Startup Steps, Learned over 22 Years

http://lancewalley.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/business-startup/

by krobertson • 16 years ago

30 8 16 years ago

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tjic• 16 years ago

This advice is garbage.

Which is not to say that it's FALSE, per se, but that it covers the purely mechanical details.

Yes, you need a checking account.

Yes, you need a tax ID.

But, heck, you need a desk too.

And, if you don't eat meals, you'll die, and never do a startup, so why not put that on the list?

Having launched two bootstrapped startups over the last six years (http://SmartFlix.com and http://HeavyInk.com) I would NEVER give this advice to someone - it's like saying "The secret to becoming a tennis pro? Simple: 1) guy a tennis racket; 2) but tennis balls ; 3) and never, EVER forget to buy tennis shoes - you just can't play barefoot".

This stuff will all get done in due time, because it HAS to get done. There's not need to itemize steps which more or less take care of themselves.

The IMPORTANT stuff is the stuff you find in Steve Blank's book Four Steps to the Epiphany, and in a few other great business books (Getting Everything You Can From All You've Got).

1) figure out you value proposition (who are you helping?) 2) who are you selling to? 3) what is your unique selling proposition (how do you convey the value to your would-be customers?) 4) what is your plan to iterate in discovering your customers? 5) what is your plan to iterate in discovering the proper marketing channels to reach your customers?

etc.

"Get a bank account" is the kind of bogus filler that you find in a housewive's magazine about how to turn her candle making hobby into a small little business selling to friends and relatives.

Entrepreneurs need REAL advice.

locopati• 16 years ago

That's easy to say that if you've done this before. This is a nice list for people like me who may want to break from corporate life but have not run a business and would like to see the practical steps outlined somewhere (so as to minimize the obvious missteps).

edw519• 16 years ago

This advice is garbage.

What a shame such a great post starts with such a negative thought.

Your feedback, tjic, is excellent. Too bad a lot of people won't get to the excellent part because they're so turned off by your slam of OP that they just stop reading.

I've made the same mistake many times (and even realized it before my 2 hours were up and came back and editted down the negativity).

Sure, OP's advice is mechanical, but does offer some value for some readers. No need to viserate him in order to get your point across.

You zero in on what's most important first. So do your references of Steve Blank and Jay Abraham.

Having launched two bootstrapped startups over the last six years...

No need to post your resume in your comment. Your thoughts are your resume. Anyone who says what you just said has obviously already achieved a lot. (Might be a good idea to put those links in your profile so that anyone can see them no matter which comment they read.)

Not a slam, just some feedback from someone who keeps making the same mistake. You have much value to add. Find a voice that gets that value to the maximum number of recipients.

run4yourlives2• 16 years ago

When you list 9 steps and not one of them is "Build something", you're probably doing it wrong.

Edit: You know what, I take this back; not only too harsh but somewhat off topic. I think the title got me expecting one thing and upon reading another felt unfulfilled.

krobertson2• 16 years ago

The steps are more about setting up a business rather than running a business.

Not all business build something either. Say you simply want a business to do consulting under. In the article, his PerlUSA he started with was just that.

run4yourlives2• 16 years ago

Fair point, not all business' build things: I would suggest not even bothering to "set up a business" until you at least have a) something to sell and b) someone to sell it to, however.

ryanelkins• 16 years ago

Wow, some of you guys are being pretty harsh. This isn't "The Only 9 Startup Steps" it's just 9 steps most people need to take and if you're unfamilair with them it's great to see some information laid out about them.

Personally I found it pretty useful. I'm working on some of them but it's unfamiliar territory and I'm not sure what all needs to be done exactly. I found this to be some good practical advice that complements some of the more esoteric higher level advice that we normally see around here.

Startup Steps, Learned over 22 Years

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