The results are out! 🤯

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Oct 29 Nov 12

Nov 5 2020

The results are out! 🤯

#136:

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You probably expected US election-related content when you read the subject line.

I know, I know, this election feels nothing short of an IPL game. The race to the White House is filled with speculation, drama, nail-biting tension, and definitely popcorn-worthy for people all over the globe, glued to their screens and watching each vote getting counted.

But on an equally exciting note (atleast I think so!), I've got the results out for our Product vs Distribution election (poll).

This poll wasn't as nerve-wracking as the US election but it did end up resembling the US voter map after a while:

I guess the Blue won here, but let's see what happens in the United States...

Btw, to keep you updated (not on the election though) we've started a WhatsApp Group where we share weekly updates regarding the startup ecosystem, including product/growth snippets, interesting opportunities, private beta links, and occasional invite-only get-togethers.

Feel free to join and perhaps I'll see you on the otherside :)

ज्ञान

⛹🏾‍♂️ Be Like Mike: What Founders Can Learn from The Last Dance

ESPN’s new series The Last Dance is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at Michael Jordan’s sixth and final championship run in 1998. Through flashbacks it also tells the story of Jordan’s career and the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty that dominated the NBA in the 1990s. It is full of lessons not just for basketball fans but for anyone who wants to build something great. Here are the lessons that should resonate with founders.

🤔 Why You Should Do Things You Can Sustain

In 1996, Southwest Airlines was faced with an interesting problem.

During the previous decade, the airline company had methodically expanded from being a small regional carrier to one with a more national presence. And now, more than 100 cities were calling for Southwest to expand service to their location. At a time when many airline companies were losing money or going bankrupt, Southwest was overflowing with opportunity.

So what did they do?

Southwest turned down over 95% of the offers and began serving just 4 new locations in 1996. They left significant growth on the table.

👨‍💻 How to Operate a SaaS Startup

Let’s face it: most startups are a shitshow. Perhaps the most pervasive problem afflicting venture-backed startups, once they achieve a basic level of product-market fit, is managing the organizational chaos that results from rapid growth. Almost by definition, this is a chronic challenge of Series A-C stage startups since the rapid expansion of the team to chase a new market opportunity is the purpose of that venture funding in the first place. During this time, the growing pains of the startup will reach such a crescendo that the founders and board will cry out as one, “we need a COO!”

🦸‍♂️ The Product Frameworks Behind Superhuman

While most companies are focused on building a beautiful machine — a 100% tech-driven, algorithmic, human-free experience — by contrast and even by name Superhuman is oriented in the opposite direction. The email company is known for its personable, high-touch onboarding, requiring significant human interaction. When others talk about automation and breakneck scale, Superhuman talks about spending time with customers and launching small. It’s a counterintuitive approach to building product. My experience at Trulia was similar. While our initial vision was full automation, when we combined great software with human touch, our conversions skyrocketed.

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