Startup Tips

Startup Founders from

We are in the twilight of a society based on data. As information and intelligence become the domain of computers, society will place new value on the one human ability that can't be automated. Rolf Jensen, Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies

Successful companies understand marketing is not just promotion and advertising. Industry leaders focus first on the market place and identifying market problems that exist and can be solved with technology Craig Stull, Phil Myers & David Meerman Scott

If you want your idea to spread, stop focusing on the facts, stop focusing on your offering and start focusing on your story. Make it genuine. Make it interesting, and as Seth would say, make it remarkable. Dharmesh Shah, Onstartups. Inspired by Seth Godin

Successful bootstrappers know this: Your business is about the process. Itʼs not about the product. Seth Godin, The Bootstrapper’s Bible

Listen to customers. Useful technique: force everyone in the company, from the CEO down, to answer support calls periodically. Ali & Hadi Partovi, iLike

The faster your users ‘get it,’ the faster they’ll become champions on your behalf. Jason Lemkin, the CEO of EchoSign

You need the early team to be savvy in everything. And you have to have people who understand the users and the product. Craig Newmark Founder, craigslist

There are a few things. One thing is, venture capital funding is not for everybody. Oftentimes you’re better off just creating a really profitable business without creating the funding. Rebecca Lynn, Principal at Morgenthaler Ventures.

Do as little as possible to get what you have to get done. Do less of it; get it done. If you’ve got two things that you want to put together, take away until they go together. Joshua Schachter Founder, del.icio.us

You have to have tactics to get to strategies, but you have to have a strategy, and you have to put your strategy up here and then see “Where’s my gap” to get to this aspirational goal. Ann Winblad Cofounder, Open Systems, Hummer Winblad

When you design a product, you need to think about whom you’re designing the product for!.Try to achieve an out-of-body experience as close you can, while you are using the product. Max Levchin, Founder, PayPal

I think one of the things that kills great things so often is compromise— letting people talk you out of what your gut is telling you. Evan Williams, Cofounder Pyra Labs

Getting your product launched is just the beginning. Content updates, monetization, and advertising are the driving point of your business, most likely. James Thomas, WackyLabs

For someone who’s joining a startup, just learn about leadership from the people at the top of the company. Watch how they talk to people, watch how they present to people. Companies take their shape based on the personality characteristics and human interaction characteristics of the founders. Ray Ozzie Founder, Iris Associates, Groove Networks

Building a product that is perfect for everyone is impossible! Your two choices are: Build a product that is tolerable for everyone and Build a product that is perfect for a subset, and then let others come around. Paul Buchheit, Y- Combinator Partner and creator of Gmail.

Charging for something half-baked is really interesting, It makes the product team uncomfortable. At the same time, you make sure that you get honest feedback. If the product doesn’t meet customers’ expectations, they cancel. It’s a very honest relationship. Rashmi Sinha , Founder & CEO SlideShare Inc

By: Thomas Oppong