10 of the most dangerous pieces of startup advice

8/17/2019 10 of the Most Dangerous Pieces of Startup Advice

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Fake it ‘til you make it – 10 of themost dangerous pieces of startup

advice ADAM FLETCHER 2013-05-23 6•

•

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Adam Fletcher, owner of the Hipstery , debunks some common startup sayings and clichés. No

more pivot, passion or Startup Ninas!

Startups get a lot of ad!"e# T$e pro%le& '!t$ ad!"e !s t$at !t(s al&ost al'a)s a produ"t of our

o'* u*!+ue e,per!e*"es# t(s l!.e a su!t t$at 'e(e $ad ta!lored to f!t us perfe"tl)# /ut t$e* 'e

le*d !t freel) a*d +u!".l) to ot$ers forgett!*g t$at %e"ause !t(s %espo.e *o-o*e else loo.s +u!te

as good !* !t as 'e do a*d as a result t$ere(s a '$ole lot of r!d!"ulous ad!"e %e!*g s$ared# !t$

t$at !* &!*d $ere(s a "olle"t!o* of 10 of t$e 'orst a*d &ost a**o)!*g startup ad!"e a*d "l!"$s

http://venturevillage.eu/worst-startup-advice#commentshttp://venturevillage.eu/worst-startup-advice#commentshttp://store.hipstery.com/http://venturevillage.eu/startup-spoofshttp://venturevillage.eu/startup-spoofshttp://store.hipstery.com/http://venturevillage.eu/startup-spoofshttp://venturevillage.eu/worst-startup-advice#comments


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1. “Steve Jobs!ill "ates#ark $uckerberg orsome other statistical anomaly did %& so youshould too'

Here 'e attr!%ute fores!g$t a*d e,pert!se to de"!s!o*s t$at 'ere &ore ofte* t$at *ot &erel)

lu".) guesses %e"ause 'e ealuate a* alread) su""essful perso* !* $!*ds!g$t# E*4o)

o&!t!*g (d suggest )ou read t$!s %log post a%out '$at &a.es a great e*trepre*eur# t(s "$o".-

full of %ad ad!"e a*d $)per%ole a%out $o' fa&ous e*trepre*eurs &ade !t7#

Mar. Cu%a* t$e %!ll!o*a!re o'*er of t$e Dallas Maer!".s sa!d $e d!d*(t ta.e a da) off for

see* )ears '$e* $e lau*"$ed $!s f!rst e*ture M!"roSolut!o*s#7

$ope t$e *e,t t$!*g $e sa!d 'as )ou .*o' reall) regret t$at# A lot of perso*al relat!o*s$!ps

suffered as d!d &) &e*tal $ealt$# 8ro%a%l) o* refle"t!o* d!d*(t *eed to 'or. t$at $ard# f (d

des!g*ed &) %us!*ess %etter fro& t$e %eg!**!*g !t 'ould*(t $ae *eeded &e "o*sta*tl) for2555 da)s !* a ro'#7

/ad ad!"e a*d "l!"$s &!g$t see& l!.e a l!g$t-$earted top!" %ut !t(s a"tuall) +u!te s!*!ster# t

leads to 'asted t!&e a*d effort a*d a '$ole lot of $ero 'ors$!p arou*d $o' &a*) $ours 'e

'or. or $o' &a*) sa"r!f!"es 'e &a.e# t results !* a lot of people putt!*g u**e"essar) pressure

o* t$e&seles to a"t a "erta!* 'a) ofte* !* t$e *a9e %el!ef t$at !t(s ad&!ra%le a*d t$at ot$er

su""essful people also %e$ae t$!s 'a)# It’s remembering the exceptions, but filing them

away as rules#

(. “)assion& *esire& +unger and ,ommitment'

http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/17/what-makes-a-great-entrepreneur/http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/17/what-makes-a-great-entrepreneur/http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/17/what-makes-a-great-entrepreneur/http://venturevillage.eu/10-hilarious-business-scenes-from-80s-movieshttp://venturevillage.eu/10-hilarious-business-scenes-from-80s-movieshttp://venturebeat.com/2011/01/17/what-makes-a-great-entrepreneur/http://venturevillage.eu/10-hilarious-business-scenes-from-80s-movies


