You don’t have to be perfect to Startup: ie, Apple
Apple’s Guuf shows Startups & Small business don’t have to be perfect to launch your product and see what that Customers think.
Startup Topics: Mistakes, Perfect, When to Launch, Website, Name & Loco, Customers, your Last 20%, +10 Launch Quotes.
OS = SOL (Sorry, Out of Luck) When Apple released the new operating system for its iPhone earlier this month, some things went wrong. For a few hours, thousands of the first people to download iOS 10 had their iPhones “bricked” (rendered useless). Apple’s stock price fell off the cliff. a Bungle, Foul-out (up), Goof, Mistake. Oops !!! They’re not a Startup.
Seems like a BiG Mistake? Right? Sure, but Apple did something right, something small-business owners can learn from. Apple didn’t wait until the OS was absolutely perfect, before they went to market. They quickly released an update, and Apple’s stock climbed back up. It was a Startup. Started back up again. LoL
Perfect ??? Believe it or not, many small-business owners & startup entrepreneurs inadvertently try to be better than Apple – perfect. Before releasing a product or going to market with a new service, they wait until they feel everything’s “perfect”. But working so long & hard to get everything “just right” often means you miss opportunities, lose income + waste time & money “fixing” what might be the wrong things.
Launch a MVP. [Minimal Viable Product]. You can become a MVP [Most Valuable Person] if you launch a good MVP. The idea is to go to market with a ”viable” product (or service), but not a perfect one. Reach best customers sooner, start generating income & learn from your customers – what needs to be improved and revised. You also have to get the rest of your support system organized & ready to go – service, website, marketing – so that after your Pilot Launch, you can go into a full Launch. Many other things in your business don’t have to be perfect, such as
1. Your Website is a business necessity today, that you can’t afford to be without. Get one up fast and improve it and add features as you develop your business.
2. Your company Name & Logo. Startup entrepreneurs can discuss finding the perfect name for months. Pick a few choices and have a few people give their reaction when they hear them, then pick one & get going. Make sure your chosen name can be Trademarked (go to Patent Office www.uspto.gov for a quick check) & whether a reasonable URL is available. But don’t fuss. At first Apple wasn’t the most inspiring name, but eventually they gave it new meaning.
3. Your Customers. Perhaps you plan on targeting big customers who can bring in big bucks. But, typically, the bigger the customer, the longer the sales cycle. Meanwhile, get out there and make sales to smaller customers. You’ll help your Cash Flow and make your mistakes on less critical customers. If people other than your perfect Customer want to give you their money, let them.
4. Your last 20%. If you aim for perfection, the last 20% of any project can cost you more money than the first 80%. (one of the 80/20 Rules) Aim to meet your deadlines rather than aiming for perfection. Of course, if your product doesn’t work, you’ve got to delay, but don’t waste time perfecting the superficial things that aren’t essential to your product or service [like the font on your packaging]. Stop. You can improve that later.
“Launching a Business” Quotes
“Ideas are a commodity. Execution of them is not. That’s make or break for you.” –Michael Dell, Dell Chairman & CEO
“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: 1) know your product better than anyone, 2) know your customers wants & give it to them, and have a burning desire to succeed.” –Dave Thomas, Founder, Wendy’s
“Don’t be over-confident. Don’t be arrogant. There’s always someone better than you. Maybe you can be faster and/or cheaper.” –Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” –Winston Churchill, UK Prime Minister
“The secret to success is hiring people who want to change the world with you.” –Marc Benioff, Salesforce CEO
“Now, is a good time to start a company.” –Ron Conway, Noted Startup Investor, SV Angel
“Make your team feel respected, empowered & genuinely excited about the company’s Mission & Vision.” –Tim Westergen, Pandora Founder
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” –Wayne Gretzy, Hockey Star
“Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making improvements on your present products & services.” –Seth Godin, Author
“Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph: a beginning, a struggle and a victory.” –Mahatma Gandhi, Political and Spiritual Leader
“One can get anything, if he is willing to help enough others, get what they want.” –Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker and Author
Comments: Do you have any other Examples – why you don’t have to be “perfect” to start / launch ?
from USA TODAY 21 Sept 16 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz