Our startup journey so far…. 

Entering into the world of ‘startups’ which has completely different rules, a different language and expectations was interesting in and of itself.  The risk is greater and the money is tighter but the thrill of building a startup outweighs all of the obstacles that must be overcome. 

Rule #1:  Know thyself

Once the decision was made to make the leap all of my experiences proved invaluable as I learned new skills at lightning speed.  My operations, management, sales, marketing, and business development, recruiting etc., that I spent the last decade accumulating now operate by rote.  They kick in naturally when needed to support the many hats worn in a startup.  Trust your instincts and act, if you think you’re right. 

Rule #2 Commit Everything

The biggest difference between the two worlds is BOLDNESS.  A startup requires it, demands it daily and it kicks you in the butt if you don’t do it.  At the beginning and end of every day ask yourself what bold thing did you do today to move your startup forward. We have incorporated this into our team meetings and communications. 

Rule #3 Learn Gut Lessons

5 Gut Punches…

1)  Your Dream, Your Passion – Own it

No one is going to be as excited about your dream as you are, not your family, not your closet friends.  Yes, they will want you to succeed, they will help you when they can and sometimes they will lend you money.  Immediate family will sometimes work with you, connect you to people and introduce you to mavens. They won’t have that spark in their eyes about the dream that keeps you up at night.   We had to keep reminding ourselves that the dream was ours, the passion was ours and therefore we had a certain bond with the baby that could not be fully duplicated and that’s okay. 

2)  A New Set of Friends

If you live in an area of all corporate types a startup means ‘no immediate income’ and therefore insignificant in the minds of some until it starts to produce.  We had to find a whole new set of friends and actively involve ourselves with a different circle.  We still see our old friends and maintain those relationships, hangout and give them progress updates now and again.  Although much of our time is spent connecting with like minds.  This was our story.

3)  Family is Family  

Family will love you no matter what and they genuinely want success for the business but they may not get it.  They still don’t fully understand why you can’t go to all of the functions all of the time and why we’re obsessed with our startup.  These are tricky waters that you will have to navigate keeping your most important relationships in tact.  It’s the ultimate balancing act. 

4)  Wardrobe Changes

We went from suits to jeans.  Our new business casual is simply casual.  When we have meetings, board or advisory, depending on the format of the meeting, obviously,  determines what we wear.  So far…a great pair of denims works fine.  Don’t let the casual attire fool you…we are all business.  We do have business suits and stilettos but most of the time – it’s casual. 

5)  Get It Out There

In the beginning everything was in stealth mode until we launched the first deliverable in beta.  We have a host of new functionalities to get out there in 2010 that we are working feverishly on to continue to enhance our platform.  It’s true, it takes longer and cost more than planned. Learning progressive patience is important.  Try to avoid anyone selling get rich quick, it’s a distraction.

Trust us, there is a group of people waiting for your product or service somewhere.  There will be that first customer and then the next if you build it. Remember the Pet Rock Era…people paid money for rocks that were not going to be used as landscape!  The guy became a millionaire and people are still buying them on eBay. 

Rule #4 Keep Moving

Even on your worst days, keep moving.  Continue to work through any obstacles thrown your way.  This is our drive and our commitment to our startup.  There is no obstacle you can’t overcome and we absolutely refuse to quit.  Keep moving forward one fearless day at a time.  Resolve to work through fear and complacency in order to achieve your desired outcome.  Rejoice in the small successes.  If one day you have no customers and the next day you have one customer – celebrate then get back to work.   

Rule #5 Stay True to You

Staying true to your foundational business idea is critical.  Tweak it, change it, add to it, and take away from it but at the end of the day you still should be able to recognize it as it evolves.  It’s what moved you to action in the first place, it’s what got you to make the leap, it will be what gets you up in the morning and keeps you up at night.  Don’t let the fire die and the idea with it.  Don’t let people talk you down.  Listen, learn and keep moving forward.