Startup Advice
sari and
Startup Advice
Here are (some) steps founders can take to get reporters to write about their companies (a thread). (Caveat: this thread is not exhaustive and really applies only to me)
✡️ Jon Shieber ✡️twitter.com
- The 7 sources of power:
- Brand: Your unique brand identity attracts and retains a significant number of customers.
- Process power: You can produce something more efficiently than competitors, and the competitors can’t easily copy the method.
- Cornered resource: You have exclusive access to a vital resource, such as the only rights to a patent.
Business strategy with Hamilton Helmer (author of 7 Powers)
On building “Flavored” startups
Enterprise software is (mostly) not flavor-based. Sure, there are enterprise fads like the metaverse, but generally speaking, large companies only sign contracts when it feels like there is an obvious commercial advantage to doing so.
Networks are (mostly) not flavor-based. If you’re using an app because of the content created by its other users, it’s not necessarily a guarantee for success, but at least if it fails it probably won’t be because it hit a flavor-based asymptote. For instance, BeReal leveraged a unique flavor of photo sharing to build a network, but people are still using it because they like the way it helps them stay in touch with their friends. If it were just a single-player utility, it would not have scaled in the same way. Another historical example is Instagram versus Hipstamatic. Both had a cool new flavor called “photo filters,” but one had a network and the other did not. Here’s a more recent example: the network is what sets Substack stands apart from its flavor-based competition.
Tech-enabled services are not flavor-based. If you act like a tech company but really do grocery delivery, banking, education, housing, healthcare, or any other real-world service, your competition is mostly not flavor-based because starting this type of business involves a lot of cost and complexity. (Also, some, like ride hailing and delivery, are networks.) The downside is that your cost structure is probably not as great as pure tech companies, but the upside is that you have less competition.
All of these types of products can involve some flavoring to help them get off the ground. The point is not that flavoring is bad. It’s good! But it has a very specific role. Flavor provides an initial product wedge. It’s helpful for standing out initially but doesn’t provide long-term differentiation or durable advantage.
If you don’t have time to clean up, you don’t have time to cook
Professionals understand that the project is the whole project, not simply the fun or urgent or interesting part of the work.
There are countless productive shortcuts along the way. But not finishing the project isn’t one of them.
Professionals understand that the project is the whole project, not simply the fun or urgent or interesting part of the work.
There are countless productive shortcuts along the way. But not finishing the project isn’t one of them.
If you don’t have time to clean up, you don’t have time to cook
As a founder, there will come a point where your backs against the wall, runway is short, and you’ve got to fight for your companies survival.
Every founder has been there. Always look to have another move in your back pocket for when you need it. Ben Horowitz has walked the walk on this — here he is answering why he made the unpopular decision to... See more
Every founder has been there. Always look to have another move in your back pocket for when you need it. Ben Horowitz has walked the walk on this — here he is answering why he made the unpopular decision to... See more
Michael Houck • Resilient Founders Always Have A Move
Chores
seths.blog
The truth is that if we stop doing chores, we have to do real work instead. The things that aren’t repeatable or proven. The things that are emotionally difficult, creatively challenging or simply requiring exploration and guts to pursue. If we succeed at this work, there will be plenty of money to pay to get the chores done.
Doing chores cheerfully and with skill is a fine hobby. But it might not be what you need to do right now.