How to think like a startup and be ahead of market innovations in this new millennium
Having a startup mentality benefits entrepreneurs and helps them succeed in the sector. Identifying a demand for a product, niche, or service is paramount to launching a company in the market.
You may think that to leverage your company you just need to digitize processes, but it goes beyond that. To think like a startup is to have an entire cultural code contemporary with New Millennium and the new generations of entrepreneurs and collaborators that came up with it.
In this construction, your company may even have several work automation tools, but if it continues to require employees to fulfill a strict workload, without real appreciation of the benefits that digitized processes bring, it causes a great functional loss for your business.
If you still apply this type of structure and posture to your company, there are great chances of losing opportunities in the sector.
So that you don't get left behind, in this article we'll show you how important it is to think like a startup and how to shape that thinking.
To think like a startup is to work for a purpose
That's right, it's great to arrive at the beginning of the month and to have your work money guaranteed. But is that all it is? Is exchanging work hours solely for financial gain the ideal of this new generation? I'm sorry to say, but no. It's not. A Millennials seeks to live in a more immediate way and valuing what brings mutual benefits. Thus, the financial aspect is not what stands out, but rather daily satisfaction in the search for change and purpose.
Therefore, in order to seek a differential and fill the gap in the market, it is important to make clear to employees what the purpose of the product is, what is the company's organizational culture, what are the values present in the brand and at the origin of the institution.
All of this is important, as it makes your business go beyond a simple startup management and get closer to the public and your collaborators, bringing them closer to your cause. This bond motivates, brings you closer and strengthens your brand.
You, at this point, must be asking yourself: Okay! But what should I do to make my company think like a startup?
The answer is that there isn't exactly a formula for Think or act like a startup. However, there is a trail.
In the case of the entrepreneur, he must have something that motivates him to undertake: what he would like to present to the world; or how he could bring his way of being and communicating to the company, and from it to society; his way of thinking; who he would like to have around, working with him; how important his personal life is; how many hours of his day are enough for him to deal with work stress and still be able to satisfy himself professionally; and many other factors that can fill in a book on the subject.
Unexpected events can drastically change the market, but knowing your company will help you overcome these challenges.
The work environment
The work environment is one of the main factors that distinguish startups from other companies. Although it encompasses more elements, the startup culture reflects on a point that is essential and leads to a practical result: the climate in the company.
Those who work or have worked in a startup know that the work environment, and the surrounding climate, is one of the main motivations that drive employees to act willingly in their activities. This is one of the reasons why startups are successful.
Multidisciplinarity
To think like a startup is to be aware that there are a small number of employees at your disposal, but at the same time to know how to take advantage of the qualities of each of them.
It may seem that fewer employees mean lower productivity, but with this your startup saves costs and allows investments in time optimization. You don't need a lot of people on your team, but you need a team that can handle all tasks in a healthy and optimal way.
Thus, in order for you to be able to optimize your employees, choose automation in your startup is the solution. There is no longer room for companies that retrain professionals in various areas without the minimum structure, and no matter how multidisciplinary work must take place in your company, your employees will earn more and you will have a great differential factor for the market.
Knowing who you talk to and who you talk to is the key to having a scalable business.
Willingness to learn
It's not necessary to know or follow an existing path for your company to act like a startup. But being open to successful experiences is a differential that will only help you. In the same way, it may be that your business is so innovative that you may be the first to work in the sector. If this is your case, the road will be long, and the lessons will be learned in practice, on a daily basis. However, it is necessary to keep an open mind to understand what mistakes and successes have to teach.
Learning with the fall
If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you must understand that there is no room to suffer from any type of fall, loss, or failure. This is natural, knowing how to take risks is extremely important in this sector.
To illustrate this uncertainty in the sector and the importance of persistence, we can cite Apple as one of the great examples of perseverance.
In the 90s, even though it was a forerunner company in its niche, Apple experienced great difficulties. With the departure of one of its main founders, Steve Jobs, the company plummeted financially. Its customers wanted innovation, but that demand was no longer being met.
Therefore, understanding your company's needs is important to determine your actions. Thus, with the return of Steve Jobs at the turn of the century, now as the company's CEO, he quickly reacted and introduced the innovation that his audience wanted with the launch of the iMac.
From the moment the company re-implemented what it preached in its essence in the market, it generated investments and several other launches. In this way, establishing the company in the eyes of the consumer and making it achieve the rank of one of the largest companies in the world.
Thus, it is well known that one of the common characteristics of entrepreneurs who stand out in the sector is resilience. So if you want to have a successful business don't give up at the first mistake, the first disappointment, or the first failure.
Understand the marketing need
Knowing what the market needs is important to establish your company, as the analysis of the scenario will help your business to have a competitive advantage.
You need to think about what you want to work with and what you want to act with, then you need to think about your audience and whether your idea really benefits them. After outlining its need, you can align the strategy and test your idea in your niche.
As has already been said, making mistakes is one of the steps to success, but testing your idea is an essential opportunity.
How about besides thinking, acting like a startup?
That's right, when you assume all these attitudes, which are cultural and marketing, then you can start implementing strategies, technology, and all the digital processes that startups use. And in this case, you can Automate processes, optimize operational steps with digital management tools, use solutions like those from Clicksign, and decrease sales closing cycle time.
For you to grow, you need to take small steps and analyze what is important for the success of your startup.
Take it easy, follow all the steps mentioned in this article, and build a firm structure so that your company can stand out. Don't be afraid of mistakes, and put the purpose of your work into practice.
If you want to digitize your processes, as the main companies in the market do, in an applicable and legally valid manner, don't waste time and discover our Plans and Pricing.