What It Takes to Build a Startup into a Brand [Harvard Business Review]

…None of these entrepreneurs had a full vision of where their businesses would ultimately go. But they had energy, curiosity, courage, and a willingness to adapt to new circumstances. They were hungry to provide opportunities for their associates, their investors, their customers, and themselves. Their stories offer valuable lessons on how to build a startup into an iconic brand.

From the outset, all three men viewed themselves as serving in multiple roles: founder, custodian, brand manager, chief financial officer, recruiter, and head of consumer insights. They operated on shoestrings.

…

These entrepreneurs knew that you need to make the big leap for consumers. You need to provide them with a reason to buy and a reason to brag to their friends. The lesson: entrepreneurs in the creation phase should expect novel ideas to fall on deaf ears.

For the budding entrepreneur, a good starting point is to create a qualitative understanding of market drivers. You need to get into the head of the consumer and be able to tell her story. It is both art and science. The purpose of this map of users and usage is to define dissatisfactions, hopes, dreams, and fears. Winning solutions respond to the distinct and specific needs of a group of consumers.

Originally Posted: What It Takes to Build a Startup Into a Brand [Harvard Business Review]

More Posts Across the Web

An early Facebook employee says Mark Zuckerberg always asked one question when his team had ideas [Business Insider] – Kagan explained that he would continually approach Mark Zuckerberg with specific ideas that would help Facebook make money. But Zuckerberg would always ask the same question: “Does it help us grow?” If not, he would tell Kagan he wasn't interested. Zuckerberg's clear focus on growth “helped us clarify every decision,” Kagan said.

5 Tips to Help You Grow and Scale Your Startup Successfully [Business 2 Community] –  Forbes writer Martin Zwilling defines scalability very aptly, “(scalability) means that your business has the potential to multiply revenue with minimal incremental cost.” And, you can only multiply your revenue when you grow continuously. Take a look at these tips to help your startup scale through growth.