21 Sentences That Mean Your Startup Is in Trouble

[teachme76]

1. We don't have any competitors.

2. We don't assume anything about our customers.

3. We don't need a roadmap—just sprints are enough.

4. I want to see “hockey stick'' growth.

5. We're lacking visibility.

6. We’re disrupting the industry!

7. That’s the way we’ve always done it.

8. If you build it, they will come.

9. First we sell it, then we build it.

10. The product doesn't need any improvements.

11. We're past the product-market fit stage.

12. Test everything! -or- Let's just A/B test it.

13. We're going to add some features requested by Client X.

14. Your problem is you don't believe in the product. (in response to internal product criticism).

15. Great, we're done. Now, just run it through the approval process.

16. I don't want problems, I want solutions.

17. We’re going to go viral.

18. Please like our Facebook page and tweet/repost our content.

19. We’ll write our own content.

20. This will damage our brand.

21. We don’t get paid to do that./That’s not my job.

Full post with details on each: https://mvpgrow.com/21-sentences-that-mean-your-startup-is-in-trouble/

 

[gitasanjeevani]

@teachme76 19 is a surprise

 

[racarvalho]

@gitasanjeevani Yea, 19 assumes you have funding. Totally ignores folks that are bootstrapping and are pre-revenue.

 

[uriel_1]

@teachme76 Any input on number 8? Before I develop a product, how do I know if people will actually like the product.

 

[harnnarh]

@uriel_1 You can start researching places/groups/communities where people that you think might need your product are spending their time and ask for feedback.

 

[teachme76]

@uriel_1 Make sure you have a target audience interested in the product and market it to them. "If you built it, they will come" only works if you're already a recognized brand.

 

[eddiec593]

@uriel_1 You should be talking to your potential customers about the problems they encounter in the area that you want to build the product in. Then you should be validating if the product that you are envisioning would solve their problem and if they would be willing to buy it (to solve their problem).

By doing so, you should have built a waitlist of customers who are willing to pay once you launch your product.

 

[njm24]

@eddiec593 is building a landing page with few gifs of how the product would potentially look like along with a google form to get user input a good way to build a waitlist ?

 

[harnnarh]

@njm24 I think you would also want to start with a straightforward value prop on that page and then show the main features

 

[njm24]

@harnnarh

Then you should be validating if the product that you are envisioning would solve their problem and if they would be willing to buy it (to solve their problem).

okay but how can i know if the customers would be willing to pay, do i just ask them in the google form ?

 

[samamph]

@teachme76 Generally agree except for number 9. First we sell it, then we build it.

That's literally the best way to grow.