Obvious Startup Advice

Anatomy of a Successful Pivot: Rebric

Chris now considers himself an expert in the world of online sports betting licenses, with no question he can’t answer (or quickly find the answer to). He’s realized that while he thought he knew his customers previous to this last pivot, he knew jack about his previous industries.

The CEO is Responsible for the First 30 Sales

Sales is the difference between running a company and having a hobby. So if you’re the founding CEO, or want to be a founding CEO, but you don’t want to make the first 30 sales, don’t be the fucking founding CEO. Full. Stop.

Unexpected & Inevitable

The investor hears it and at first they don’t believe you. “Nah,” they say, as they start to argue with you whether that’s the way the world really works. Then, after a beat or two, they go, “wait, you’re right.” And after another moment, they think “fuck, that’s the only way it can be.”

Simple Ain’t Easy

Think about the last time you tried to get into an exercise routine. Or consistently wake up earlier. Or quit smoking. None of those things are complicated, but all of them are hard to accomplish. We don’t fail at them because they’re complicated, we fail at them because we don’t prioritize them and think about them (let alone do them) on a daily basis.

The Tie Goes To The Runner

In startup land, we like to tell ourselves a bedtime story that it’s all a meritocracy and we’re strictly about finding the best people. Hacker News is filled with comments like “who cares what race or gender they are; just pick the best people.” If only it were that easy, my little brogrammer.

Understand Your Customers’ Business As Well As They Do

As CEOs and product owners, we are effectively outsourced team members, contract force accelerators. Yet more often than not, we act like clueless employees, sleepwalking through the day, hoping that our actions align with our employer’s goals or, at worst, praying we don’t fuck up enough to be noticed.

The Work Is The Dream

“Those times when you get up early and you work hard, those times when you stay up late and you work hard, those times when you don’t feel like working, you’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself, but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream.” – Kobe Bryant

The 1-10-100 Process

Investors are looking for a solid framework of how your company will grow and succeed, and they want to understand all of the assumptions underpinning that framework. It’s called The 1-10-100 Process, and it meets all the same criteria as a five-year projection, without the arbitrary time variable.

Anatomy of a Successful Pivot: Rebric

December 16, 2020 Eric Marcoullier and Megan Hanson

What Needs to be True for Your Company to Succeed?

December 8, 2020 Eric Marcoullier and Megan Hanson

The mark of a great business is product/market fit — successfully selling to the market is far easier said than done. What *is* much, much easier is proving that a business idea is a bad one. You start with the question “what needs to absolutely be true?” and see if you can quickly prove one or more of them false.

Do One Thing Well

December 2, 2020 Eric Marcoullier and Megan Hanson

The odds you can do even one thing well when starting a business are LOW. The odds you can simultaneously do multiple things well are VERY low. And, if you’re trying to derisk your business, that’s the first place you should start. Find your one good thing, and focus on it.

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Obvious Startup Advice

Anatomy of a Successful Pivot: Rebric

The CEO is Responsible for the First 30 Sales

Unexpected & Inevitable

Simple Ain’t Easy

Beware Bullshit KPIs

The Tie Goes To The Runner

If You Want Money, Ask For Advice (If You Want Advice, Ask for Money)

Understand Your Customers’ Business As Well As They Do

CORONA: The Startup Guide To Surviving The Apocalypse

CORONA: Thriving In Times Of Great Change

The Work Is The Dream

The 1-10-100 Process

Anatomy of a Successful Pivot: Rebric

What Needs to be True for Your Company to Succeed?

Do One Thing Well

The CEO is Responsible for the First 30 Sales

Unexpected & Inevitable

User Stories Not Wireframes