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Let(s 4ust ret!re t$ese 'ords# Fro& *o' let(s all agree t$at 'e(ll o*l) use t$e 'ord pass!o* '$e*

!t(s follo'ed %) t$e 'ord fru!t# deall) t$e* follo'ed %) t$e 'ord da!+u!r!#

8ass!o* !s !&pl!ed# 8ass!o* !s '$) )ou are read!*g t$!s art!"le# 8ass!o* !s '$) )ou do*(t 'or. for

Deuts"$e 8ost or a %!g %a*.# t(s '$) )ou %el!ee t$at !* t$e fa"e of all t$e ad!"e t$at tells )ou

*ot to do !t to st!". to )our *!"e safe salar!ed da) 4o% )ou(re do!*g !t a*)'a)# 8ass!o* !s *olo*ger a d!ffere*t!ator !t(s a prere+u!s!te# t(s '$) )ou(re at t$e ra"e %ut !t(s *ot t$e reaso* )ou(ll

'!*#

-. Fake it til you make it

Fa.!*g !t u*t!l )ou &a.e !t !s also .*o'* as l)!*g# L)!*g !s usuall) a* a"t resered for C:s .!ds

a*d so"!opat$s#

e o'e !t to eer)o*e else to %e $o*est to s$are %ot$ su""esses a*d fa!lures# ;t$er'!se !t

starts loo.!*g l!.e %ased o* our t!tles our press releases our 'e%s!tes a*d our %us!*ess "ards

t$at eer)o*e !s su""eed!*g# T$e* !f 'e tr) so&et$!*g a*d !t does*(t 'or. out 'e ta.e !t as a

http://venturevillage.eu/the-secrets-of-my-failurehttp://venturevillage.eu/the-secrets-of-my-failurehttp://venturevillage.eu/the-secrets-of-my-failure


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perso*al fa!lure# e t$!*. 'e(re t$e e,"ept!o* a*d *ot part of a larger rule# T$!s leads people

*ot to tr) or !f t$e) do %ut do*(t su""eed !t se*ds t$ese fou*ders !*to %ur*outs a*d

depress!o*s#

/. “he secret of my success is'

t(s *!"e t$at people ta.e t$e t!&e to s$are t$e se"rets of t$e!r su""ess# /ut t$!s o*l) 'or.s !f

'e(re %e!*g reall) $o*est does*(t !t So '$e* )ou tell &e )our 30 &!*ute &or*!*g &!*dful*ess

&ed!at!o* sess!o* !s t$e se"ret of )our su""ess (& dou%tful# a*t to .*o' t$e se"ret of &)

&eagre su""ess /e!*g %or* !*to t$e l!fe of a &!ddle "lass u*!ers!t) edu"ated '$!te gu) !* t$e

5t$ r!"$est "ou*tr) !* t$e 'orld# Fortu*ate a""!de*ts of %!rt$ l!.e t$at g!e )ou %etter $ead starts

t$a* a*)t$!*g !* La*"e Ar&stro*g(s &ed!"!*e "a%!*et#

2. “3t‘s %& only social'

Douglas Ada&s o*"e sa!d 'e *eed a 'ord for !*tera"t!!t) l!.e 'e *eed a spe"!al 'ord for a

$u&a* '!t$ o*l) o*e $ead#7 t


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T!tles are *!"e a*d fu* a*d get '$) 'e use t$e /ut !*4as guess t$e) d!d .!*d of p!o*eer stealt$ &ode7 %ut %e)o*d t$at !&ag!*e t$e)(re a l!ttle

too %us) %e!*g let$al deadl) assass!*s to pla) 8!*g 8o*g '!t$ )ou !* t$e "$!ll out roo $!"$ !s

a s$a&e %e"ause (& sure t$e)(d %e great at !t '!t$ t$ose refle,es a*d all#

he !usiness )unk

8oss!%l) t$e least appl!"a%le of all# !&ag!*e t'o pu*.s s!tt!*g arou*d a %!* f!re a*d o*e sa)s

