Jenna Hannon’s Post

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Working on something new for finance teams. Fractional CMO for startups. Former: Uber, Kyte, Aim Lab.

You don't need a "startup idea" to start a company. It takes startups an average of 3 years to find PMF. Therefore, it is rare that founders start with an "idea" of a product that becomes the company. (In fact, I'm struggling to think of examples of startups where this is the case! But I can think of a lot of unicorns that pivoted many times along the journey.) Rather, you need a PROBLEM that you think is WORTH solving and a USER with that problem. It can be a problem you have personally or a problem you have heard repeatedly from colleagues, friends, or user research. The key is that you know it is a problem, you have ideas for how to potentially solve it, and you are excited by the idea of solving it and think you have the chops! That is it. You've heard it a million times, but let us repeat: startups are rarely about the initial idea but rather the execution.

Jenna Hannon

Working on something new for finance teams. Fractional CMO for startups. Former: Uber, Kyte, Aim Lab.

3mo

The main one I can think of is Canva. Her "startup idea" was to create an easier Photoshop for non-designers, which is what it is today. However, before Canva, Mel and Cliff had a company that made yearbook templates that started from her helping schools create yearbooks if they didn't have a graphic designer. Therefore, she still started with a problem, she just figured out it was bigger than graphic design for yearbooks!

Dan Blackadder

I deliver high-performance React/Node.js solutions for businesses looking to drive growth

3mo

The Lean Startup has a load of examples. Recommended read for anyone with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Ricky Eckhardt

Serial Founding Engineer | Marketplace Architect | 0-1 Specialist

3mo

I love this. Every company I've built as a founding engineer didn't find its legs before year three. Be smart and conserve resources so you can stay in the fight. If you stay in long enough, you might make it. Where we started was not what worked, but we started and stayed in the fight long enough.

Armen Kazaryan

Co-Founder & CTO at Intera

3mo

That's true most of the time. There are rarely exceptions like Google or Airbnb.

Chandresh G.

Runs a Web and Data Support Company📊🔍📈

3mo

The focus should indeed be on identifying a problem worth solving, rather than just a 'startup idea'. The journey of finding a solution that resonates with users is what truly shapes a startup. Execution is key, as you rightly pointed out. Thanks for sharing this insightful perspective!

Cory Fischer

Insurance Advisor For Startups & High-Growth Businesses

3mo

Spot on! Execution is key in the startup journey.

Bahauddin Arafat

Co-Founder, CEO, ZAAG SYSTEMS LTD.

3mo

Spot on! It's all about identifying a problem worth solving and being excited to tackle it. 💡 Jenna Hannon

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