Startup Advice in Three Word Doses

I curate startup advice in three word doses from Dharmesh Shah, Ed Weissman, the Cluetrain Manifesto, and a number of other sources.

Startup Advice in Three Word Doses

Dharmesh Shah

Dharmesh Shah posted 47 pieces of “Three Word Startup Advice” in January of this year. I picked these seven out as the most applicable to bootstrappers:

• Watch your cash.
• Pick founders carefully.
• Guard your time.
• Decide with data.
• Accept imperfect data.
• Protect your health.
• Build a brand.

See also “Dharmesh Shah’s Pithy Thoughts for Startup Co-Founders”

Ed Weissman

Ed Weissman added these seven when it was picked up on Hacker News

• Find a customer.
• Satisfy their needs.
• Get their money.
• Use their feedback.
• Improve your software.
• Hit your deadlines.
• Never give up.

See also “Ed Weissman on B2B Opportunities” and Part 2

Cluetrain Manifesto

Here are seven I extracted and boiled down from the Cluetrain Manifesto

• Markets are conversations.
• Markets are human.
• Networked markets self-organize.
• De-cloak, get personal.
• Talk with customers.
• Listen to customers.
• Share community concerns.

Other Sources

My contributions, none of which are original.  I like all of the above as well, these are meant to address additional areas:

• Go ugly early.
• Relationships not transactions.
• Amplify positive deviance.
• Appreciate your prospects.
• Cultivate and coordinate.
• Nurture your community.
• Understand learning curve.

No good links for learning curve.  I need to blog about learning curve effects, both in customer sites and their importance in considering competitive posture.  See also Self-Mastery, Expertise, Connections, and Perseverance.

Update Sun-Sep-05: a few more occurred to me that had not been mentioned

• Define your hypotheses
• Leave the BatCave
• Test your hypotheses
• Form Advisory Board
• Understand Root Cause