Before I scrolled down the page, I wrote down a few that I expected to see. Oddly, none of mine were on OP's list. (Am I that weird, or do we just think differently?)
Here are mine:
- Find a customer.
- Satisfy their needs.
- Get their money.
- Use their feedback.
- Improve your software.
- Hit your deadlines.
- Never give up.
I don't think they fit your list because they're supposed to be standalone ones. Your second one is actually six words, not three, because it needs the first to have context and make sense.
Still great advice though. "Find a customer" is definitely a winner.
"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
I went to a residential school whose motto was "Never Give In" I was there for 8 yrs. Luckily, this trait is instilled very well in me. Our school song might be worth a read for some.
find a customer = sell something today (22)
satisfy their needs = support customers maniacally (7)
get their money = recognize revenue consistently (19)
use their feedback = decide with data (17)
improve your software = improve product daily (18)
hit your deadlines (nice addition)
"never give up" is "persist through downturns" (16), but I'll give you this one for improved wording
"Omit needless..." was the first thing that came to mind for me before I even started reading the list. It applies to so many things. Words, features, expenses, options, etc. If it isn't absolutely necessary, omit it. You'll know soon enough if it turns out to be absolutely necessary, whatever it is.
If I had to get it down to only 3 words, they might be "iteratively satisfy users." Awkward, bad rhythm,
and prone to double entendre, but you have to compromise to get all that into 3 words. (My first try was "understand your users," which sounds better but says less.)
By using the 'keep' twice you can compress more meaning in to fewer words.
It also works better for people that don't understand the word iterate, which is in common use in English but not one that non-natives or non-programmers would get immediately.
Less information. "Keep" doesn't necessarily mean changing what you do. In other words, "keep" could mean "x, x, x,...", while "iteratively" definitely means "x1, x2, x3,..."
The greater precision is worth the awkwardness, and anyone who is unwilling to look up a word probably shouldn't be doing a startup.
"Make something wanted", which is the passive voice for your "Make something people want." It's also technically more accurate, as many dog food and pet supply companies have found out. ;-)
I can't boil this down to three words, but "Make something that people who can spend money either want, or think is wanted by people--or pets, or perhaps robots--about whom they care."
There should be a startup `oblique strategies' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies) app somewhere to give you a little something to reflect on when you are stuck. Brian Eno's original ones would probably work, but maybe there are better ones for startups?
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[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 109 ms ] threadBefore I scrolled down the page, I wrote down a few that I expected to see. Oddly, none of mine were on OP's list. (Am I that weird, or do we just think differently?)
Here are mine:
Still great advice though. "Find a customer" is definitely a winner.
- Winston Churchill http://www.school-for-champions.com/speeches/churchill_never...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_School,_Sanawar#School...
The following are often just wrong:
Hire generalists early. Hire specialists later. Write a blog. Avoid business plans. Delay raising capital. Make decisions swiftly.
Moreover, I don't even know what "invest in culture" means.
Supply free sodas?
#49: "Beware trite advice"
Lose the dresscode.
Use Best Tools.
Dual Monitors. Period.
Listen, Sell Later.
Ignore Everybody, Create.
Limit the features.
Live = Real Test.
No C Levels.
Distribute Authority & Accountability.
Don't over engineer.
Don't debate forever.
Share the Champagne.
Please no more.
Variations:
iteratively create awesomeness
create happiness iteratively
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
By using the 'keep' twice you can compress more meaning in to fewer words.
It also works better for people that don't understand the word iterate, which is in common use in English but not one that non-natives or non-programmers would get immediately.
Less information. "Keep" doesn't necessarily mean changing what you do. In other words, "keep" could mean "x, x, x,...", while "iteratively" definitely means "x1, x2, x3,..."
The greater precision is worth the awkwardness, and anyone who is unwilling to look up a word probably shouldn't be doing a startup.
(Sorry, I am a lawyer).
Le sigh....
Focus on customers
Don't cut corners
Stay agile forever
The long drawn out purchasing cycles and arcane requirements will suck time and attention that most startups can't spare.
Make a market.
Follow your dreams.
Just do it.
/obvious