Gust

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Bootstrapping Organic Growth Makes Startup Sense

Gust

When someone asks me for the best way to fund a startup, I always say bootstrap it, meaning fund it yourself and grow organically. Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Practice creative marketing.

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Don’t Let Investors Conclude Your Startup Is A Hobby

Gust

This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Product development process.

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What Belongs in a Startup’s Pitch Deck?

Gust

So you’ve developed a game-changing product, formed a business with a killer team, quit your job, and are rolling the product out to market. For many founders of high-growth startups, bootstrapping has limits. Your business is the next unicorn, and all is good in the world. Read more >.

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Gust Blog - Thoughts on startups by investors that fund them

Gust

I used to think you could use convenience and common sense to predict markets. One of my earliest excursions into market research was working for a research firm doing a 1979 forecast on ATMs. There’s also timing and trends, leadership, luck, and maybe even marketing. . Tim Berry , Founder, Palo Alto Software.

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7 Ways to Cure Post-Pitch Depression

Gust

Narrow the market, narrow the business offering, and shorten the time from zero to revenue. Reduce the risk on the big questions of viability and market. Checks written and signed say way more than big market numbers. Bootstrap it. Scale down and focus: So don’t be the next Facebook, at least not immediately.

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The Cost Equation for a Startup is Better Than Ever

Gust

Do basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Marketing (SEM), like cohort analysis , yourself. Sales and marketing costs. Print your own collateral and marketing materials until the business is rolling. Skip the IT consultants and build an entry website yourself to save $50K. Of course, a word of caution is also in order here.

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The right investors for the right stage

Gust

Companies at this stage must have a large market, good traction, and be focused on scaling infrastructure and market adoption. Obviously, if you bootstrap your business, you can avoid all these stages and the investment implications. This normally means more then 30 employees, and more then $1 million in revenue. Exit stage.