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Traction doesn't apply to a hardware startup. Quite simply, it's impossible to get any sort of "traction" when you don't have the cash required to commercialize

Traction doesn't apply to a hardware startup. Quite simply, it's impossible to get any sort of "traction" when you don't have the cash required to commercialize hardware and release it to customers. Not to mention the manufacturing fiasco. And not all startups are app-driven. Most are, since hardware is hard and a lot of startups like to ride the app-wave but this post only takes those into account. Sure, social startups and other "apps" playing the users + page views + engagement numbers game can easily make an app, grow an audience and have their "traction" but this blog post applies only to those types of companies. MANY factors are taken into consideration when raising money - not just traction. Where you went school matters, who you are, your team, your product, your business model, your ability to start and run a business, your past experiences with running a business, and etc. It's not just traction. VC's aren't stupid.

pbiggar 13y ago
Traction applies to everything. Look at the hardware startups that used Kickstarter to gain traction before shipping! Lockitron and pebble for example. But you can get traction in lots of ways. Got 200 customers on your waiting list? 10000 people follow your blog? 20 enterprise customers with verbal commitments to buy? Those are all traction.
- dakrisht 13y ago
  I agree with you that having customers on a waiting list or a pre-order list is a great move with regards to pre-money traction, but there are certainly companies out there with proprietary technologies that require funding before they can be brought to life. Particularly, in the life sciences, biotechnology, and other high-IP areas, it's not very intelligent (or feasible) to launch a Kickstarter campaign in order to get traction. But you make a _great_ point - traction doesn't apply to just users, which is something this particular post heavily emphasizes. Having 10,000 blog followers, pre-orders, enterprise customers, commitments, even endorsements from influencers who can promote and/or sell the product once commercialized, are all traction. Totally. Even IP is traction if done right. Additionally, two years ago we didn't have any crowdfunding and there were plenty of companies that raised money without any "traction" as it's commonly understood in the Techcrunch arena today.

pbiggar 13y ago

Traction applies to everything. Look at the hardware startups that used Kickstarter to gain traction before shipping! Lockitron and pebble for example. But you can get traction in lots of ways. Got 200 customers on your waiting list? 10000 people follow your blog? 20 enterprise customers with verbal commitments to buy? Those are all traction.

dakrisht 13y ago
I agree with you that having customers on a waiting list or a pre-order list is a great move with regards to pre-money traction, but there are certainly companies out there with proprietary technologies that require funding before they can be brought to life. Particularly, in the life sciences, biotechnology, and other high-IP areas, it's not very intelligent (or feasible) to launch a Kickstarter campaign in order to get traction. But you make a _great_ point - traction doesn't apply to just users, which is something this particular post heavily emphasizes. Having 10,000 blog followers, pre-orders, enterprise customers, commitments, even endorsements from influencers who can promote and/or sell the product once commercialized, are all traction. Totally. Even IP is traction if done right. Additionally, two years ago we didn't have any crowdfunding and there were plenty of companies that raised money without any "traction" as it's commonly understood in the Techcrunch arena today.