10 things only a startup experience can teach you

June 25th, 2008 by Prateek Dayal | Print 10 things only a startup experience can teach you

I have written about why do a startup and also about life in the garage and both the posts have a recognizable negative tone. However startups are pretty interesting and generally a great learning experience. I therefore thought of writing a post on what doing a startup can teach you that you cannot easily learn otherwise. Not in a similar timeframe atleast.

So here is a list of ten things I feel a startup can teach you (in no particular order).

  1. Discipline and time management
  2. Taking complete responsibility for your actions
  3. Value and power of money (especially if you are bootstrapping)
  4. How to build a great network and make it work for you
  5. Wearing multiple hats with reasonable success
  6. Great Technical learning
  7. ‘I have to do this’ attitude instead of ‘Can I do this?’ or ‘Should I do this?’
  8. Great writing skills (Blog, emails, newsletters)
  9. Working in constraints (design, technology, marketing budget)
  10. An eye for useful stuff, trends and opportunities (reading blogs, docs, logs, listening to people … whatever)

Disclaimer: In no way am I implying that I am a master of the everything mentioned above :) I am just saying that a year or more into a startup, you would have improved in a lot of these areas.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 2:30 am and is filed under startups. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
  • http://www.smallguru.com Rajeev Lochan

    Prateek,
    Great post !!
    I would like to add another point to your list. You also have to do the stuffs which you would have never done if working at an established office. Important being Company registration, legalities, Tax payment and also Patent related stuffs if you are dealing with a Novel idea etc.

  • http://www.smallguru.com Rajeev Lochan

    Prateek,
    Great post !!
    I would like to add another point to your list. You also have to do the stuffs which you would have never done if working at an established office. Important being Company registration, legalities, Tax payment and also Patent related stuffs if you are dealing with a Novel idea etc.

  • Azeez

    I’m waiting for my turn to taste these things

  • Azeez

    I’m waiting for my turn to taste these things

  • http://abhinavsingh.com/blog Abhinav Singh

    Well I support what prateek has just said. But I guess only those things won’t make you reach where you really wanted.

    With my experience I learnt that with you working all alone won’t make any difference. You need to have a game plan in first place. By game plan I mean, some paper work before you go ahead and implement that.

    Secondly and most importantly, one should not loose focus I suppose what was penned down in that game plan. (Until unless you really are forced to incorporate extra). Else that list of things in the paper will just go on.

    Finally, you need to have a team for yourself. I personally feel by just being a coder won’t take you anywhere. A good designer is must, you cant survive and woe people without a good layout (No matter what you do). Further a marketing person who can handle that side for you. Apart from this if you really think your web startup will scale, you will need a DB Admin person. Else get ready for the graveyards.

    Rest Prateek already wrote down :)

  • http://abhinavsingh.com/blog Abhinav Singh

    Well I support what prateek has just said. But I guess only those things won’t make you reach where you really wanted.

    With my experience I learnt that with you working all alone won’t make any difference. You need to have a game plan in first place. By game plan I mean, some paper work before you go ahead and implement that.

    Secondly and most importantly, one should not loose focus I suppose what was penned down in that game plan. (Until unless you really are forced to incorporate extra). Else that list of things in the paper will just go on.

    Finally, you need to have a team for yourself. I personally feel by just being a coder won’t take you anywhere. A good designer is must, you cant survive and woe people without a good layout (No matter what you do). Further a marketing person who can handle that side for you. Apart from this if you really think your web startup will scale, you will need a DB Admin person. Else get ready for the graveyards.

    Rest Prateek already wrote down :)

  • http://quirkymurmur.blogspot.com Nikhil

    Loved the disclaimer :)

    Very true, working in a start-up not only makes you aware of how capable you are, but also reminds you of how much more there is to learn and do!

  • http://quirkymurmur.blogspot.com Nikhil

    Loved the disclaimer :)

    Very true, working in a start-up not only makes you aware of how capable you are, but also reminds you of how much more there is to learn and do!

  • http://www.abhishek1711.blogspot.com abhishek

    point no 7 – hit the bulls eye.

    the employees never have that attitude – its only a startup experience that can make you truly have a CAN DO attitude !

  • http://www.abhishek1711.blogspot.com abhishek

    point no 7 – hit the bulls eye.

    the employees never have that attitude – its only a startup experience that can make you truly have a CAN DO attitude !

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