Comments on: The “Past is Prologue” Objection http://giffconstable.com/2010/03/the-past-is-prologue-objection/ Giff Constable's blog on technology, media, startups, and whatever else interests me Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:32:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: cranstone http://giffconstable.com/2010/03/the-past-is-prologue-objection/comment-page-1/#comment-276 cranstone Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:48:16 +0000 http://giffconstable.com/?p=490#comment-276 Agreed. Just my take that's all. <br><br>The one that did surprise me though was infrastructure. What my view is vs. the customer view was not always in alignment. What I learned this time around was to look at all of the components along the value chain/ecosystem and ensure that the infrastructure was also in place to support the growth and illustrate that a real problem now exists. Agreed. Just my take that's all.

The one that did surprise me though was infrastructure. What my view is vs. the customer view was not always in alignment. What I learned this time around was to look at all of the components along the value chain/ecosystem and ensure that the infrastructure was also in place to support the growth and illustrate that a real problem now exists.

]]> By: giffc http://giffconstable.com/2010/03/the-past-is-prologue-objection/comment-page-1/#comment-275 giffc Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:44:25 +0000 http://giffconstable.com/?p=490#comment-275 I wrote this post quickly, but was placing "customer development and validation" across behavior, adoption levels, and execution buckets. Of your list, I was putting 1,2,4 in the "execution" bucket. I wasn't really trying to write up a roadmap to success, but rather a framework to think through the question. I wrote this post quickly, but was placing “customer development and validation” across behavior, adoption levels, and execution buckets. Of your list, I was putting 1,2,4 in the “execution” bucket. I wasn't really trying to write up a roadmap to success, but rather a framework to think through the question.

]]> By: cranstone http://giffconstable.com/2010/03/the-past-is-prologue-objection/comment-page-1/#comment-274 cranstone Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:34:05 +0000 http://giffconstable.com/?p=490#comment-274 One other thought... Customers. <br><br>There are essentially 4 risks to overcome in any startup.<br><br>1) Founders (can they play nice together)<br>2) Technical (build it)<br>3) Market (is it ready)<br>4) Financial (money to scale)<br><br>Assuming this time around that 1, 2 and 4 are there. What remains is market acceptance. The way around this one is customer validation.<br><br>VC's are not your customers (they don't buy your services) Customers who have a real problem that you've clearly identified and who are ready to buy solve the problem and mitigate the risk.<br><br>Also one thing I learned early on was also infrastructure. Sometimes you have to wait until it's in place before your customer becomes aware of the problem that you've solved for them. One other thought… Customers.

There are essentially 4 risks to overcome in any startup.

1) Founders (can they play nice together)
2) Technical (build it)
3) Market (is it ready)
4) Financial (money to scale)

Assuming this time around that 1, 2 and 4 are there. What remains is market acceptance. The way around this one is customer validation.

VC's are not your customers (they don't buy your services) Customers who have a real problem that you've clearly identified and who are ready to buy solve the problem and mitigate the risk.

Also one thing I learned early on was also infrastructure. Sometimes you have to wait until it's in place before your customer becomes aware of the problem that you've solved for them.

]]> By: Peter Cranstone http://giffconstable.com/2010/03/the-past-is-prologue-objection/comment-page-1/#comment-620 Peter Cranstone Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:48:00 +0000 http://giffconstable.com/?p=490#comment-620 Agreed. Just my take that's all. nnThe one that did surprise me though was infrastructure. What my view is vs. the customer view was not always in alignment. What I learned this time around was to look at all of the components along the value chain/ecosystem and ensure that the infrastructure was also in place to support the growth and illustrate that a real problem now exists.nn Agreed. Just my take that’s all. nnThe one that did surprise me though was infrastructure. What my view is vs. the customer view was not always in alignment. What I learned this time around was to look at all of the components along the value chain/ecosystem and ensure that the infrastructure was also in place to support the growth and illustrate that a real problem now exists.nn

]]> By: giffc http://giffconstable.com/2010/03/the-past-is-prologue-objection/comment-page-1/#comment-621 giffc Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:44:00 +0000 http://giffconstable.com/?p=490#comment-621 I wrote this post quickly, but was placing "customer development and validation" across behavior, adoption levels, and execution buckets. Of your list, I was putting 1,2,4 in the "execution" bucket. I wasn't really trying to write up a roadmap to success, but rather a framework to think through the question. I wrote this post quickly, but was placing “customer development and validation” across behavior, adoption levels, and execution buckets. Of your list, I was putting 1,2,4 in the “execution” bucket. I wasn’t really trying to write up a roadmap to success, but rather a framework to think through the question.

]]> By: Peter Cranstone http://giffconstable.com/2010/03/the-past-is-prologue-objection/comment-page-1/#comment-622 Peter Cranstone Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:34:00 +0000 http://giffconstable.com/?p=490#comment-622 One other thought... Customers. nnThere are essentially 4 risks to overcome in any startup.nn1) Founders (can they play nice together)n2) Technical (build it)n3) Market (is it ready)n4) Financial (money to scale)nnAssuming this time around that 1, 2 and 4 are there. What remains is market acceptance. The way around this one is customer validation.nnVC's are not your customers (they don't buy your services) Customers who have a real problem that you've clearly identified and who are ready to buy solve the problem and mitigate the risk.nnAlso one thing I learned early on was also infrastructure. Sometimes you have to wait until it's in place before your customer becomes aware of the problem that you've solved for them. One other thought… Customers. nnThere are essentially 4 risks to overcome in any startup.nn1) Founders (can they play nice together)n2) Technical (build it)n3) Market (is it ready)n4) Financial (money to scale)nnAssuming this time around that 1, 2 and 4 are there. What remains is market acceptance. The way around this one is customer validation.nnVC’s are not your customers (they don’t buy your services) Customers who have a real problem that you’ve clearly identified and who are ready to buy solve the problem and mitigate the risk.nnAlso one thing I learned early on was also infrastructure. Sometimes you have to wait until it’s in place before your customer becomes aware of the problem that you’ve solved for them.

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