Post for: #leadership (2 Posts)

I really enjoyed reading Paul Graham's essay "Do Things that Don't Scale" - counterintuitive advice for startups in their "larval" stage. Some highlights:

• Recruit users manually. Yes, one by one.
• The Collison brothers didn't send links. "Give me your laptop" - and they'd set you up on the spot
• Founders avoid this because it feels small. It can't be how the big startups got started, they think. It is.
• Send hand-written thank you notes. Your first users should feel like signing up was one of the best choices they ever made.
• Engineers aren't trained for this. We build elegant systems, not hover over users. "You can be ornery when you're Scotty, but not when you're Kirk."
• The feedback from your earliest users will be the best you ever get.
• If you can solve a problem manually, do it manually. Automate the bottlenecks later.
• The Big Launch rarely works. Think of successful startups. How many launches do you remember?

I'm hearing of more and more people starting up new businesses with cool, innovative ideas. Spring season in the Start-up Nation is coming.

The differences from the years 2000 and 2008, I think, are:

1. Crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Headstart)
2. Affordable IT Infrastructure (AWS, Google)
3. Affordable and idiot-proof (read: hackable by software engineers) hardware platforms (Raspberry Pi, Arduino) and sensors (Oculus Rift)
4. Affordable Manufacturing (3D Printing, CNC, PCB)
5. New, disruptive, open-source software and hardware technologies (Bitcoin, DIY 3D Printing, Flying Machines)

Don't let the Waze deal fool or blind you - most chances are: you will fail. But you might just be one of the lucky ones. Starting up is less risky than ever before. If you're committed to be the Pig, and you have a solid business model, I say go for it!

PRO TIP: Put your ego aside, and build a team of superstars who complement each other, a team of people who know one another's strengths and weaknesses.