Michelle Marcelline • 2021-10-14
Target a big market, build an MVP with the least amount of tech, and launch!
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.
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
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:
Targeting niche blogs
Publicity (media)
Unconventional PR
SEM
Social and display ads
Offline ads
SEO
Content marketing
Email marketing
Engineering marketing: microsites, widgets, free tools to drive leads
Viral marketing (WOM)
Business development
Sales
Affiliate programs
Existing platforms
Trade shows
Offline events (meetups, conferences)
Speaking at events
Community building