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<h1>NOT YOUR BABY</h1>

After running the startup circuit for 4 years I wanted to extract my learnings and pitfalls.

One of the most common and dead wrong statements I have heard in this time is:My start-up/ product/ app/ big-shit thing is my baby

A start-up is NOT a babyit’s not even close, the thing with babies is that they are there to stay, you take care, you do everything in your will and power to have and make them succeed…. You think that is the same as with your start-up..?

If you do you are bound to hit disaster

Start-up state of mind in everything, Do Not Get It Wrong

Why isn’t my start-up my baby

The truth about startup’s is that the majority fail.

Failing is good, but you need to fail fast

start-up = not baby

93% of products/start-ups fail miserably

First timer: 96% failIdea + ambition + in love + amped + attitude

Serial: 87% failFailed + Idea(s) + Ambition + Balls

Seasoned: 80% failFailed + Idea(s) + Ambition + Balls + IPO + Sold previously

Y combinator: 37 of the 511 companies that have gone through the Y Combinator program over the past 5 years

have either sold for, or are now worth, more than $40 million.

On its face, the "37 companies" number seems relatively impressive.

In fact, however, the number tells a scary and depressing story.

This number suggests that a startling 93% of the companies that get accepted by Y Combinator eventually fail.

A sale between $5 million and $40 million could be considered a success. For companies that are hand-picked

by very smart investors, the 93%-below-$40 million rate is still surprisingly low.

A company accepted by Y Combinator, therefore, has less than a 1-in-10 chance of being a big success.

Chance by entrepreneurial type

not love it’s metricsYou run with this mind boggling idea that will change the world, you go balls-out and pursue that dream. Rockstar! Keep in mind that failing fast will contribute to your personal success

A Start-up is a metric thing, it’s nothing short of a mathematical formula.

It’s not how much you love your baby, it’s not

how beautiful you think it is, it’s pure numbers

STOP and walk awayDon’t get me wrong, perseverance is very important, I want to point out that you should know when to stop and need to recognize when the metrics tell you to stop.

Other than a baby that you cannot quit, your idea/ start-up is a money burning time consuming endeavour. Drive on love, hope, desire, aka emotions Follow metrics. Know that starting up a business is not like having a baby.

Be prepared to quit an idea. Fail fast → Failure will make you stronger.

Matthijs Draijer November 2014. It’s not a baby

Biz Stone_Co-Founder of Twitter

“It takes 10 years to become an overnight success”

Raimo van der Klein_Co-Founder of Layar

“There is a distinct difference between succeeding and success”

Richard Branson_Founder of Virgin

“Learn from failure, if you are an entrepreneur and your first business was not a success, Welcome to the club”