Why most startups fail and here’s how not to

It’s easy to

think of the

latest
like a

middle

startup

pimple in
of your

the

forehead:


you wake up one morning and it’s
all you can see.


And then, one day, for no specific
reason . . .

it’s gone


Really

“Anyone know what
happened to
Whatchamacallit?”


After some
enquiry, all
you’ve got is
a
handful
of
rumours
and a bucket
of spin.


All we
know for
sure is
that it’s
over.


Truth is, most of the time, it
failed because of the same
reasons so many other
startups fail.

There will
always be
special
individuals who
find exceptional
ways to kill
their business


majority of startups fail in
far more mundane ways


#1. Not
understanding
the user


Your plans are
based on what
you think
the user wants


maybe you even have a
few buddies who thought
it was cool

and how they
like doing things


Be careful about telling them
how they should act


Be careful about telling them
how they should act

this usually backfires.


#2.
Too in
love
with
the
tech


You love adding features


“Wouldn’t it be awesome if
we could also let them Skype
with the dead?”

You’re building an elephant


You’re building an elephant

but haven’t tested any of it


Maybe users
only need the trunk.


Keep it to
the core
and market
-test
before you
go wild on
features