The launch path: Step 1
Listen to the Waves
This is where it all begins.
Where do great startup ideas come from? Do they come from deep moments of contemplation, or brilliant moments of inspiration? The mythology is that startup success begins with “thinking up a great startup idea”. But if you look at startup history, it’s actually very difficult to find examples where it was the idea that made a startup a success. Venture investors know this, of course. They know that whatever idea you pitch them is going to fail. It almost always does. So they invest in teams who they believe will figure out a path to success after the original idea fails. My goal with The Launch Path is to make you one of those teams.
“Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled”.
Howard Stevenson, Harvard Business School
Lecture:
Main Reading:
Case Study:
Discussion:
- What have you noticed about where great startup ideas come from? Discuss on Slack.
Assignment:
- Write a simple, clear problem statement for your startup. Now write your proposed solution to problem. Keep these short and clear!
Founder Interview:
- Caitlin Landesberg talks about how she come up with her idea for a healthy beer startup. Listen now.