Your startup idea will evolve over time. Your first goal is to develop the core of your idea—the foundation that everything else will grow from. Once that core is solid, it's time to bring it to life.
At this stage, your should spend your time on:
- Working on the product.
- Talking to users.
- Sleeping and eating.
Everything else—conferences, marketing, networking—can come later.
Start Small, Love Big
For your first version, aim for a product that a small group of people loves, rather than one that a large group merely likes. A passionate core audience will make future expansion easier and drive word-of-mouth growth.
Examples of startups that began with small, loyal user bases:
- Dropbox: Started with a private beta. Just a few dozen people—mostly friends and family—tested the product.
- Airbnb: The first users were friends of the founders and attendees of a San Francisco conference, numbering only a few dozen.
- LinkedIn: Launched in 2003 with about 20 users in its first month, most of them friends and colleagues of Reid Hoffman.
- Facebook: Began in 2004 as a platform for Harvard students. Its initial user base was just a few thousand students before expanding to other universities and later the public.
Do Less, but Do It Well
Focus on fewer features, executed with exceptional quality. Users will forgive an incomplete product as long as they see consistent improvements.
You don't need to dominate the entire market from day one. Instead:
- Find a niche with high demand.
- Establish a strong position there.
- Expand strategically over time.
*** If your product isn't seeing strong organic growth, it's a sign that it's not good enough yet. ***
Listen, Improve, Repeat
Even if you're building the product for yourself, listen to external feedback.
- Understand what people value and how you can improve to the point where they're willing to pay for it. You can even ask them directly what they would pay money for.
- Talk about your product: Sharing what you're building helps you find fans who will bring in more users.
- Keep feedback cycles short: In software, you can achieve feedback loops measured in hours, not days or weeks. At first, do not put anyone between you and the users - be the main customer support specialist. Strive to maintain the short feedback cycle even as your company grows.