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How to Decrease the Odds That Your Startup Fails

Both Sides of the Table

Most of this advice boils down to an argument in favor of basic planning before starting a company or raising money. In many ways the fact that it has become so cheap to start a company and relatively cheap to raise angel/seed money that we as an industry have gotten lazy on basic planning. Incumbent Strengths & Weaknesses.

Startup 150
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How to find funding for your hardware startup while we’re waiting for the hardware revolution

Version One Ventures

In the software space, it is commonly accepted that barriers to entry are no longer created by patents or by tech differentiation alone, but by superior traction in the marketplace. However, there’s a challenge when your investors are also your customers. For example, Softtech and True Ventures funded FitBit. Patents versus traction.

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Should Startups Focus on Profitability or Not?

Both Sides of the Table

If you had huge customer growth but just didn’t focus on revenue that’s a different story. If you spent the 3 years perfecting some hugely differentiated technology IP that may also be different. Do 20% of the customers make 80% of the revenue or do the top 3 customers represent 80% of the revenue.

Startup 418
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Why you shouldn’t keep your startup idea secret

cdixon.org

Quite early on, you will be able to differentiate yourself – and having competitors help you grow the market can actually be a good thing. The idea has value, but the implementation and design model you follow (customer feedback loop) is where the traction will come from. link] What’s the right amount of seed money to raise?

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