But just like how money can't buy you happiness, it also can't buy you PM fit.
Saturday thoughts on funding: Where it helps. Where it doesn't. And how it affects team, success, and PM fit.
This is just my $0.02 after looking reviewing 30k+ early stage startups personally and having led 350+ investments across 2 VC firms & as an angel.
Let's begin! >>
But just like how money can't buy you happiness, it also can't buy you PM fit.
But for software startups, it's unclear if ppl want your product at your price pt.
But having sales does not mean that you have a repeatable customer acquisition process that can be sustainable
Frankly speaking, finding PM fit is a LOT of luck. This explains why a lot of serial entrepreneurs who were successful on 1 venture have a hard time repeating that.
It's not a lack of capabilities.
This is why SV VCs will often back "failed founders" again, because that failure isn't (always) an indicator of the founder -- there's also that big LUCK component of finding (or not finding) PM fit.
I mentioned 1 way -- experience in seeing and doing a lot. (and learning)
Another way: focusing on only things that matter (mostly derisking sales) & ignoring all else to utilize time and resources efficiently and quickly
But doing just 1 talk feels like nothing but it adds up.
Now where does money come into this?
And that affects runway. Runway affects # of PM fit experiments.
Then, by extension of their runway, they find strong PM fit and the rest is history.
However, I'm very aware that MOST founders don't get 2nd or 3rd chances like this.
Should ppl get more shots on goal? That's a philosophical q above my paygrade. But the way we operate @HustleFundVC is that we just assume that each of our cos will only get 1 shot on goal.
3 addl rounds -> your ROI is cut in half & that may not even return the fund even if the co "wins".
The flip side is if you don't have PM fit, having more ppl on the team makes getting to PM fit HARDER not easier in many cases.
More from Elizabeth Yin
Today's thread is on the affiliate business model. Many years ago, I used to be an affiliate marketer. If there is any way to get schooled in marketing, becoming an affiliate marketer is probably the best way.
What is affiliate marketing and why should you care?
Read on >>
1) Affiliate marketing is selling products or generating leads on behalf of other companies and getting paid a commission for those products.
2) Some notable examples you've seen before:
NerdWallet - you read their articles on best credit cards. You click on a link to one of those cards. You fill out an application. They get paid for delivering that lead to the cc company.
3) In https://t.co/kSfWS69ybp - same thing. Any of their financial products -- you fill out an application, and https://t.co/mCrBT43mOj gets paid for that.
But the affiliate revenue model applies beyond financial services products.
4) Wirecutter -- you see a neat product they review or talk about. You click through and buy.
Wirecutter gets a cut of that transaction.
What is affiliate marketing and why should you care?
Read on >>
1) Affiliate marketing is selling products or generating leads on behalf of other companies and getting paid a commission for those products.
2) Some notable examples you've seen before:
NerdWallet - you read their articles on best credit cards. You click on a link to one of those cards. You fill out an application. They get paid for delivering that lead to the cc company.
3) In https://t.co/kSfWS69ybp - same thing. Any of their financial products -- you fill out an application, and https://t.co/mCrBT43mOj gets paid for that.
But the affiliate revenue model applies beyond financial services products.
4) Wirecutter -- you see a neat product they review or talk about. You click through and buy.
Wirecutter gets a cut of that transaction.
More from Startups
Below are the top 10 RT'd tweets from the latest 1000 tweets made by @Hustle_Smarterr.
THREAD:
https://t.co/8EmLYHHbLo
https://t.co/aMyO7K3IbM
https://t.co/xv7QK5mdvD
https://t.co/Ww2s97Kw5x
THREAD:
https://t.co/8EmLYHHbLo
9-5s aren\u2019t the problem
— Hustle Smarter \U0001f4b8 (@Hustle_Smarterr) September 26, 2020
Letting them be your only income stream is
https://t.co/aMyO7K3IbM
The biggest asset you\u2019ll ever have is yourself
— Hustle Smarter \U0001f4b8 (@Hustle_Smarterr) September 26, 2020
Invest in it wisely
https://t.co/xv7QK5mdvD
18-25?
— Hustle Smarter \U0001f4b8 (@Hustle_Smarterr) September 27, 2020
Now is the time to take risks and improve
Don\u2019t waste this time
https://t.co/Ww2s97Kw5x
What would you say to someone who feels \u201clost\u201d?
— Hustle Smarter \U0001f4b8 (@Hustle_Smarterr) October 7, 2020
You May Also Like
My top 10 tweets of the year
A thread 👇
https://t.co/xj4js6shhy
https://t.co/b81zoW6u1d
https://t.co/1147it02zs
https://t.co/A7XCU5fC2m
A thread 👇
https://t.co/xj4js6shhy
Entrepreneur\u2019s mind.
— James Clear (@JamesClear) August 22, 2020
Athlete\u2019s body.
Artist\u2019s soul.
https://t.co/b81zoW6u1d
When you choose who to follow on Twitter, you are choosing your future thoughts.
— James Clear (@JamesClear) October 3, 2020
https://t.co/1147it02zs
Working on a problem reduces the fear of it.
— James Clear (@JamesClear) August 30, 2020
It\u2019s hard to fear a problem when you are making progress on it\u2014even if progress is imperfect and slow.
Action relieves anxiety.
https://t.co/A7XCU5fC2m
We often avoid taking action because we think "I need to learn more," but the best way to learn is often by taking action.
— James Clear (@JamesClear) September 23, 2020