The document discusses common startup killers such as working with the wrong people, assuming too much without validation, solving problems that don't exist, slow progress, lack of focus, scaling too quickly, taking money from dumb investors, dumb spending, ignoring cash flow, and market disruption. It also discusses the importance of competition, choosing your own battles, losing battles to win the war, and focusing on consumers over competition. Additional topics covered include properly handling capital, scaling consistently, respecting money, and the difference between consistent and inconsistent startups in terms of fundraising. The document outlines a winning pattern for startups as solving real problems, proper scaling, focus on product and consumer, consistently winning market share, and having consistent growth as the key
6. Facts & Myths
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Tuesday, December 3, 13
More money = success (false)
Bigger team = kickass (false)
More feature = awesome (false)
7. Facts & Myths
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Tuesday, December 3, 13
More money = success (false)
Bigger team = kickass (false)
More feature = awesome (false)
Debt = death (false)
8. Facts & Myths
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Tuesday, December 3, 13
More money = success (false)
Bigger team = kickass (false)
More feature = awesome (false)
Debt = death (false)
More % = control (false)
9. Facts & Myths
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Tuesday, December 3, 13
More money = success (false)
Bigger team = kickass (false)
More feature = awesome (false)
Debt = death (false)
More % = control (false)
More revenue = healthier company (false)
13. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
Tuesday, December 3, 13
14. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
3. Solution to a problem that doesn’t exist
Tuesday, December 3, 13
15. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
3. Solution to a problem that doesn’t exist
4. Slow progress / procrastinate
Tuesday, December 3, 13
16. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
3. Solution to a problem that doesn’t exist
4. Slow progress / procrastinate
5. Lack of focus (product & market)
Tuesday, December 3, 13
17. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
3. Solution to a problem that doesn’t exist
4. Slow progress / procrastinate
5. Lack of focus (product & market)
6. Scaling too soon
Tuesday, December 3, 13
18. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
3. Solution to a problem that doesn’t exist
4. Slow progress / procrastinate
5. Lack of focus (product & market)
6. Scaling too soon
7. Dumb money vs smart money
Tuesday, December 3, 13
19. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
3. Solution to a problem that doesn’t exist
4. Slow progress / procrastinate
5. Lack of focus (product & market)
6. Scaling too soon
7. Dumb money vs smart money
8. Dumb spending
Tuesday, December 3, 13
20. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
3. Solution to a problem that doesn’t exist
4. Slow progress / procrastinate
5. Lack of focus (product & market)
6. Scaling too soon
7. Dumb money vs smart money
8. Dumb spending
9. Ignoring cash flow
Tuesday, December 3, 13
21. e real killers
1. Work with the wrong people
2. Assuming to much (no validation)
3. Solution to a problem that doesn’t exist
4. Slow progress / procrastinate
5. Lack of focus (product & market)
6. Scaling too soon
7. Dumb money vs smart money
8. Dumb spending
9. Ignoring cash flow
10. Market disruption
Tuesday, December 3, 13
26. Competition
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Competition means you’re fighting the
right war
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Choose your own battle
Tuesday, December 3, 13
Lose the battle, to win the war
Competition should not be the focus, the
focus should be on the consumer
27. It’s all about the money
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Capital money can give you life, but it can also kill
your company if you don’t handle it right
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Scale properly and consistently
Tuesday, December 3, 13
Respect the money, and the money will respect you
Inconsistent startups raise money 3 times more
money (less value) compared to consistent startups
(more value)
34. Winning pattern
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Tuesday, December 3, 13
Solve a problem that actually exists
Scale properly (raise capital)
Focus on product & consumer
Winning market share consistently
35. Winning pattern
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Tuesday, December 3, 13
Solve a problem that actually exists
Scale properly (raise capital)
Focus on product & consumer
Winning market share consistently
Consistent growth the one and only metric
direction startup should focus on that
indicates scalability