reflection of a failed startup founder (ZT)

Why has it been difficulty in doing startups in past few years in
USA
--- reflection of a failed startup founder

From my own startup experience and observing some of my startup
founder friends' experience, I realize that it has very difficulty
in doing startups in USA in last few years. This also supported by
latest VC report. In last few years, total return for VC industry
was negative.

Why has it been difficulty in doing startups in past few years in
USA, in my opinions:

1. There was no big waves in last few years
We had a few minor waves, such as:
Social network,
Online Advertising,
Virtualization
Mobile applications.

But these small waves are nothing to compare with PC revolution or
Internet revolution.

2. Semiconductor, Telecom and Networking industry become slow
growth industry.

3. Because above 1. and 2, it implies there is not big
opportunities for entrepreneurs. That is also the reason why VCs are
chasing green technologies, because they do not have any other good
things to invest.

4. Since there is no big breakthrough, startup founders all
tried to a niche market. That is absolute nothing wrong with
starting from a niche market, (in fact, it might be the only right
way to start a venture). However, the issue is that, niche stays as
a niche and could not grow to a big market.

5. Because US has a highly efficient market, (not like in
China, there are many gaps to fill), unless there is fundamental
breakthrough, otherwise, it will not have big wave, therefore, no
much opportunities for new ventures.


From Entrepreneur to intrapreneur
(Reflection of a failed startup founder)

After closed my startup, I joined a company as a pay-check employee.
Gaining from my entrepreneurship experience, in fact, I enjoyed my
employee life better. What I have learnt from my startup experience
is that: It is all about marketing and sales. And marketing and
sales are all about connections.

These days, even though I worked as an engineer in the company, I
treated everything I do as a marketing and sales job. Everyday I
asked myself the following questions:

1. Am I better known in my company and in industry today comparing
to yesterday ?

2. Treat my engineering job as a marketing and sales job. I need to
sell myself to my manager, managers of managers, corporation
executives and outside customers.

3. Did I do more networking today ? Did I know more potential
customers ? At the end of the day, selling is about "relations".

4. My current plan is that if I do my intrepreneurship well, next
time when I do a startup, even though I might start from a clean
slate. In fact, it is not, it still can be considered as a "spin-
off", because I will have existing customer relations.

Learn from a good model and do what you enjoy
Reflection of a failed startup founder III

--- Learn from a good model ----
In doing a startup in any field, try to see if you can find a good
successful model in this field, then to see if his profile match
yours. If his profile does not match yours, it means that is not a
field for you.

Example:
1. Social network websites: Successful startup founders are typical
early twenty college dropout. If you are not in this categories,
maybe this field maybe not for you.

2. If you are trying to do a B2B website, think about Ma Yun. He is
a guy who failed college entrance examination three times, had you
failed college entrance examination three times ? If not, maybe B2B
is not for you.

3. If you are already not 20s or 30s, but in your 40s, then you
shall look the startups which are founded by people in their 40s.
These website ideas around ¡°coolness¡± are not for you, leave them to
youngsters.

4. If you are really good at math, maybe you shall look at Jim
Simons.

--- Do what you really enjoy ---
As Robin Li put as:

Do something you are good at and you really enjoy, then money and
fame will follow. (At least, you will enjoy them during the process).