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that really is all there is to it. if you've read enough that all of this strikes you as obvious, then you don't need to read anymore--get to work! :) i wrote

by sama 12y ago

that really is all there is to it. if you've read enough that all of this strikes you as obvious, then you don't need to read anymore--get to work! :) i wrote this because i think it's useful for people thinking about startups for the first time to have an outline of the advice all in one place--the startup class i did last fall is good but long.

GolfyMcG 12y ago
Would you agree that it's simultaneously simple and horribly challenging to start a company? It's more about consistency and determination, than it is strokes of brilliance. In that way, I think this advice is obvious but it's much easier said than done to run your own business.
- taylorwc 12y ago
  Absolutely. A few years ago, someone gave me some great advice about marriage: doing the right thing is always simple but that doesn't mean it's easy. That applies to a lot of things. Simple, but not easy.
rcorin 12y ago
My problem with this isn't that the advice is obvious, but rather obvious _only in hindsight_: "The best startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas but are good ideas.", "the fast-growing market is going to be important but others dismiss it as unimportant" these aren't obvious at all before they happen, not just for first-time startup people but everyone.
- danko 12y ago
  Exactly. One could easily come up with a corollary: "The worst startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas and really are." Which is a truism that probably applies to most startup ideas.
  - visakanv 12y ago
    IMHO, the worst startup ideas are the ones that seem like GOOD ideas, but turn out to be bad. A horrible idea that's clearly bad will never go anywhere. Ideas that seem good end up getting funded, offices are rented, people are hired...
  - larrys 12y ago
    ""The worst startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas and really are." Based on the original thought "The best startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas but are good ideas." That one for sure is culled from a list of outsized successes (because they didn't make sense or had a large amount of barriers to success) but doesn't provide balance in the sense that bad ideas are more typically bad ideas. VC's like to hide behind this type of thinking often but they get around it by making bets on many companies whereas the person starting their own company has more of a reason to worry about the downside of a stupid idea. I don't think for a second that it makes any sense that "best startup ideas are ones that seem like bad ideas but are good ideas". Facebook wasn't a bad idea Linkedin wasn't a bad idea Amazon wasn't a bad idea (selling books to start) So how do you define "bad idea"? Is airbnb a bad idea because "who would want to rent out their apartment to strangers"? Or is it a bad idea because "you will never get regulatory clearance" (ditto for Uber).
    - santoriv 12y ago
      This is just my opinion but Facebook was a bad idea because MySpace had already won. LinkedIn was a mediocre idea b/c it would be very difficult to get enough user adoption to be valuable. Amazon was a mediocre idea b/c people want to go to a bookstore and look at a book before they buy it (usually). Also, that business has no moat (anyone could sell books online). You're right though - ideas that seem bad are more typically bad ideas. I still think Twitter is a bad idea. :-P Really the corollary to this is that all the obviously good ideas are already being executed by huge corporations with massive resources and its very hard to compete when you are severely outgunned. Also, it seems like it's important to have an understanding of the domain that is somewhat counterintuitive and contradicts the common understanding that people have about it. Also, be lucky. Your "understanding" might be insanity.
orky56 12y ago
Thanks for such a concise summary. I've also read this stuff enough times that it's nothing new but having it in one place gives a founder peace of mind. I think we're all resourceful enough to have heard each piece separately & can recognize the applications and misapplications in past startups. What this accomplishes is keeping everything top of mind before making these same mistakes too many times. P.S. One thing people should note is the gold here regarding the non-technical side of building a product/starting a business.

by sama 12y ago

GolfyMcG 12y ago

Would you agree that it's simultaneously simple and horribly challenging to start a company? It's more about consistency and determination, than it is strokes of brilliance. In that way, I think this advice is obvious but it's much easier said than done to run your own business.

taylorwc 12y ago
Absolutely. A few years ago, someone gave me some great advice about marriage: doing the right thing is always simple but that doesn't mean it's easy. That applies to a lot of things. Simple, but not easy.

rcorin 12y ago

My problem with this isn't that the advice is obvious, but rather obvious _only in hindsight_: "The best startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas but are good ideas.", "the fast-growing market is going to be important but others dismiss it as unimportant" these aren't obvious at all before they happen, not just for first-time startup people but everyone.

danko 12y ago
Exactly. One could easily come up with a corollary: "The worst startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas and really are." Which is a truism that probably applies to most startup ideas.
- visakanv 12y ago
  IMHO, the worst startup ideas are the ones that seem like GOOD ideas, but turn out to be bad. A horrible idea that's clearly bad will never go anywhere. Ideas that seem good end up getting funded, offices are rented, people are hired...
- larrys 12y ago
  ""The worst startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas and really are." Based on the original thought "The best startup ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas but are good ideas." That one for sure is culled from a list of outsized successes (because they didn't make sense or had a large amount of barriers to success) but doesn't provide balance in the sense that bad ideas are more typically bad ideas. VC's like to hide behind this type of thinking often but they get around it by making bets on many companies whereas the person starting their own company has more of a reason to worry about the downside of a stupid idea. I don't think for a second that it makes any sense that "best startup ideas are ones that seem like bad ideas but are good ideas". Facebook wasn't a bad idea Linkedin wasn't a bad idea Amazon wasn't a bad idea (selling books to start) So how do you define "bad idea"? Is airbnb a bad idea because "who would want to rent out their apartment to strangers"? Or is it a bad idea because "you will never get regulatory clearance" (ditto for Uber).
  - santoriv 12y ago
    This is just my opinion but Facebook was a bad idea because MySpace had already won. LinkedIn was a mediocre idea b/c it would be very difficult to get enough user adoption to be valuable. Amazon was a mediocre idea b/c people want to go to a bookstore and look at a book before they buy it (usually). Also, that business has no moat (anyone could sell books online). You're right though - ideas that seem bad are more typically bad ideas. I still think Twitter is a bad idea. :-P Really the corollary to this is that all the obviously good ideas are already being executed by huge corporations with massive resources and its very hard to compete when you are severely outgunned. Also, it seems like it's important to have an understanding of the domain that is somewhat counterintuitive and contradicts the common understanding that people have about it. Also, be lucky. Your "understanding" might be insanity.

orky56 12y ago

Thanks for such a concise summary. I've also read this stuff enough times that it's nothing new but having it in one place gives a founder peace of mind. I think we're all resourceful enough to have heard each piece separately & can recognize the applications and misapplications in past startups. What this accomplishes is keeping everything top of mind before making these same mistakes too many times. P.S. One thing people should note is the gold here regarding the non-technical side of building a product/starting a business.