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I've heard this 20 times (Don't Build a Startup, Build a Business), I agree, but this article is like nodding your head at what you should do, but doesn't give

I've heard this 20 times (Don't Build a Startup, Build a Business), I agree, but this article is like nodding your head at what you should do, but doesn't give you any indication to how to actually do it. I agree, lets build businesses, but how? Exactly how? These articles should start like this to be of value: "If you have a startup and you want to turn your business profitable this year than this is the most important article you will ever read." "I am going to show you a "special measure of success system" that you can implement right now to start turning profits this month." Then you go on to show them - how to setup kissmetrics to make cohorts and funnels. - A formula to calculate your cost per user. - How to make a projections spreadsheet. - Give them a madlib script to use and cold call until they get 10 people who they think would pay for them service to to prepay before building anything. Then you have a summary sheet with a rubic where you ask them questions where they fill simple answers based on cohorts, cost per user, projections and the success of the cold calling. That score of the rubic should make it night and day whether or not there startup will be profitable or not this year. Thats of use. Make that the article.

marcedwards 14y ago
I guess acknowledging the issue is the first step to solving it. “Build a business” seems like a good message to repeat every now and then, just to make sure it sticks. I don't like the VC culture of planning for exit, rather than aiming for success. I liked the article.
- andrew_wc_brown 14y ago
  There's enough articles that keep repeating the contemplation step. I liked this kind of article the first time I read it. Don't you agree you want to read articles that go past the contemplation step and into implementing a plan to solution?
  - saraid216 14y ago
    There are a good number of solid, simple books and 30/60 minute videos on it. I have no doubt that more are being written as I type this. I can't pull a list of them out at the moment (I stopped actively working on startups a while ago, for various reasons, so I no longer keep tabs), but they really can't be that hard to find. I remember Art of the Start positively, and I believe Kawasaki says that the (free and online) talk of the same title has all the same information. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSlwuafyUUo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSlwuafyUUo
freshhawk 14y ago
There are a lot of resources out there about how to build a business, I don't think another short blog post is necessary. You will probably have to leave the startup culture filter bubble to find them I'd guess. Some links to the authors favourite resources for the basics would have been a good addition surely.

marcedwards 14y ago

I guess acknowledging the issue is the first step to solving it. “Build a business” seems like a good message to repeat every now and then, just to make sure it sticks. I don't like the VC culture of planning for exit, rather than aiming for success. I liked the article.

andrew_wc_brown 14y ago
There's enough articles that keep repeating the contemplation step. I liked this kind of article the first time I read it. Don't you agree you want to read articles that go past the contemplation step and into implementing a plan to solution?
- saraid216 14y ago
  There are a good number of solid, simple books and 30/60 minute videos on it. I have no doubt that more are being written as I type this. I can't pull a list of them out at the moment (I stopped actively working on startups a while ago, for various reasons, so I no longer keep tabs), but they really can't be that hard to find. I remember Art of the Start positively, and I believe Kawasaki says that the (free and online) talk of the same title has all the same information. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSlwuafyUUo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSlwuafyUUo

freshhawk 14y ago

There are a lot of resources out there about how to build a business, I don't think another short blog post is necessary. You will probably have to leave the startup culture filter bubble to find them I'd guess. Some links to the authors favourite resources for the basics would have been a good addition surely.