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How to Start a Startup. March 2005 (This essay is derived from a talk at the Harvard Computer Society.)

How to Start a Startup

You need three things to create a successful startup: to start with good people, to make something customers actually want, and to spend as little money as possible. Most startups that fail do it because they fail at one of these. A startup that does all three will probably succeed. And that's kind of exciting, when you think about it, because all three are doable. If there is one message I'd like to get across about startups, that's it. The Idea In particular, you don't need a brilliant idea to start a startup around. Google's plan, for example, was simply to create a search site that didn't suck. There are plenty of other areas that are just as backward as search was before Google. For example, dating sites currently suck far worse than search did before Google.

An idea for a startup, however, is only a beginning. What matters is not ideas, but the people who have them. People What do I mean by good people? Starting a Business: Advice from the Trenches. If you’re like thousands of other designers, programmers and other creative professionals out there, at one point in time you’ve considered starting your own business.

Starting a Business: Advice from the Trenches

Unlike most, you’ve gone against common sense and decided to open shop for yourself. And not just freelance full-time, mind you, but file for the company name, get some stationery, and wade through the legal mumbo-jumbo. Maybe even get a real office with a water cooler. This article offers real-world advice from the trenches of a small start-up, and is applicable to designers, web developers, copywriters, usability experts and all manner of service providers. Freelancers take heed: there are several items that are just as pertinent to your profession. Write a Business Plan#section1 The most important thing you can do to prepare for starting and operating your own business.

A few years ago, new age business rhetoric said forget the business plan and just run with it. File for a Fictitious Name#section2 Funding#section3 Good: Create a Killer Business Plan - Martha Stewart Community. You've got the idea, now package it well!

Create a Killer Business Plan - Martha Stewart Community

The way you present your company and vision will determine whether you get the right financial partners and the right deal. Marketing Your IdeaLife is marketing. We're constantly being pitched to as consumers, yet we also market our products, our ideas, and ourselves personally and professionally. But where do so many early-stage entrepreneurs go wrong? They fail to sell their start-up effectively. As a former entrepreneur and a start-up consultant today, I've certainly seen more business plans than I care to remember. Make your business plan shine with the three "Cs" to success: Be ConciseA concise plan provides a simple explanation for why the business is a great idea, as well as how it will be executed.

Be CompellingThe goal is to make your company appear to be deeply compelling. Be CompleteYou must have a trusted third party review your plan to ensure it addresses all possible issues an investor may have. Wow!