My Biggest Startup Regret
My biggest startup regret is not obsessing over distribution early on.
My inexperience has led me to treat it as an afterthought, when successful operators engineer distribution into their DNA.
That was a costly mistake that we might still be paying for.
If I can turn back the clock, I'd dedicate the first 6 months to developing a distribution strategy ingrained in my company's foundation. My focus areas would be:
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Community: I would build a community around my product to spark word-of-mouth, which has been pivotal for us.
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Product-led growth: I'd design a product that's inherently self-serve and can essentially sell itself on at least one of its pricing tiers.
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Viral growth mechanics: I'd integrate features that encourage users to share the product, bringing their network over to me.
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Network Effects: Very challenging to implement, but if achieved, this can exponentially increase the product's value as more people use it, turning into an unstoppable force.
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Personal Brand: In a world of faceless corporations, I'd invest in a personal brand that pays dividends in trust, credibility, and could turn into a direct distribution channel.
It's tempting to ignore distribution, especially when the thrill of building takes over. But that's a common trap.
Focusing on product development without a clear path to distribution is like going for a hike with blindfolds on.
And as you start building, it gets much easier to get distracted with the process, that distribution ends up taking the back seat, complicating your life significantly down the line.