In theory, every company is started with a product, an audience and preferred outcome in mind, but a growing number of startup founders are unable to answer a very simple question – “who is this for?”
Author and media strategist Ryan Holiday believes a startup cannot be successful without filling in this very basic sentence: “This is a _ that does_ for _.” In fact, many experts say “having no specific user in mind” is one of the major mistakes that kills startups.
Holiday explains that no company has a product or service that appeals to ‘everyone’; founders need to have a specific audience in mind before any planning starts. The company’s goals, potential products, fit within the market, strategy all should be based on that specific audience.
Learn about targeting the right audience, and more in this edition of Founders Flash.
- The questions almost no startup founders ask (Tech Crunch)
- Google spent 2 years studying 180 teams. The most successful ones shared these 5 traits (Inc.)
- Silicon Valley giants confront new walls in China (New York Times)
- My 400-person company has a great work culture, and we all work remotely (Fast Company)
- Venture capitalists are going barking mad for pet startups (Fortune)