Building 0-1

The best lead generation companies usually have some combination of a distinguished and highly trusted brand and a proprietary channel or value proposition they use to acquire customers that competitors cannot replicate. These companies typically have staying power and defensibility, are highly differentiated, and immensely more valuable than compe... See more

hypothesis: 1. work feels bad (unmotivating, boring, hard) when we lack of focus 2. focus is upstream of energy, flow, fulfillment, progress, feedback loops what's upstream of focus? attention (presence) paired w/ agency (when our abilities and beliefs match our context) Show more

A reproducible testing process is more valuable than any one idea. Innovate here first. All things equal, a team with more shots at bat will win against a team with an audacious vision.

Non consensus approaches to picking businesses

💡 30 Ideas as we wrap @beondeck's 19th Cohort 💡 Here are 30 ideas about founders, startups, San Francisco, sales, fundraising, and more taken from the second half of the program — sourced from fellows, guests, and me (blame me for the ones you disagree with most vehemently… Show more

A central thesis is that all products are asking things of their customers: to do things in a certain way, to think of themselves in a certain way — and usually that means changing what one does or how one does it; it often means changing how one thinks of oneself.

Here's a common startup situation. A team busts their ass for months building the first version of their product. It's almost done. Now a big question emerges -- how do you get the first people to use your product? Hmm... If you find yourself at this moment, then you are already… Show more

I don't have any 2024 startup predictions, but I do have a pocket guide for you ... This was 100% inspired by YC's pocket guide. H/T @mwseibel