Top 11 Reasons Startups Succeed

Getting things done in a quick manner is one of the many reasons why startups are able to reach their goals and milestones. It makes a difference when a startup is able to launch on time or when it moves much faster than competitors. Successful startups never delay the process of getting things done, and work as much as needed until something is complete. The most productive people are the ones who make the most of their time. Regarding speed, having knowledgable people in-house really makes a difference. Faster you make the mistakes, faster you learn from them, improve and, be better.

A successful startup is efficient in managing its finances and able to operate very lean. Every angle should have its own budget assigned and unnecessary expenses should be avoided. It is important to know what the company needs in order to accomplish milestones and budget accordingly. When resources are limited, and time is of the essence, companies need to master the skill of doing more with less.

Networking is another reason for startup success. A founding team that knows powerful and influential people in the business is completely priceless and can open the doors to partnerships and to find angel investors in a minute. Great startups have an outstanding CEO who is able to work his or her way into any organization. On the other hand, startup leaders need to inspire people and give them reason to follow them through the uncertain journey, often where team members are required to make many sacrifices such as work/life balance, salary cuts, limited or no health insurance and so forth.

Discipline starts with self-control and is a product of a strong self-imposed personal standard. Without discipline, startups fail to succeed in business even if situated in the best economy. Self-discipline leads to positive work ethic, and work ethic leads to getting things done effectively and efficiently. It is critical to have all the team members aligned and working together to get to the finish line.

Strong determination is always necessary for success to take place. A successful startup emphasizes the significance of determination when building a business and never quits, especially when the road gets bumpy and scary. There are many challenges that will arise and the startup team needs determination to overcome these challenges.

Just like the book from Jim Collins “Good To Great”, if the right people are seated in the right seats of the bus, the startup will eventually find its direction towards success. Determination and persistence is a key component to making this fact happen.

The best startups are always willing to adapt to new technologies. Adapting to change can lead to major breakthroughs. During the early years, the startup will need to iterate the product plenty of times until they are able to find the secret sauce and get it right.

Cash flow is the blood line of any business. This means that businesses can be ruined with inadequate capital. Successful startups are the ones that have sufficient capital to run their business operations. The primary duty of a startup CEO is to be able to do startup fundraising. A good way to raise money online is platforms like 1000 Angels, as it allows the startup to raise funds, in some cases, in just 60 days from accredited investors. This eliminates the need of doing an 8 month road show which is tiring and ultimately very unproductive for the business itself.

Every business’s success revolves around taking risks. Successful startups are prepared to take risks. As they say, the most profitable investments usually require high amounts of risk. However, such decisions need to have a solid due diligence in order to avoid as much as possible the downfall in the event things don't turn out as they were expected, which is often the case.

Startup life can be rough, between the mountain of things to do and limited staff and resources, the company's success hinges on the team's productivity and effectiveness to do more with less. I was once told by a savvy and very successful business man that having things to do will never be an issue, but carefully picking what to focus on and what to prioritize will be your business challenge.

Lastly, having an idea is just the beginning and really, execution is 98% in determining each business' success. For this part, the experience of the team is critical as their backgrounds will help towards making more good decisions than bad ones.