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This is the single biggest change in how I filter ideas these days. Few years ago between two competing ideas, I would go with the "cooler" one(ie. one I liked
by zaidf 17y ago
This is the single biggest change in how I filter ideas these days. Few years ago between two competing ideas, I would go with the "cooler" one(ie. one I liked more).
These days I start out thinking about any idea from the perspective of distribution. If I have an idea with no clear path of distribution(and revenue), it is an automatic no-go. I think a lot of Valley folks have learned this in past few years.
It can't be a coincidence that VCs in general are blogging more about sales:
http://southeastvc.blogs.com/southeast_vc/2009/11/vcs-hear-it-all-of-the-time-entrepreneurs-say-they-have-the-best-software-for-xyz-industry-they-tell-us-how-their-software.html http://southeastvc.blogs.com/southeast_vc/2009/11/vcs-hear-i...
- gaborcselle 17y agoI think the genesis of this line of thought was actually Steve Blank's stuff, not VCs.
- zaidf 17y agoTrue in that Blank's been saying this for a while. But VCs only recently have started openly blogging/talking about distribution and sales openly.
- theprodigy 17y agopeter thiel has said it before as well. if you don't have solid distribution and you are a consumer internet company your company is worth nothing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SRfBaKAiUM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SRfBaKAiUM at 2:37
- zaidf 17y agoTotally makes sense, especially having read the book PayPal Wars where the author--who led PayPal's marketing--talks of day to day strategies that helped PayPal acquire users consistently and cheaply.