'$at(s t$e &ost a*t!-esta%l!s$&e*t t$!*g 'e "ould do7 T$e ot$er pu*. po*ders for a &o&e*t

t$e* repl!es 4o!* t$e esta%l!s$&e*t7 /r!ll!a*t?7

8. “urn your passion into a business'


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f l!.e &e )our pass!o* !s la)!*g arou*d o* t$e "ou"$ !* )our u*der'ear a*d eat!*g "$o"olate

t$e* 'ould*(t assu&e t$ere(s a*)t$!*g prof!ta%le !* t$at# 8ro%le&s are prof!ta%le# 8ass!o*s *ot

so &u"$#

9. “3f :e build it& they :ill come'

T$!s !s true o* seeral leels espe"!all) !f )ou(re %u!ld!*g a %rot$el# ;t$er'!se t$e) 'o*(t#

t 'ould %e great !f t$e 'orld 'as a perfe"tl) "al!%rated &a"$!*e !*to t$e top of '$!"$ 'e poured

tale*t a*d $ard 'or. a*d out dropped t$e &at"$!*g leel of su""ess# /ut !t(s *ot# @ust %e"ause

so&et$!*g !s good or so&eo*e !s tale*ted does*(t auto&at!"all) &ea* !t


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Def!*!tel) a gro'!*g tre*d $ere !* /erl!* "all !t t$e pre&ature p!ot7# t(s '$ere )ou spe*d

e!g$t &o*t$s %u!ld!*g so&et$!*g a*d )ou(e got )our lau*"$ro". page up %ut o*l) *!*e people

s!g* up t$e* )ou lau*"$ e&a!l f!e 4our*al!sts get *o repl) 'r!te to Te"$Cru*"$ get *o repl)

se*d a *e'sletter to )our &u& get *o repl) B!t(s *ot t$at s$e(s *ot !*terested s$e(s 4ust %us)

a*d )ou reall) s$ould "all $er &ore &a.e a Fa"e%oo. fa* page get a fe' do=e* user s!g*ups

'a!t a &o*t$ add so&e *e' features "o*ta"t t$e press aga!* de"!de )ou(e got *o tra"t!o*

p!ot t$e* repeat#

10. “he most important thing is %'

T$!s o*e !s &ore a ge*eral su&&ar) of t$e last *!*e t$a* a p!e"e of %ad ad!"e# At d!ffere*t

&eetups .e)*otes a*d ee*ts )ou(ll &eet &a*) d!ffere*t people tout!*g &a*) d!ffere*t t$!*gs

as t$e &ost !&porta*t# Ru* fro& a*)o*e '$o "la!&s to .*o' a*)t$!*g '!t$ a*) "erta!*t)# e(re

all !e'!*g t$!*gs fro& our o'* pos!t!o*s of %!as a *o*e of us $ae t$e a*s'er#

T$e fu*da&e*tal la' of ad!"e !s as follo's for eer) s!*gle p!e"e of ad!"e t$ere '!ll %e

a*ot$er t$at d!re"tl) "o*trad!"ts !t7#


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* "o*"lus!o* !f t$!s all sou*ds *egat!e !t s$ould*(t# A startup part!"ularl) t$e lea* startup

&et$odolog) !s a rea"t!o* to a&%!gu!t)# T$at(s .!*d of '$at a startup !s r!g$t t(s a e$!"le for

t$e s)ste&at!" test!*g of $u*"$es# ould people %e '!ll!*g to pa) for t$!s Ho' &u"$ oogle

Ads Aff!l!ate progra& A/ test 'e%s!te "op) A*d so o* a*d so o*# T$e %est startups are t$e

&ost a*al)t!"al !* t$e des!g*!*g a*d test!*g of t$e!r $u*"$es#

t(s *ot t$at eer)t$!*g &atters a*d !t(s *ot t$at *ot$!*g &atters !t(s t$at eer)t$!*g &atters u*t!l

)ou .*o' "ategor!"all) t$roug$ test!*g t$at !t does*(t &atter#

10 of the most dangerous pieces of startup advice

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