Editor’s note: Veteran entrepreneur and frequent blogger Joe Procopio offers the third of five installments in his “Five stages of startup.” Level 3 is “The Journey.” (Parts one and two are linked with this post.)
DURHAM, N.C. – The five stages of startup I’m discussing are not THE five stages of startup. They’re just landmarks, broken down and generalized into something that we can all hopefully use as a guide, not gospel.
So far in this series, I’ve covered the first two of five stages that make up a generalized startup timeline, beginning with Level 1: The Jump. This is the period of time before the thing is actually a thing — when it’s just a great idea that will become a great product. After that, the startup moves to Level 2: Start, when the company is formed, it figures out how to operate, and launches that great product.
Now we embark.
The Journey begins when the startup looks, acts, and feels like a real company. There is a product or service out there on the market, and customers are now the most important factor in determining success.
The Journey is the best part of startup. It’s the early days when there are few rules and everything feels new and fresh and within your control. The Journey can last a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. Enjoy it. It’s why you did this.
But the journey can’t last forever, and you can’t coast through this level. You’re building on what you’ve accomplished and driving forward at top speed, trying to perfect the product, sell the product, grow the company, and scale the operation.
Here’s what you’ll need to do that.
Read the full post at:
http://teachingstartup.com/five-stages-of-startup-level-3-the-journey.asp
