Here are the six simple steps for building a startup (in this case, a
software startup).
1. Figure out what to build. You can do this by being
brilliantly insightful (which you might be), or by just talking to some people.
Ask them questions. Would you use this? Does this solve a problem? Would you
pay for this? Do you know anyone that would pay for this? Are you going to
roll your eyes and laugh out loud once I leave the room? Are you going to tell
you spouse this idea over dinner this evening to demonstrate that you indeed
do have a sense of humor?
2. Build something. It doesn't have to be the
world-changing thing you devised in step 1, but a close enough approximation.
It should do at least one useful thing from the list of game-changing things
that's on the feature-list from #1. Oh, and it should sort of work (even if
requiring the assistance of some chanting, prayer and promises to recycle
more).
3. (Option A) Release! Get your product out there. Even
if it's buggy (which it will be). It is possible that everyone that sees it
runs screaming in the other direction. Mothers protect their children in its
presence. But, get it out there and work like heck to deal with the aftermath
of the steaming pile of elephant doo-doo you've unleashed upon the world.
3. (Option B) Make Perfect, Wait, Release! This avoids the
problems with Option A because people will no longer run screaming. But, nobody
cares about your product now because everyone is flying around with jet-packs on
their back and 16-core processors are embedded in people's brain as an
outpatient procedure. Your market changed and your doohickey (however
"perfect") is irrelevant.
4. Sell. Sell. Sell. The law of large numbers says that
the larger the number of people exposed to the product (see Step 3a), the more
people you'll encounter with average coordination who will trip and fall when
trying to run away from your product demo. Some of these people will buy while
still in a semi-dazed state. Voila! You have customers.
5. Refine. Armed with a few paying customers, see what you
can learn from them. What are they like? How do they use the product? What do
they say between the screams of frustration? Figure out how to lower the pain
quickly and treat them gently. During these brief spites of happiness that you
customers have, other customers will come into contact with them think "Hey, Joe
seems to be happy -- even though he's got this far-away look in his eyes", maybe
the software isn't too bad. Let me try it out..." Bing! You have another
customer.
And the story goes on.
For the really, really simple minded here's the summary:
Decide what to build, launch an imperfect version, sell unsuspecting
customers, keep improving, sell more unsuspecting customers. Lather, rinse,
repeat. SUCCESS!
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