How To Build A Startup 101

Michelle Marcelline2021-10-14

Target a big market, build an MVP with the least amount of tech, and launch!

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Target a big market



Arthur Rock, Fairchild Semiconductor: “Give me a giant market — always.”

Sequoia Capital: A market on the path to a $1B potential allows for error and time for real margins to develop.

Don Valentine, Sequoia Capital: Target big markets — If you don’t attack a big market, it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to build a big company.



It's not enough for startup founders to create a solution to a problem, they must be able to scale that solution to a market that is large. Make sure that a lot of people in this world already need what you are building.





Build an MVP

Almost all of your favorite startups launched with an ugly website or mobile app. If you're ashamed of your product that's exactly when you should launch. You don't need to launch a perfect product.



Airbnb (2008)



Airbnb's original website did not have a map search, a catalog of beautifully photographed properties, and a payment integration; however, it did not stop them from launching. Neither should you.



For more evidence of other successful startups such as Uber, Craigslist, Buzzfeed, and many more that started out ugly, you can go here.

Today, you can start by building a beautiful landing page quickly through Typedream #shamelessplug



Launch your product

Once you have finished your MVP, release it to the people that need them. Here is a list of places where you should launch your product from Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares' book Traction.





The traction channels that startup founders can tap into:

  1. Targeting niche blogs

  2. Publicity (media)

  3. Unconventional PR

  4. SEM

  5. Social and display ads

  6. Offline ads

  7. SEO

  8. Content marketing

  9. Email marketing

  10. Engineering marketing: microsites, widgets, free tools to drive leads

  11. Viral marketing (WOM)

  12. Business development

  13. Sales

  14. Affiliate programs

  15. Existing platforms

  16. Trade shows

  17. Offline events (meetups, conferences)

  18. Speaking at events

  19. Community building

If you want a summary of what we've read from the book follow @typedreamHQ on Twitter or Instagram and DM us!




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