Technology in technology-driven startup
Startup by definition is high growth and scalable. Most "startup" has to be technology-driven, I believe.
Startup people tends to believe in an early stage, rapid development and time to market are critical, technology is less important and its ok just to use whatever that enable rapid development. It is a common lean startup concept to build fast and release to the customer to get feedback. Of course I wouldn't disagree.
However, technology choice affect development time and cost, and enable different product feature. To achieve a sustainable business model (e.g. create enough value to raise capital/loan, or break-even/revenue>cost), technology cannot be ignored. One may prove a market and validate an idea without technology consideration, I don't believe one can create a successful technology-driven startup without being good at technology.
Assume startup is a multiple step (milestone) process as follows:
(notice that this post is not to develop any model or suggest there are N steps. the steps are only for illustrate a point that will be mentioned at the bottom)
#1 idea, planning, forming a team, MVP/prototype development, customer validation etc.
#2 release to public, customer feedback etc.
#3 on-going refine the product base on feedback, growth
#4 break-even
#5 make a decent amount of revenue
...
#10 create the first 1B value
Lean startup methodologies really help in the first few steps. It is especially important to those who never do startup to take the first step.
If we do fast, good at prototype and rapid development, it can really help in speed up the learning cycle in the first 2 steps. But it doesn't necessarily help in step #3-5.
My point is, if one just want to demonstrate he is good at startup such as aim at being a startup trainer, it's fine just to use whatever technology to build something.
if one want to get to step #5, one need not only a validated idea/business model but also do the product properly with technology.
Edited:
- of course, "doing technology right" obviously do not mean invest a tremendous amount of time and money in technology, or spend 3 months in building infrastructure without delivering anything concrete... if it is not clear enough
- "doing technology right" does mean a business founder shall invest a lot of time to in hiring the tech team or picking a right tech co-founder.
- "doing technology right" to the tech founder, is to spend time picking the right set of technologies suitable for use in a startup environment.
- in general, picking a random techie, or adopt just the technologies used in a previous project (that may or may not be in a similar nature with the startup project) are usually wrong.















