20 Lessons From Month 12

“TIMING, PERSEVERANCE, AND TEN YEARS OF TRYING WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS.”

+BIZ STONE

CO-FOUNDER, TWITTER

20 Lessons FROM

Month 12

1. Know The WHOLE Business

Count Off 1-10

Everybody raise your hand

If you’re not lucky #7… please drop your hand

9 out of 10 Startups Fail

“IDEAS ARE EASY. IMPLEMENTATION IS HARD.”

+ GUY KAWASKI

FOUNDER, ALLTOP

2. It’s NOT About The Money

There aren’t parachutes in startups.

Passion > Profits

“CHASE THE VISION, NOT THE MONEY, THE MONEY WILL END UP FOLLOWING YOU.”

+ TONY HEISH

CEO, ZAPPOS

3. Define Your Market

You can’t please everyone.

You are not all things to all

people.

“WHAT’S WINNING? WHERE AM I GOING TO PLAY TO WIN? HOW AM I GOING TO WIN WHERE I PLAY? WHERE ARE MY CORE COMPETENCIES THAT WILL ENABLE ME TO WIN WHERE I PLAY? WHAT SYSTEMS + MEASURES ARE GOING TO HELP ME EXECUTE MY STRATEGIES?”

+ A.G. LAFLEY

CEO, P&G

4. Don’t go it alone

Piggybacking

5. Money isn’t power. Networks are power.

“that guy”

6. Define Your Marketing Budget

5, 10, 15

7. Rowing the Boat

Know Your Weaknesses

Life in the Cloud

8. Pareto Principle

Time Vacuums

9. Get a Board

Powered by Dog Food

10. Be Ready to Burn the Business Plan

Psychic Powers

“ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESS FAVOURS THE OPEN MIND. IT FAVOURS PEOPLE WHOSE OPTIMISM DRIVES THEM TO PREPARE FOR MANY POSSIBLE FUTURES, PRETTY MUCH PURELY FOR THE JOY OF DOING SO.”

+ RICHARD BRANSON

CEO, VIRGIN

11. There is No Such Thing as Business as Usual

Getting Knocked Out

12. Emotionless Decision Making

Red Pill or Blue Pill?

“YOUR WORK IS GOING TO FILL A LARGE PART OF YOUR LIFE AND THE ONLY WAY TO BE TRULY SATISFIED IS TO DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS GREAT WORK. AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO GREAT WORK IS TO LOVE WHAT YOU DO.”

+ STEVE JOBS

CEO, APPLE

13. Right Size

How far are you willing to

grow?

14. Earnings Report = Autopsy Report

What You’ve Done Isn’t as Important as What You Have Yet

To Do.

15. You Aren’t The Business

Spending vs. Investing

[insert awful stock image here]

16. Hard Decisions Are Always Hard

Hard Decisions Don’t Get Easier

17. Make Money While You Sleep

18. Let Good People Do Good Work

19. Read EVERY Damn Day

20. Always Keep a Bottle of Bourbon

“THE WAY TO GET STARTED IS TO STOP TALKING ABOUT IT AND START DOING IT.”

+ WALT DISNEY

FOUNDER, DISNEY

I HOPE THIS WASA GOOD EXPERIENCE

QUESTIONS?

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