From: Emlyn (emlyn@one.net.au)
Date: Sat Sep 16 2000 - 16:17:05 MDT
While we're posting the best methods for succeeding or failing at startups,
here's Bob Cringely's list from Slashdot today
(http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/09/15/0155218):
Now to the rules for success. I started out to do five of these and ended up
with eight. They apply not just to Internet companies but to any high tech
startup. They are simple: 1) Fill a need that actually exists, not one you
wish existed; 2) Don't count on customers to tell you what that need is
(they don't know what they need until you invent it and they see it); 3)
Don't push the technological edge because you'll nearly always starve to
death; 4) Be very quick to recognize the greatness of others and copy it (in
other words, let someone else be responsible for rule 2, above) because the
second entrant wins more often that does the originator; 5) Success comes
from selling things, so hire a better head of sales and marketing than you
think you can afford and hire him/her earlier than you think you should; 6)
Every startup has a change of course, a moment when it becomes clear that
the original idea just won't work, so be willing to change course when you
have to; 7) Know when to call it a day -- most startups fail and nearly
every successful startup is run and staffed by people who have already
failed, and; 8) Hire a mix of old and young including some people near the
top who have already tasted startup success.
I don't think he'd rate the chances of
GoddamnedGeneticProgrammingTyrannosauruses.com as very high, unfortunately.
Emlyn
(Thanks to Mr Broderick for telling me who Bob Cringely is. I live such a
sheltered life; must be my over active mushroom module. When are you going
to go Rand/Hubbard on us, and start up a religion, Damien?)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Adrian Tymes" <wingcat@pacbell.net>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2000 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: Where's genetic programming at? (was Re: Jobs,Lots of stuff
aboutSoftware world (was re: Homeless))
> Emlyn O'Regan wrote:
> > > I agree. So why aren't we out building that system today? Wanna put
> > > together a business plan and go looking for funding? Seriously.
>
> > I'm a bit afraid that the business plan would look something like:
> > 1 - Get lots o money
> > 2 - Spend lots o money doing heaps of cool research into genetic
> > programming, play around with oh so excellent equipment, discover some
> > excellent stuff, have a bloody fantastic time
> > 3 - Run out of money with no products/market to show for it,
> > 4 - get a slapping (eek) from the VC(s)
> > 5 - Reputation in ruins, become a tramp, scavenge in bins, waiting
for
> > the singularity
>
> If I might suggest a little alteration...
>
> 0.1 - Think of something you can get to market, with some research, kind
> of a milestone between here and the promised land
> 0.2 - Map out how you can get from where you are now, plus money, to
> having that product on the market, accessible by whatever
> professionals (or, depending on application, hobbyist or regular
> person) can make use of it
> 0.9 - Present that plan to the VCs as a prerequisite to step 1
>
> 1.1 - Also ask the VCs for management, marketing, and sales help: you
> can do the technical stuff, but there's more to a corp than the
> CTO
> 1.2 - Try to structure things so that you, and others who share your
> viewpoint as to the end goal of the corporation, control a
> majority (or as close to it as possible) of the corporation;
> most of this control can be slient partners/"sleepers" until 4.1
>
> 2.1 - Keep at least the majority of your research focussed on the
> product, or perhaps line of products by now, that you came up with
> in 0.1
> 2.2 - As you near production capability, get the help that the VCs
> pointed you at to start prepping some test clients, maybe an
> entire market
>
> 3.0 - Deploy product well before selling out of money: at this point,
> your sales are just slowing the outflow of cash, not stopping it
> completely or even reversing it
> 3.1 - With experience gained from all steps to date, *especially* step
> 2.0, come up with more products that you can either deploy now, or
> can be deployed with a bit more research
> 3.2 - Keep doing radical research - still with a focus, at least until
> you get profitable
>
> 4.0 - Eventually go IPO or get bought out, kissing off the VCs for good
> either way, and go profitable shortly thereafter; remember to
> keep control of the company
> 4.1 - With money worries gone (and the VCs who remind you to focus on
> the bottom line out of your hair), research can be even freer;
> some products should still come out of it, if only as proof that
> the research is relevant to reality, as opposed to hypotheticals
> on some metaphysics that are of no practical use (and, having not
> been reviewed by others, might turn out to be based on a false
> foundation, thus being totally useless in the end)
>
> 5.0 - Reputation established, and with a growing financial resource
> base, help build the Singularity in the way you think it should be
> done
>
> (Of course, for "product" you can substitute any source of financial
> profit. For instance, if you can think of a service that only you can
> provide - you having mastered the field through your research - then
> that would be an early-stage-useful target for your research.)
>
> The key here is not to do everything at once. Go for something you know
> you can do, then build on that, and you just might have a chance.
>
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