The biggest mistake I did in the last 5 months – forgot to take care of my customers. I was too busy trying to get new ones.
Of course I’m exaggerating. But that’s the only way I’ll catch your interest.
Amplifying the proposition is how you’ll grab their attention. I didn’t forget about you. Thanks for still being on this list.
Here are top 3 learnings from my last few months of absence:
1. Entrepreneurship is the toughest job out there.
The word ‘Entrepreneur’ doesn’t have a definite etymology. There are multiple theories, the french word ‘Entree’ comes closest to it. Read this.
If you’re thinking about a becoming an Entrepreneur – consider the odds:
- Working hours are 24 x 7 x 365
- You’ll not get paid for a few years
- You’ll be paying salaries and will still be the most hated
- 9 out of 10 fail
But there’s a flip side that beats it all – I can smoke weed on a wednesday afternoon and no one will cut my pay.
2. Build value – not network.
“Hey – what’s up – how’re you doing? Wanna buy from me?”
This needs to be replaced with :
“Hey – you’re screwed here. I have a solution that’s free and analytics cost this.”
My network has grown because of my customers. Not the other way around.
When I get more customers – I get more opportunities to solve problems. This gives me insights into their challenges and their current solutions. New opportunities get discovered and my cognizance about my product’s value becomes clearer.
In the last 6 months – I’ve made it a point to talk to as many individuals I can connect across LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and even Angellist. On any day I’m engaged in at least 30-40 conversations across new customers, existing customers, strangers, mentors, and people who hate me and/or my guts.
I guess that’s why my blog took a backseat.
3. Customers are the best investors.
An investor will give you money on his judgement. A customer will give you money for his benefit. Its a far better bet to receive money from someone who’s benefiting today than someone who may benefit tomorrow.
I had an option to chase investors to get their money or chase customers to get their money. I wouldn’t have learnt anything on the road to Investor-hill. But the road to customer-hill was remarkable learning and discovery.
If you are building something for someone so they can benefit and pay you – spend your energy chasing them. They will be the best investors.
via Sameer Agarwal http://ift.tt/1hksTRI
