to MUCH damn planning

Today is more of a vent. I need to get something off my chest. Too frequently, I hear one of the following: I’m busy preparing financials. Or I’ve been forecasting revenue. I am seeking investment, so I’ve been budgeting for team costs. These steps are relevant somewhere between launch and raise, like step 500 on your startup journey. But culturally, we’ve been conditioned to believe that capital is the first thing you need to run a business.

I’ve bootstrapped businesses for eight years. I’ve seen more companies fail to launch chasing capital than I’ve seen lives ruined by just starting. We’ve got it all wrong.

What do you need to run a business?

Most would say product and customers, but today, all you really need is customers. Starting for most businesses come in identifying a common problem then communicating with affected potential users. Regular communication builds trust, trust extends and creates audience, scale creates thought leadership. What do you need to begin today? Most of it is free and involves founder labor, the type of labor that you’re wasting determining your (*stifles laugh*) valuation. (or you can hire an experienced team like Rising Tides to cut down on time to market by 5x). Here’s how to start. Create a social handle or use your own. Start discussing what you think is a common problem. Find people who are affected, find people who are building towards it, and people who talk about the effects of the problem. This is social engagement and community building. We’re not creating it yet. Then, when you’ve had enough conversation, start to create a simple, singular point in the discussion. Repeat that infinitely in many different ways using videos, memes, stock images, short posts, and long newsletters. Just talk about the one thing. (I shared more here👇🏼)

How to launch (free) with Social

As the audience grows around you, do something crazy. Promise a solution publicly. Do it boldly. Then, ask your audience to pay a nominal amount to find out. This is your fundraising, your product development capital. If enough people pay, then you know you have a solution. Simplify the message again and launch it publicly using promotion (paid reach, PR, launchpads, etc.). With funds raised, you can start development on V1. Forget pricing packages, experience, and all that for now. That’s overplanning again. Instead, go back to the conversation with your initial audience. Detail out the following:

• How many discussions does it take to convert them?

• What were the best ways to discuss (call, demo, emails, msg)?

• Document the pain points or values that they shared.

This is your customer sales journey and messaging. With this information, you can begin to develop cold outreach, leverage your social content, and build ad campaigns. You can do all of this without money. As it comes together, ensure that you revisit the user journey, building in automation and refreshing both audience and message monthly. This will help you create a user (and eventually) revenue-generation machine or, as some call it, an investable business. Stop planning. -Grady