Startups are getting really popular these days and it is no wonder why many people start asking questions on various social networking sites about how to become a successful startup manager. Probably the best way to find out is to listen to someone that has already made a success in this field and someone that is willing to share his experience. Andrew Bellay is certainly one of those people and he is ready to share his knowledge with all startup enthusiasts.
What people must understand is that there is no shortcut or some formula for success in startups. Many people think that they need to be completely original if they want to be successful in this field and spend hours and days trying to figure out how to achieve that. Creativity is certainly a big plus, but the fact is that most of the things have been already invented and I would say that each of us has to leave a personal mark in order to achieve success. This means – no need for revolutionary moves or anything big in order to prosper.
The following is a list of few other tips that can help young entrepreneurs.
Fundrasing – Raising money is essential for the startup’s progress but many startups make the same mistake. They are focused on attracting investors instead of focusing on their customers and clients. Startups are longterm projects so try to look at the bigger picture – short term investors won’t do the job.
Websites – This is another important element of the project, but many startups don’t realize that having a good, attractive website doesn’t mean spending days in its creation, especially if you don’t have the necessary knowledge. They try to be unique and add shiny objects to attract people but these cheap moves usually don’t work. Instead of wasting time, buy some premium WordPress theme that costs up to $100 and focus on other more important things like the content for example.
Product – Many people think that you must have a finished product in order to get people interested in what you do. This is not true because prototypes have already been used by major companies so why risk it? With these prototype products you can test the interest of the public and see if it is worth continuing with its development and production.
Stimulation – While your project is still developing you must maintain a close relationship with the users of your product, so make sure you give them rewards manually instead of making the whole process automated.
Lookalikes – Another good advice is to find objects that look like your future product. You will be amazed how these things can help you get a better idea about what you need to do. After all, a block of wood helped Jeff Hawkins create Palm Pilot.
Experiment – Perform tests, create analysis, set hypothesis and experiment!
Finally, one of the best tips from Andrew Bellay is to concentrate on the customers. Let them be in your focus. The more value you add to your customers the better monetization you can expect. Try to improve your prototype, product, project, website instead of running for the investments.
