How To Succeed Where Others Fail: 8 Tech Startup Tips

The world of tech is the new goldmine. And entrepreneurs all over the world are trying to get a piece of the action. This is also true in Africa and Nigeria. Albeit the reason we could see all forms of startups here and there claiming to solve a problem or the other. We can’t deny that there has been an element of truth in those claims. Since they have caused significant changes in education, real estate, health care, finance, agriculture etc. However, building a new tech startup is not an easy feat.

Generate an idea

A tech startup must be based on a top-notch idea for it to succeed. It’s not a business you set up on a whim. A new startup must have a problem it’s aiming to solve. It’s from this that you build a company. To generate an idea, you first identify a problem, analyze it and find an innovative solution to it. This solution is the idea you need to build a startup.

Conduct market research

Having an idea is not enough. If you have an idea and decide to run with it without adequate market research. You will likely fail. There is a need to conduct extensive research based on the idea. This will make you understand the nature of the business, the problem it’s solving, the product you will offer, who it will help etc,

Develop a strategy

Now, there’s an idea and research to back it up. The next thing is to strategize. A good strategy points you in the direction of where you want to go. Again, it acts as a guide you can use and improve while building a startup.

A good strategy implies you have a plan and how to carry it out. It also gives you details on how to use your available resources to get to where you are going.

Write a business plan

The next thing to do is to write a business plan. A plan is very important. Because it contains all the vital aspects of your business. It tells the business names, legal requirements, business models, business goals, strategies, details about profit and loss, finances, marketing, etc. Most importantly, it shows how you plan to raise money and what you will use it for. If you don’t raise money, your efficient tech start-up won’t get off the ground.

Build a great team

You can’t build a startup in isolation. You will need people who are professionals in what they do. In building a team, assemble people who complement your skills. People who understand what you are about to do and share your dreams with you. Also choose professionals based on your business niche, project scope, specifics, etc.

Build a minimum viable product

This is the first quick and cheap version of your product. Not to worry, you will have opportunities to further improve it. Its purpose is to know whether it will attract customers and if they can pay to use it. For instance, if it’s a mobile application, your software development team defines the app requirements, creates a prototype and tests it with end-users. If it becomes successful, you can tag it as your flagship product.

Establish online presence

The next thing is to spread the word about you and your brand. Get people to search for you and remember you. Luckily, there are social media and almost everyone that you want to target is most active on social media.

Find customers

Frankly, you will need customers to be successful. The type of customers will depend on your business model. They can be businesses or direct consumers or both. Tech startups rely heavily on their customers to stay afloat. Hence, you should focus on getting more customers. If not, your capital may dry up if there’s no way to make money. Again, your business can stand more chances to gain traction with many customers.

Conclusion

Always remember to document your finance. It will help you determine if you should continue. You also need to find find a niche market because it sets you apart and is unique from others. You should also pay attention to feedback from customers and find ways to evolve your product. As always, you can do and be better.

 Featured Image Source: Money Control