How to fail a startup launch

In this talk, João Junceira talks about our experience on how we failed to launch a startup.

Transcript

1. HOW TO FAIL A STARTUP LAUNCH
2. WHO AM I ▸ João Junceira ▸ MSc Student at ISEL ▸ Software Developer ▸ SharedNode member ▸ Linkedin: https://pt.linkedin.com/in/joaojunceira ▸ GitHub: https://github.com/joaojunceira
3. ATTENTION ▸ This is not about creating a great Startup! ▸ It’s about ruining everything in the most stupid ways ▸ Learning it the hard way
4. ONCE UPON A TIME IN LISBON ▸ My fellows Marco Talento and Filipe Mendes ▸ We had an idea based on a personal experience
5. THE PROBLEM ▸ How hard is it to find a free tour guide in Berlin?
6. THE PROBLEM ▸ How hard is it to find a free tour guide in Berlin? ▸ It’s really hard!
7. THE PROBLEM ▸ How hard is it to find a free tour guide in Berlin? ▸ It’s really hard! ▸ How do I know that the guide is good?
8. THE IDEA ▸ Create an app ▸ Provide users with the available tour guides ▸ Tell where they are
9. THE IDEA ▸ Request a customised tour ▸ Evaluate a guide ▸ See the ratings and comments
10. ACTION! ▸ We started an app ▸ Designer and Devs team ▸ We had shiny mockups
11. WHY NOT TO GO TO AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONTEST? ▸ We went to SINFO ▸ Two months later to BET 24
13. BET 24 ▸ We won challenge Startup 1.0 ▸ That’s when things started to go wrong…
14. WHY… ▸ Why aren’t we getting attention in social networks? ▸ Why do we have such problems telling people our message?
15. THE SOURCE OF ALL PROBLEMS… ▸ We weren’t getting attention in social networks because we lacked marketing expertise ▸ But that’s not the only problem…
16. DIGGING DEEPER ▸ We were changing or adding features each meeting ▸ Lack of contact with customers ▸ Lack of plans
17. KNOW YOUR MARKET ▸ If your team is a group of software developers the first impulse is making code fast ▸ Go out and know your customers
18. KNOW YOUR MARKET ▸ If your team is a group of software developers the first impulse is making code fast ▸ Go out and know your customers ▸ Find if there is space for you in the market ▸ Know your competition
19. MEETINGS AND MEETINGS AND…MORE MEETINGS  ▸ Meetings procreate ▸ Define a meeting plan ▸ Don’t discuss anything outside plan ▸ Short meetings
20. LACK OF FOCUS  ▸ Define the MVP and close the specs ▸ After that if you have more ideas ▸ Don’t do it ▸ Keep them for future
21. PUT YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND ▸ Excel spreadsheet for such early stage is useless ▸ You could easily become an Excel millionaire ▸ Projections for the first years are stupid
22. HOCKEY STICK
23. Costs and Revenue 0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 400000 450000 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Value Costs\Revenues Months
24. DON’T TAKE MONEY TOO EARLY
25. COMMITMENT
26. AVOID MISTAKES AT ALL COST
27. THANK YOU