So you want to launch a business...

Are you headed for burnout?

"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."

     - Kurt Vonnegut

A startup business is a great place to get worn out.  If you find yourself in that sad state, here's some great advice from Tara Rodden Robinson.  It appears she was running low on MOXIE, but caught herself in time.

Looking back, there were warning signs.

* Going through the motions.

* Heard it all before.

* Stale. All my ideas were past their expiration dates.

* Attention span on empty.

Don’t let this happen to you. If you see these signs, then stop, drop, and roll.

Stop: running around only fans the flames that are burning you out.

Drop: out of sight, out of mind, out of your routine, out of your daily normal.

Roll: in the grass, in the sunshine, in the ease of an unplanned, spontaneous day.

Thanks, Tara!  Every so often we all need permission to crash productively.

Your startup is doomed, unless...

RULE:  At its heart, what you are doing must genuinely matter to your customers, and it must set you apart from your competitors.

Follow the rule or your startup is doomed.

The vast majority of successful businesses do not appear on the evening news or on the front page of TechCrunch.  They quietly go about the commonplace tasks common to all enterprises.  They present themselves to potential customers in some niche market, work to close sales, and attempt to deliver enough value to assure a long-term relationship. 

Only very occasionally do we see a remarkable breakthrough or fad that sweeps a company to riches.  Think Facebook, Twitter, and (perhaps) Foursquare.  If that happened all the time, it wouldn't be news.

By the way, just in case you haven't heard, the users of Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare are not really customers.  Their actual customers are the ones buying information about those poor addicted users or paying for advertising space.  The users are just raw material in a big information factory.

So, how can you make sure your start-up is both relevant and unique?  Ask yourself these four simple questions.  And make sure you have good answers.

• What significant underlying marketplace group/trend/opportunity will carry your new business to success in spite of itself?  

• What compelling end-user need does your business address?  

• What makes your product/service special?  

• What differentiates you from competitors and substitutes?

Here are some reference readings to help you improve your chances.  See Riding the Wave. Also Two Important Questions.  Plus Common Wisdom.  And Simple is Good.

Now, we all know that the success of a startup business isn't as simple as following only one rule.  Entrepreneurs have to master a pretty long list of skills to do really well.  But some rules apply with more force than others, particularly at the beginning.  It's almost impossible to recover from a deeply flawed start.

So, remember, observe the simple RULE, or face certain doom. 

You can't say I didn't warn you.

Story tellers rule!

"If you want people to remember you, tell them a story."

                                                     - Mark Schenk, professional story teller

 

Why is this true? 

By what mechanism does a story make me unforgettable?  Simple.  It engages with more of the brain than does straightforward logic.  And the richer the story, the more unforgettable it is.

Most of us know that the left cerebral cortex is our main logic engine; and our emotional, creative work is mostly done on the right side.  Other specific brain parts manage sight, smells, physical sensations, etc.  So, it's totally logical that creation of a sensory rich, emotional experience through story-telling would imprint more completely and permanently in the brains of the readers, or listeners - even if it's an unpleasant imprint.

My old Greek friend, Aesop, had the option of simply preaching "the moral of the story."  Instead, he told clever, short tales about "The Fox and the Grapes" and "The Grasshopper and the Ant."  Of course, the one everybody knows is "The Tortoise and the Hare."  That particular story has even kept its characters' names alive as useful words.  I doubt that it will ever become "The Turtle and the Rabbit."

Tell me a story about some fantastic business payoff that arose from buying your product, and I will understand immediately. What's better - I will associate that success with you.  Hand me a list of features, and I will quickly compare it to your competitor's list.  Why invite comparison?

The best stories of all?  Personal testimonial tales from happy customers.  Not fluffy attaboys. 

Real-life stories.