Sometimes having nothing to lose can be a real advantage for a startup

http://redeye.firstround.com/2009/03/nothing-to-lose-or-risk-tolerance-is-a-competitive-weapon.html

by jkopelman • 17 years ago

73 16 17 years ago

redeye.firstround.com

vaksel• 17 years ago

interesting point, and something most people probably don't think about

zaidf2• 17 years ago

I'd go further and say that having nothing to lose is one of the biggest advantages for a start-up.

I remembering hearing a founder of an IPO biotech company say how he only started his company because he could not find a job. There was no other option. Doing something of his own was his last ditch effort to make a living.

cvboss2• 17 years ago

If you have nothing to lose, that means you have "nothing". Having "nothing" probably doesn't give you enough resources to do anything at all, right? There are always opportunity costs anyway.

And... the article says paypal lost ~170 millions while "willing to invest millions of dollars to acquire new customers"

I wouldn't call it "nothing" ;)

asmithmd12• 17 years ago

Just because they recorded a loss of $170 million doesn't mean they consumed that much cash. Every account that they credited $5 to they had to record as a "loss." But how many people cashed out that money? Not many I bet, I bought something on Ebay with mine. Paypal essentially created a new currency that they pegged to the dollar. It didn't cost them any cash to "print" new money in people's accounts

garply2• 17 years ago

Who was the founder? Maybe I just don't understand the industry, but I always figured starting a biotech company was only really an option for the well-connected and well-funded. It seems really expensive.

zaidf2• 17 years ago

It was a speaker at a panel at TieCON 2007.

I have no idea how he pulled it off. You are right, thinking biotech and startup makes it seem like it would require a lot of investment. At the same time, there are plenty of folks in desperate situations able to raise money and build a company. How they raise money etc. simply becomes a part of the detail when you are that desperate.

He may have had a well-connected cofounder. Or professor. I don't know.

rms• 17 years ago

It is certainly not impossible; I did it. It requires very specific circumstances to be able to bootstrap a biotech company. What's more common is probably what I call an East Coast style business: you write a business plan, then you go raise money to execute it.

alain94040• 17 years ago

Very good article, to add the list of advantages a small startup has against an established vendor.

Anyone who worked for a large company knows how long it takes for any significant decision to happen, and how much hedging and precaution is built in each. Large corporations move slower.

The counterpoint to this is that if a large company ever decides to really go after you, it will be really tough because they have resources that you cannot possibly match.

Think an army of thousands of sales people badmouthing you to your potential customers, for instance. Or offering a free product to kill your only source of revenue.

It can play both ways.

garply2• 17 years ago

I often think a startup should act like it's waging a guerrilla war - move faster than your opponent, do things your opponent is unwilling or unable to do, be hard to kill, win the grass-roots support of the people.

tonystubblebine• 17 years ago

So what are the entrenched companies or products that people think are right to go after? Funny that the article is about Paypal, because that's one I wish was still innovating.

tomjen• 17 years ago

Then go after paypal. I would absolutely love if you did.

known2• 17 years ago

Govt must regulate market capitalization of all listed companies to TWICE their quarterly revenue. This will

    1. Prevent Ponzi scams in Corporate Management and Stock Markets
    2. Will create more opportunities for start-ups resulting in millions of jobs creation.

eru• 17 years ago

You know what market capitalization is?

known2• 17 years ago

If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, REGULATE it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. --Reagon

Sometimes having nothing to lose can be a real advantage for a startup

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