Startup Advice

A simple rule of thumb for what makes an idea venture-scale is having a path to $100 million a year in revenue and hitting $1 billion+ valuation , in 10 years . Essentially, can you get big, fast? This is what VCs need to invest in in order to make their fund economics work. Very few ideas can hit this scale, and it’s important that you recognize... See more

I’ve come to learn through first-hand experience that monopolies often serve as the ideal competitor to take on. There are four main reasons why:

1. Monopolies have already proven the industry is viable and lucrative


2. Monopolies refuse to cannibalize their own dominance


3. Monopolies have institutionalized their inefficiencies


4. Monopolies have the most to

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Amazon: How do we keep experimenting in superfast delivery? September 19, 2013

Learning is complicated.

While we’re doing it, it’s easy to imagine that those around us are completely sure of themselves, moving forward in a well-lit space.

In fact, if you visit a growing company, a useful school or anywhere that growth is happening, you’ll quickly see that everyone is stumbling forward in the shadows.

That’s part of the deal.

1. The 7 sources of power:
   
   
   1. Brand: Your unique brand identity attracts and retains a significant number of customers.
   
   
   2. Process power: You can produce something more efficiently than competitors, and the competitors can’t easily copy the method.
   
   
   3. Cornered resource: You have exclusive access to a vital resource, such as the only rights to a patent.
   
   

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To help you make it through the darkness, here’s a series of concrete actions you can take today to try to turn things around:

1. Talk to more users (actually do it)


2. Change your target audience/ICP


3. Change your positioning/messaging/pitch


4. Try a “kickstarter” to get the word out


5. Find something that is working and pivot fully to that


6. Give it a bit more time


7. G

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