If you are following the startup discourse on the net with many very knowledgeable founders and VCs and others weighing in for revenue, the primary obsession seems to be with funding. Yet anyone who has raised and spent knows that money in the bank runs out at some point unless it is backed by revenue.
So why so little talk about Sales? The stats around success with VC funding – despite the (seemingly) difficult path to fund raising, 90% fail. Why? As David Cummings writes in his post
“Authentic Demand’s Role in Startup Success” the real key to startup success is to build something people want. And ensure they are willing to pay for it. How can you accomplish that? By having a Sales First strategy. Unless you are in Biotech, pharma or some other cutting edge technology – actually inventing the core technologies involved – you have no excuse to not speak with customers.
Andrew Goldner, Co founder of GrowthX VC, whom I had the opportunity to meet in Toronto late last year was emphatic.. “Every founder whom I invest in, I ask, how many sales calls have you made since morning today?”
So what’s your excuse?
Where I learnt this #428
Authentic Demand’s Role in Startup Success
https://davidcummings.org/2020/02/22/authentic-demands-role-in-startup-success/
