How Scribd got huge - Ideas matter, but there's a method to coming up with the madness too.
This slide deck explains what it takes to create something that's going to be huge. It's been a great privilege to help give advice to other startups as they're getting off the ground as a part of being a YC alum and a former president of ASES Stanford -- and this time and again is the biggest message that people need to hear.
Your idea should be big. Huge. There are so many people out there doing so many things. Why do something small, or niche? Don't be afraid of going big. If you're good, you'll figure it out.
Your first idea is rarely ever the idea that gets you where you want to go. As Trip says, a successful startup is a series of good ideas executed well, in succession.
Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.— Bruce Lee
2 comments
But I don't really see why there are so many presentations/pdfs/articles out there simply full of obvious statements that are true, common sense, and no one will argue with.
"Getting started: Think of something you need"
Wow, that's brilliant!
I think the point of "Your idea should be big. Huge." is maybe the most important thing in this presentation that isn't always followed by startup founders. I see ideas that are such niche products, and wonder why they think they will even survive
But other than that, this seems like a lot of common sense put in writing.
On the flip side, I think the largest thing *missing* from this presentation that I value so highly is being absolutely 100% passionate about what you work on. I waited 10 years to start a company. (I am counting from when I started at Stanford, as that's when I had the skills and connections to do something, especially since it was the dot com boom).
For 10 years I saw plenty of ideas, companies, tried several things. But I waited for Posterous. I waited for the idea that I wanted so badly that I stayed up through the night many times to build for myself. The idea that I designed and built because all I cared about was solving this problem for myself. Could it get 100 users? 1000? 1 million? I don't know. I was driven just because I was so passionate about the idea for me.
That's why I wonder about companies that go from idea to idea to idea. It's like, the goal is to build a company, instead of to build something you really want. A company that enters YC with no idea, especially, boggles my mind. It took me 10 years to find the right idea to follow. And you are giving these guys 10 weeks to *get the idea and build it*?
You do need an idea that will be huge. And one that will grow fast.
But you also need 100% absolute passion in that idea. Something that you believe in, understand, want for yourself. Something you stay up for at night *because it's missing in your life*.
That's what drives me, and how I define success. How many users I have or how much money we make is less important than building the best product, with the best design, with the best usability, that I want and that my users are thrilled with.
I would take a passionate idea over a high growth idea any day.
But I will say that I'm always a bit suspicious about presentations/books/etc.. that purport to give you the secrets to success. They've always had this late-night-informercial hucksterism to it ... "Act now, and do these 3 things and YES -- YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!"
Yes, your idea needs to be big. But you need to be passionate about it. And yes, you need to ignore the haters. But you also need luck, the right timing, and a million different ingredients in the secret sauce for things to work. Sometimes even the founders themselves don't know what went right or wrong!
Not that I'm in any position to know, having never formed a business of any kind! :) But hey, I get a front-seat ...
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