Sunday, December 14, 2008

Business Stage: KittyHawke

After the Popcorn Business Stage, startups start to get a bit of wind under their wings. They are still not focused, taking whatever opportunities for revenue that they can find. But they are starting to get clusters of customers. Enough customers to have a notion of revenue flow. This is one of the most exciting times in a very early startup. You have a group starting to pay attention to you.

It is also a very dangerous time for a startup. It is easy to be pulled one way or another into projects that generate revenue, but which do not have a long term market for the company. This is the point for clarity. Who exactly are the people who are the best market for your company? Often the early adopters who help you get you to the KittyHawke stage of a little flow are not the ones who will ultimately support the company.

Clarity about the company's market and the direction are often very hard to get at this point in the business. So this is a time of experimentation to try to find pathways to the next flight. If you are successful, you will end up taking several short flights that lead you into the next Business stage.

No comments: