodust 14y ago
They're derided because they won't be billion dollar companies, but if you look at long-running "family" businesses, most of these exist because they own some particular niche. They're not exciting, but they are worth pursuing if that's your passion.
- wensing 14y ago
  they won't be billion dollar companies Huh, what? You can't be a billion dollar company by focusing on a niche? Is transporting crude oil from Saudi Arabia to the Americas a niche? They're not exciting I guess it depends if you can get excited about being massively profitable and making your customers really happy by delivering shoes or lightbulbs, or if it always has to be a shiny photo app.
  - astrodust 14y ago
    You're basically talking about the best case scenario. Typically it's much more mundane. Most of these niche companies aren't exciting to outsiders. They're doing things that seem ordinary like making labels or floor mats for cars. Obviously some people might be really motivated by such things. There's nothing wrong with boring. Often boring is profitable, predictable, and less prone to disruption than these "shiny" apps that are often a flash in the pan, huge one day, sold for billions the next, and forgotten the week after.
    - wensing 14y ago
      I find it easy to get excited about hard problems regardless of what the company actually does externally. Particularly if that means internally there's a wealth of cash in return for said hard problem solving. I think you'd have to admit that shiny apps flashing in the pan, huge one day, sold for billions the next, and forgotten the week after is also the 'best case scenario'.
wensing 14y ago
I don't think there's a necessary correlation between focusing on a narrow customer segment and only being a "feature" startup. Stormpulse has never been a "feature" startup but we absolutely embraced a niche to get started.

by dm8 14y ago

DanielRibeiro 14y ago

He does have an HN account: http://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=davemc500hats http://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=davemc500hats ...

astrodust 14y ago

They're derided because they won't be billion dollar companies, but if you look at long-running "family" businesses, most of these exist because they own some particular niche. They're not exciting, but they are worth pursuing if that's your passion.

wensing 14y ago
they won't be billion dollar companies Huh, what? You can't be a billion dollar company by focusing on a niche? Is transporting crude oil from Saudi Arabia to the Americas a niche? They're not exciting I guess it depends if you can get excited about being massively profitable and making your customers really happy by delivering shoes or lightbulbs, or if it always has to be a shiny photo app.
- astrodust 14y ago
  You're basically talking about the best case scenario. Typically it's much more mundane. Most of these niche companies aren't exciting to outsiders. They're doing things that seem ordinary like making labels or floor mats for cars. Obviously some people might be really motivated by such things. There's nothing wrong with boring. Often boring is profitable, predictable, and less prone to disruption than these "shiny" apps that are often a flash in the pan, huge one day, sold for billions the next, and forgotten the week after.
  - wensing 14y ago
    I find it easy to get excited about hard problems regardless of what the company actually does externally. Particularly if that means internally there's a wealth of cash in return for said hard problem solving. I think you'd have to admit that shiny apps flashing in the pan, huge one day, sold for billions the next, and forgotten the week after is also the 'best case scenario'.

wensing 14y ago

I don't think there's a necessary correlation between focusing on a narrow customer segment and only being a "feature" startup. Stormpulse has never been a "feature" startup but we absolutely embraced a niche to get started.