I’ve been in the startup business for a while and it still amazes me how many founders (including me at various points in my life) have completely irrational views on how life at a startup is going to be.
As it turns out, lots of success requires a sprinkling of luck to work, but counting on this luck to come up at the magical times is foolish.
Stop Hoping for Magic and Start Working
1. Somebody’s product is going to “go viral” this year. Someone is also going to win the lottery. Just not you. Don’t count on virality, but add some simple elements to your product that make them easy to spread. This will increase the probability that your product will go viral to something slightly above zero (instead of zero).
2. Venture capitalists are not swash-buckling risk-takers that are going to fall in love with your startup at first sight – and write you a check. Unnecessarily daring people do not become VCs — the industry filters most of those out. Work at not needing the money. If you could use the money, get multiple VCs interested.
3. Smart people are not going to be lining up to work for your startup, without salary, just for the sheer thrill of “the startup life” and an ability to be associated with the brilliance that is your idea. Be reasonable about it. Expecting team members to take some risk for some time is fine. But, that’s not a great strategy to recruit a great team.
Read more.
Photo by MSDesigns.
Stop Waiting For The Magical Startup Fairy
May 8, 2008 by Rich | 4 Comments
In Advice, Startup, Strategy
Related Posts
Comments
Leave a Reply
fathersez on May 8th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I like the “Stop Hoping for Magic and Start Working” tag line.
Only we can make the difference.
Thanks for sharing
Chay on May 8th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Right.. if you want things to happen, do it.. do it right now :) Bases on experience, I would never have become what I am now if I did not follow the my own desires
Dana Keith on May 9th, 2008 at 12:05 am
Yes.. if you’re just gonna sit back there and relaxed without doing something progressive, then how will things work on that..
Chay is right.. do it right now!
Melanie on May 9th, 2008 at 10:23 am
People should stop thinking that success always come in a flick of a finger. Though it can happen, the chances of it happening to you is only 1% . So what do you do instead? You work. I’m not talking about a mediocre work. I’m talking about hard work and making excellence happen. If excellence shines in every work you do, people will eventually notice and soon you will know that you don’t need any magic anymore.
A good and secured future is not there to escape to, it is there to work hard for.