Stephen Blank describes a startup as an organization formed to search for a repeatable, scalable, profitable business model. They are not small versions of large corporations. A well-run startup is like a laboratory, testing hypothesis, comparing actual results against expected results, and constantly executing small pivots until a company is born. Or unit the cash […]
Finding Product-Market Fit: Desirable, Feasible, and Viable
Finding product-market fit before you run out of cash, patience or passion for the problem you are trying to solve is the race you are running when you launch your startup. But what is it? How do you set SMART Goals against this concept, and how do you know when you’ve found it? My favorite […]
Gross Revenue Is A Vanity Metric
Gross Revenue charts on fundraise decks. Gross Revenue used to calculate customer lifetime value. Gross Revenue used to calculate sales team commissions! Gross Revenue is one of those numbers that can make me a little crazy. Because in many types of businesses, it’s an incredibly misleading number. It can tell a story of happiness and […]
Finding Sustainable Growth Before Your Next Fundraise
David Frankel, a Managing Partner at Founder Collective, tweeted an interesting thread last Friday. His point was that if you pull back too hard on growth to try to get to profitability, growth might slow to the point where you will find it very difficult to get back onto the venture capital path to raise […]
If There Is No Path To Your Market, Does It Exist?
Have you ever been in the lead on a hike through deep snow? It sucks to be up front. You’re the one breaking through all of that fresh snow, stomping it down to make a path for those behind you. It’s exhausting, and if you don’t share those responsibilities with others in your group, it’s […]
How Would Socrates Review That Customer Acquisition Model?
There is something about being the founder of a company that leads you to believe that you’re supposed to be an expert in every discipline, from marketing to software development to creative production. One of the hardest lessons to learn is how to delegate. One of the most important paths to success is to hire […]
