Startup Musing – Getting $#!t Done on a Shoestring
There is always more work to do in a startup than there are people in the company or hours in the day to do it. Everyone has heard horror stories about endless twelve hour days, all nighters and death marches. Some startups fail not because the idea is bad, but because they just can’t seem to focus effectively on turning the idea into a profitable business. This is the second post in a series entitled Startup Musings that discusses managerial challenges unique to the startup executive. This post covers a few handy tips on how to make the most of the few resources you’ve got.
Choose What NOT To Do
When you’re small, and looking to get noticed in a much larger crowd, it is far better to do one thing exceptionally well, than to do a lot of things mediocrely. In a startup, this simple rule of thumb applies to the highest level of strategy all the way down to the lowest level of day-to-day activities. In a word, FOCUS! Given that there is always more to do than you possibly can, the most important organizational skill of the startup executive is the ability to look an idea square in the eye and say, “We don’t need to do that, because it won’t impact revenue, save money, or make us more competitive.” You’ll be surprised how quickly this little acid test will shorten your to-do list.
Sounds Like a Volunteer!
Getting focused is hard, but staying focused throughout the organization is even more difficult. Bringing a good idea to fruition is something like 5% strategy and 95% execution. Read more »
The goal of this blog is to share knowledge and opinions that will help executives at Internet software companies that create and deliver B2B, B2C and B2B2C software-as-a-service ( SaaS ) applications critically analyze real-world, go-to-market strategies and tactics by applying sound business principles

