I learned a lot in the process of starting my consulting business, creating several startup products while helping entrepreneurs to get on the starting blocks.
Starting is the first tipping point for each and every entrepreneur. Guy Kawasaki wrote a book about it called “The Art of Start 2.0”.
Here, I am sharing with you the result of years of accumulated knowledge and wisdom born from mistakes, 25 recommendations to have the optimal starter state of mind:
- Get early feedback on your Idea
- You must sell something from day one
- Never ever lie to yourself, to your relatives, to your customers, to your partners
- Be healthy. Building a successful startup is a matter of years. Treat your mind and body equally, both are a synergetic system
- There is no weekend. Your business runs every day
- It is all about Cash Flow. Not the money. Not the number of users. Not the amount of resources you have
- You will enter the customer’s universe based on your real value.
- Money doesn’t have value, People’s needs do. You invest in the people who believe in you and your product.
- You will make mistakes. This is how we learn the best, so learn from them.
- But don’t fail, ever. Period.
- Learn every day. Everything in your domain first. Learn from other areas, especially the foundations: Business Administration, Finance & Accounting, IT, Marketing & Sales, Human Resources, Legal.
- Ask for help whenever you need it
- Prioritize. Focus on the top 2 things that must be done, ignore everything else
- If you don’t know, ask then confirm
- Start small
- Think, Design, always
- Do. To anticipate too much does NOT make you move toward your goal.
- Do it now, not later. Procrastination must die, every morning
- If you can’t explain it clearly, there is something fishy.
- Listen carefully. Every single detail is important. Take it from a rational side.
- Trust your guts.
- Work hard but don’t overdo. If your mind tells you it’s enough, do something to chill, amusement or sleep. Critical deadlines are rare, most of the time you impose your own deadlines
- Walk the talk. If you say it, do it. If you are not going to do it, say it
- Do yourself what you can do 10x faster.
- « And » is greater than « Or » • You are a team, act like One. Share personal goals and values. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.
This is YOUR time!
For more details, here is the link to the full presentation: The Starter State of Mind
