Startups are unique in that they must grow under extreme uncertainty. Whether you are in a startup, a big brand or a small business, thinking like a startup can help you optimize and grow your ideas.
2. On Thinking Different
“
Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact...
Everything around you that you call life
Was made by people that were no smarter than you...
And you can change it,
You can influence it,
You can build your own things that other people can use.
Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”
Source: Steve Jobs
ESTEBAN CONTRERAS - SOCIALNERDIA
4. Startups = Extreme Uncertainty
1) To build something great, you gotta START somewhere
Former
Dating Site
Former
Location App
ESTEBAN CONTRERAS - SOCIALNERDIA
5. Startups = Extreme Uncertainty
1) To build something great, you gotta START somewhere
Former
Dating Site
2) Then, you must
Former
Location App
GROW
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6. Growth Makes People Think of Marketing
•
Big-Budget Kind
•
Spammy Kind
Expensive
Annoying
( Unfortunately, Startups can’t afford either)
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7. Consumer Behavior Has Changed
•
The Old Buying Process
See
Ad
Visit
Store
Ask
Rep
Pay
$$$
Call
Support
Linear
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8. Consumer Behavior Has Changed
•
•
The Old Buying Process
The New Buying Process
Tweet
See
Ad
Visit
Store
Ask
Rep
Pay
$$$
Call
Support
Follow
Store
Search
Special
Read
Blog
Linear
Friend
Link
Vine
Video
Push
Notif.
Pay
$$$
Read
Mag
Gift
Card
CheckIn
Targete
d
TXT
???
FAQ
Email
Ordrb
Refund
Pay
$$$
Loyalty
Card
Live
Chat
Browse
Pin
Info
Graphic
Mobile
app
Webina
r
Fb
Sweeps
Visit
Store
Watch
Video
Call
Support
Ask
Friend
Yelp
Review
eBook
Spam
Native
Ad
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9. Think Like a Startup
Tests to Optimize
5
& Grow Your Ideas
!
11. About Me
•
Director of Strategy @ Sprinklr
•
Founder @ Social Nerdia Consulting
•
Former Social Media Manager @ Samsung USA
•
Experience helping Fortune 100 companies
•
Advisor to early stage tech startups
•
Started career in Marketing + IT at 13 years old @ Torreblanca Corp
•
Originally from Guatemala - Lived in U.S. for 10 years - Now in Vancouver, BC
13. Does anyone want what you’re offering?
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14. What We Think We Should Be
•
Visionary Leaders
•
Super Teams
•
Cool Ideas
•
Incredible Resumes
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15. What We Think We Need To Have
•
Hype + Money + Other “If Only” Wish Lists
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16. What We Actually Need
1. Is there *really* a problem?
!
2. If there was a *good* solution, would people use / pay for it?
!
3. Can you *actually* build the solution?
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17. Disruptive Solutions > Disruptive Ideas
•
Fill a Gap
Expensive
and Packed
Hotels
•
Fix a Broken Service
Ineffective
and Boring
Taxis
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18. Takeaway
If you are building something people don’t want or need,
there’s no point in adding enhancements.
!
Optimizing the wrong thing is futile.
!
You don’t want to be a solution searching for a problem.
"Make something people want.”
- Paul Graham
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20. Have you done your homework?
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21. Get Real
•
Proof people want what you offer
•
Own Your Challenges
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22. Validate Your Beliefs
•
Know and Talk To Users / Customers
•
Make Data-Informed Decisions
!
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23. Measure Progress, Not Tasks
•
Have Clear Objectives & Key Results
Sellers
Marketplaces
(Example)
MAUs
MRR
# of Merchants Signed Up / City / Month
# Monthly Active Users / City / Month
$ Recurring Revenue / City / Month
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24. Prove Your Hypothesis Quickly OR Pivot
“Zoom
In”
!
Pivot
“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries
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25. Takeaway
Believe in yourself and what you are building, but test your faith to
ensure you’re not kidding yourself.
!
Measure progress and results, not just tasks.
!
Make it a practice to be informed.
"
!
!
“If we’re not moving the drivers of our business
model, we’re not making progress.”
- Eric Ries
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30. Keep Your Eye on the End Goal
Connect
Potential Couples
( End Goal for Dating Sites )
( Dating Sites )
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31. Move Strategically
•
Focus On Initial Target, Then Expand
•
Leverage Smart “Growth Hacking” Tactics
“PS: I love you. Get your
free e-mail at Hotmail”
Ivy League
San Francisco
•
Don’t Rely on Unsustainable “Viral” Systems
NYC Dentists
NOT “The Instagram of Video”
Fortune 100
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32. Takeaway
To build something meaningful, it has to be sustainable in the
long-term.
!
Pace yourself because you’re running a marathon,
not a sprint.
!
"
Don’t take short-cuts you will regret.
“Seek negative feedback, particularly
from friends.”
- Elon Musk
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36. Fight For It
•
•
Add Value and Build a Legitimate Community
It’s Ok To Fake It Till You Make It
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37. Create + Curate + Cultivate Awesomeness
•
Wise Paid Media
If
you
can
afford it!
•
Smart, Resourceful & Creative Content
It
shall
not
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38. Have a Strong Message
•
Unique Point of View
•
Resonate Emotionally
Facebook ! →
Twitter !→
Pinterest !→
Soundcloud !→
Tumblr !→
Vine !→
Instagram !→
LinkedIn !→
Medium !→
Snapchat !→
4Chan !→
Reddit →
Whisper !
→
NextDoor !
→
Foursquare !→
Fitocracy! →
General Assembly! →
Yelp →
!
Quora !→
Google+ !→
Makes me feel connected!
Makes me feel informed!
Makes me feel inspired!
Makes me feel cool!
Makes me feel entertained!
Makes me feel creative!
Makes me feel artistic!
Makes me feel important!
Makes me feel intelligent!
Makes me feel silly!
Makes me feel unique!
Makes me feel valued!
Makes me feel anonymous!
Makes me feel neighbourly!
Makes me feel active!
Makes me feel fit!
Makes me feel educated!
Makes me feel aware!
Makes me feel smart!
Makes me feel different
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40. Takeaway
Consistently and constantly tell shareable stories through your
product, your words, your brand and your actions.
"
“Tricks of perception alone will not work...
Anything you create actually has to be good.”
- Alexis Ohanian
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42. Do you know your own strategy?
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43. Sticky One-Liner
Airbnb
is
a
community
marketplace
that
helps
people
list,
discover
and
book
unique
spaces
all
over
the
world,
online
or
from
a
mobile
phone.
Example
Format:
!
My
startup,
(startup
name),
is
developing
(a
defined
offering)
to
help
(a
target
audience)
(solve
a
problem)
(with
a
secret
sauce).*
* Founder’s Institute format
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44. Objectives-Based Strategy
Example:
Vision
# Clients
Vision
Grand Vision
•
# MAUs
a
# Sales
Goals
Awareness &
Advocacy
Downloads &
New Accounts
Repeat Purchases &
Retention
Tactics
Product + Experience
Marketing + Sales
PR + IR
Product People
Want
Brand People
Like
Company People
Trust
Objectives
Goals
Tactics
Objectives
Infrastructure: Team + Skills + Technology
Core Values + Mission
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46. Takeaway
Have such a clear elevator pitch, strategy and roadmap that you
can display these on a single slide.
!
Focus. Iterate Frequently. Pursue the vision in the right order.
"
“Cut away everything that doesn’t matter to the
success of your product.”
- Kevin Systrom
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