By Alexandra Reid
As a regular feature, we provide our readers with a roundup of some of the best articles we have read in the past week. On the podium this week are Gabriel Weinberg, Mark Evans, David Crow, Amber Naslund, and James Carson.
Leaky bucket vs power law problems
Gabriel Weinberg offers a great analogy for the kinds of problems startups can face. Is your startup addressing a leaky bucket or a power law problem?
Marketing can’t be seen as a necessary evil
Many startups are so focused on product development and sales that marketing seems to take a back seat — if it’s being considered at all. In some respects, this is understandable, particularly for early-stage startups because the priority is getting a product launched so sales can happen while marketing is seen as an expense. However, as Mark explains, it is mistake to view marketing as a secondary consideration or something that can be embraced down the road when there’s more traction.
Brokers, smokers and midnight tokers
David Crow makes the case for startups to avoid funding brokers, arguing that early-stage companies that have hired a broker must be broken. In other words, there must be something fundamentally wrong with the team, the market, the advisors, etc. if they are having difficulty raising an early round.
How do you afford to start a business?
So many people don’t pursue their ideas, their passion projects or their desire to change careers because of the vicious “I can’t because” cycle. Amber explains why this is the death knell for many a dream, business, and career change and provides the Brass Tacks about how you can afford – financially and otherwise – to do something like this. She does not promise easy; she promises real, but also possible.
Five ways to avoid social media fragmentation
James explains that the most common problem he has come across in social media is what he calls fragmentation. It’s the attempt by marketers to use as many platforms as possible in an effort to reach a potential audience. What generally occurs is a fragmentation of attention and resources away from what suits the company best – and whatever “strategy” was in place consequently falls flat because it lacks focus. In this post, he provides a five-step guide to approaching a multi-platform social media strategy.
