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Filed under: muscoloskeletal pain

Top 5 Startup Goof-ups

TOP 5 STARTUP GOOFS 1) NOT Knowing Everything is Learned Everything is learned, but it's so easy to assume I know the answer. Automatically I think My Answer is the right answer. It's almost like a reflex. However, I can't know the answer until I test my product. I only think I know the answer. I ONLY think I know the answer. If I went with my answer, I'd only be left with myself as the customer. I have to listen to everyone else too...no matter how hard that is. 2) NOT Filtering the Comments Okay, this is the flip of above. It's hard to listen to everyone, but it's also hard to filter everyone else. BUT, it's necessary. It's impossible to listen to everyone and actually have a product. The important thing is to filter out the irrelevant information and stay true to the vision, the core product. And then, change only what really helps that core product. 3) NOT Focusing on Tasks It's kind of inevitable to be multitasking. The focus is on research, development, marketing, fundraising, customer acquisition, etc. However, it's too hard to focus on everything at one time. Is best to cycle through the tasks. However, remember, what works for one startup doesn't work for another. I haven't worked out my cycle yet, but I've noticed that as soon as I get to marketing, I get overwhelmed, so maybe that's where I need to outsource. The other skill sets I can acquire with no problems. I actually learned to program...or used software that helped me build a site until I needed to learn HTML. I also used offsite customers to test my sites...and I'm still testing. I haven't reached the fundraising stage yet, but when I do, I hope to use my network. The point is, it's easier to focus on one task at a time. It's easy to get overwhelmed by focusing on too much. I have a tendency to want to focus on everything. At times it works, but as a long term strategy, it's better for me to focus on just one area, like development, at a time. 4) NOT Doing Customer Acquisition First Out of the task areas listed in number 3, I would recommend focusing on customer acquisition first. Two years ago, I did development first and that was a disaster. I ended up spending two months going round in circles defining and redefining the product. In the end, the basic product did not resonate with customers and died, so the two months of development was a waste of time...and two months, I've been told, is nothing compared with the years that most people take to develop a product. This time around, I started with customers. Having 20 customers first with an offline survey resulted in a changing product. After I defined the product, I migrated to an online product with the offline audience. Now I'm ready to expand my audience online through a marketing strategy...wish me luck! My product is www.storyez.com which helps anyone who is having a rough day. Try it out and let me know what you think. It's free for now! 5) NOT Giving Up Right at the last stages, my confidence starts to diminish. It's inevitable. That's when the product has to be released to others and can be knocked down in a heartbeat. I've been in this position several times. I've had products that I've given up on because my confidence was not up to the test of meeting with friends, colleagues, investors...let alone the rest of the world. However, that's exactly where I need to be. It's time to be scared. The world is frightening. It's going to knock me down a few times. AND I'm just going to pick myself up. I just need to know that I can do it. I can face the world because I have a product that I can be proud of. I have answers for everyone. I can face any questions that come my way. I have the support of friends and family. I have everything I need to get me through the trials and tribulations that I will face. The future is scary, but there is the possibility that things will be better from moving forward. It's the American Way! If I can do it, so can you! Join Shimanti for more postings about Life Lessons at this blog top-5-life-skills.posterous.com Visit www.storyez.com .... Capture a good mood! Visit www.theshimba.com...Reduce muscoloskeletal pain!

Top 5 Tips on Starting a Company

1) Start selling immediately

I started selling with my prototype.  I went to my chiropractors, to the tire shop, and to the airport with my pillow. Within a couple of hours, I had my first 4 sales...and I dropped off my prototype to the chiropractor because he needed the pillow the most.

I learned that I did not need to have a supply of pillows to sell my stylish, back pillow.  In fact, I didn't need anything.  I just needed to talk to the people around me.  They wanted to buy my prototype...which I wasn't willing to do, except for the chiropractor.

 

2) Don't wait to produce the ideal website

It's taken me a few days to put up my website because I was waiting to have all the right pieces together.  In the end, I just published my first edition.

In retrospect, I missed out on some sales by waiting.  Even if I had used Weebly or Wordpress to build my site, I would have had a decent online store.  Instead I waited, and just missed out on my audience of people with some aches and pains.

 

3) Be proactive in finding leads

I thought that my audience was only back pain sufferers like me.  However, while I was waiting at the airport, I met a pilot on a break.  He tried to buy my pillow off of me!

I never thought that I would have to fend off people, but the pilot almost sold me on my pillow.  He tried it and wanted one for himself.  He noted that it could easily fit through the seats and would be comfortable upright or sideways.  He even told me that people brought all kinds of huge pillows onto the plane.

I was wrong...my audience was right in front of me, and I didn't know.

 

4) Take advice with a grain of salt

I asked advice from people who were not my primary audience.  They were kind and sweet, but the fixes that I'd have to make to get them the pillow they wanted were over my head.  

I adore advice, but at the end of the day, my own vision was good enough. I didn't have to listen to advice.  (Don't get me wrong here...I think the advice will be helpful for version 2.0...which is already in development, but version 1.0 was great as it was.)  The more important thing was just to try to get to my primary back suffering audience. They needed some relief from pain, just like me.

 

5) Listen to my gut

I revisited and revisited my strategies and my pillow.  I still think there's an awful lot of adapting that can be done.  However, I love my pillow.  I take it to the gym and do exercises with it.  I do yoga with my pillow.  I lie on the couch with my pillow.  I bring it along to the car for any short or long trips. I take it to my computer classes and can finally sit for hours.  I take it everywhere with me.

I challenged my gut so many times, but at the end of the day, my pillow is perfect.  It's made for me...and I'm the primary audience.  I need this product to make my life better.  Without it, I'd still have muscoloskeletal pains.  It serves the purpose of fitting my life.  It works. 

After endless rounds of physical therapy, accupuncture and visiting doctors, chiropractors, and therapists, it's nice to go back to basics and find relief.

 

Visit www.theshimba.com for my magic pillow!

You can find more lessons from life from me, Shimanti, in future blogs or reach out to me at shimanti@theshimba.com