Tell me more ×
Answers OnStartups is a question and answer site for entrepreneurs looking to start or run a new business. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 5 down vote favorite
1

These days internet startups have gained a lot of popularity among young people and developers of all ages. Because of this same reason, many people have also started to benefit from this popularity by coming up with all sorts of things to sell and help these startups...

There are books, interviews, etc, that promise to tell you exactly what to do to be a successful startup. There are even "new" methodologies such as the lean startup that claim to have innovative ideas which is funny since all of the stuff they talk about are basic rules of business and common sense which have been around for many decades. It is good that they talk about it to help businesses, I just get tired of listening all these things presented as being innovative ideas when they are really not.

What are your thoughts on this?

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 5 down vote accepted

An overdose of anything is crazy... You'll become a "cookie cutter" entrepreneur and will loose all hope of innovation because you start to believe you have to follow the gurus.

Radical advice: Throw all you business books, audio and video away... Clear your mind... Sit in a closed room for a week - no telephones, no internet, no mobile... and then after the "addiction" has gone... ask yourself... "what do I want to do?'.... and then just go and do it.

Every great business I started - Started spontaneously. I didn't have to sit down and write goals or visualise or even write a business plan. I got passionate and then it happened.

If you know what you want to do in your heart ... the "how" doesn't matter - you'll make it happen... if you're fumbling for how to do something ... It's probably not "it".

Is there a place for learning from others.. OH YES. But seeking a solution on the "outside" won't help.

share|improve this answer
I like your Radical Advice! I believe many people are taking advantage of all the people wanting to become entrepreneurs by selling everything from e-books to services, etc... In the end, there are many really good resources that are FREE (like this site) and I really believe everyone of us should just use common sense and our gut when it comes to business decisions - no one has the right answer! – Ricardo Nov 7 '11 at 19:07
1  
Thanks @Ricardo If you do radical for long enough it becomes normal and everyone else becomes radical :) – Sunil Nov 9 '11 at 3:58
up vote 5 down vote

I think they are very useful, as long as you don't spend all your time reading them instead of getting the job done. There is a lot of innovation in the way businesses are run, and it's great to see what people are doing these days.

If they aren't interrupting your productivity, they are great, if they are, well you need to find a way to block them out and get your work done.

share|improve this answer
1  
Agreed. The #1 most important things that all those books neglect to tell you is that, eventually you need to put them down and actually get sh*t done! – Hartley Brody Nov 7 '11 at 18:36

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.