Do Things That Don't Scale
Let's get you funded
Launching Your Startup: The Unscalable Path to Success
Many founders believe that startups either take off or they don't. The common idea is that you build something, make it available, and if it's good enough, people will automatically start using it. If that doesn't happen, the thinking goes, the market must not exist. However, the reality is that startups take off because the founders make them take off. It usually takes some sort of push to get things going. Think of the hand crank on an old car engine; it took some effort to get the engine running, but once it was going, it kept going.
At CoFoundr, we understand the challenges of launching a startup, and we're here to provide the resources and support you need to succeed. We're building the analytical layer for private markets, a seamless platform connecting investors with high-potential startups, while also equipping founders to meet investors effectively.
Manual User Acquisition: Doing Things That Don't Scale
One of the most common pieces of advice we give at CoFoundr is to do things that don’t scale. You can’t wait for users to come to you; you have to go out and get them. Almost all startups need to do this, and it's often the most difficult part.
Recruit Manually: Don't expect users to flock to your product automatically. You have to actively recruit them.
The "Collison Installation": Be proactive when someone agrees to try your product. Don't just send them a link; help them get set up right away. The founders of Stripe were famous for this aggressive early user acquisition, we call this approach the "Collison Installation".
Overcoming Resistance: Founders often resist manual recruitment due to shyness or laziness, preferring to code rather than talk to strangers. However, at least one founder (usually the CEO) will have to spend a lot of time on sales and marketing.
The Power of Compound Growth: Don't be discouraged by small initial numbers. Focus on weekly growth rate. If you have 100 users and get 10 more next week, that's 10% growth. If you keep growing at 10% a week, the numbers will increase rapidly over time.
CoFoundr Helps Startups With:
Investor Readiness: We work closely with startups to understand and meet investor expectations.
Product-Market Fit: We provide market insights and hands-on support to guide startups towards achieving product-market fit.
Strategic Guidance: We help founders present metrics that matter to investors.
Support: We assist startups with legal, financial, technical, marketing and branding strategies.
The Initial Fragility of Startups
Startups are initially fragile. Early actions can make the difference between success and failure. Many people, including inexperienced founders, investors and reporters, judge startups by the standards of established companies. It's like judging a new born baby and concluding it won't accomplish anything. Don't dismiss your own startup. Focus instead on how big the company could get if the founders do the right things.
Finding Your Initial Users
If you build something to solve your own problems, finding your peers is straightforward. Otherwise, you'll need to make a deliberate effort to locate your users. Launch in a comparatively untargeted way, and then observe which users are the most enthusiastic. Seek out more users like them.
Delight Your Users
Take extraordinary measures not just to acquire users, but to make them happy. Your first users should feel that signing up with you was one of the best choices they ever made. Think of new ways to delight them.
Insanely Great Experience: The early experience of being your user should be insanely great. Focus on attentiveness, especially with an early or buggy product.
The Feedback Loop: Engaging directly with early users will give you the best feedback.
Focus on a Narrow Market
Sometimes the right strategy is to focus on a deliberately narrow market. This helps you get a critical mass of users quickly. This can be a subset of the broader market.
The Contained Fire: Think of keeping a fire contained at first to get it really hot before adding more fuel.
Start With Your Peers: If you are solving your own problems, start with your peers and friends. This is often a perfect initial market.
Target Early Adopters: Startups are often the best early adopters. They're more open to new things and grow fast when they succeed.
Other Unscalable Tactics:
"Pulling a Meraki": For hardware startups, consider assembling your own products initially. This allows for faster design tweaks and invaluable learning experiences.
Consulting: Pick a single user and act like a consultant, building something just for them. This can provide valuable insights.
Be Your Own Software: Use your software yourselves on behalf of your users, this provides immediate feedback on what to improve.
Manual Solutions: Do things manually that you plan to automate later. This lets you launch faster and teaches you exactly what to build.
What to Avoid
The Big Launch: Avoid simultaneous launches in multiple publications. All you need from a launch is an initial core of users.
Partnerships: Don't expect partnerships to be your big break. They are often more work than expected.
Thinking of Startups as Vectors
Think of your startup idea as a pair: what you're going to build, plus the unscalable things you're going to do initially to get the company going. Both of these components contribute to your company’s DNA.
By doing unscalable things initially, you'll change your company permanently for the better. If you must be aggressive with user acquisition when small, you will be aggressive when big, and if you have to work hard to delight your first few users, you'll keep doing it even when you have many.
CoFoundr: The Missing Piece
CoFoundr is not just another startup platform – it’s the missing piece that connects innovation to capital with clarity, efficiency, and actionable intelligence. We identify and curate hidden start-up talent and present it to investors. We provide a clear, structured deal flow with the metrics investors care about most, filtered and coached startups, and prioritise real insights over flashy presentations.
CoFoundr provides investors with:
Curated Startup Deal Flow: Access to high-potential startups that have been pre-vetted.
Actionable Insights: Detailed metrics, founder profiles, and progress updates to facilitate informed decision-making.
Streamlined Discovery: Only companies that meet investor standards and market relevance are presented.
Elite Network Access: Tap into talent from India's premier institutes and entrepreneurial hubs.
Credibility: CoFoundr is a hallmark of credibility in private markets, backed by a robust network of IIT alumni.
Remember, the journey of a startup is not a smooth upward curve. It’s a series of small, deliberate steps that gradually build to something extraordinary. At CoFoundr, we're here to help you navigate that journey. Let's connect!