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The power of online writing and blogging is that it compounds. After re-reading this 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇🏾" title="Down pointing backhand index (medium dark skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Down pointing backhand index (medium dark skin tone)"> piece of @cdixon, I decided to just glance through his archive.
Ended up reading almost all his posts, finishing the entire catalogue. Thread.
https://twitter.com/vsvivek93/status/1265324337982091265?">https://twitter.com/vsvivek93...
Ended up reading almost all his posts, finishing the entire catalogue. Thread.
https://twitter.com/vsvivek93/status/1265324337982091265?">https://twitter.com/vsvivek93...
1) Starting from the very first one about “Naming Startups”. Glad to have unconsciously followed the advice mentioned. https://cdixon.org/2009/04/18/naming-your-startup">https://cdixon.org/2009/04/1...
2) Joining Startups is a comparatively safer option than people realise.
Will be using this with the next potential hire we will be interviewing. https://cdixon.org/2009/05/11/joining-a-startup-is-far-less-risky-than-most-people-think">https://cdixon.org/2009/05/1...
Will be using this with the next potential hire we will be interviewing. https://cdixon.org/2009/05/11/joining-a-startup-is-far-less-risky-than-most-people-think">https://cdixon.org/2009/05/1...
3) “I have always found idea development to be a wrenching and often meandering process that is guided mostly by instinct.”
Pipehaul as an idea originated in December, 2018 and it became functional just at the start of this year. https://cdixon.org/2009/05/15/the-myth-of-the-eureka-moment">https://cdixon.org/2009/05/1...
Pipehaul as an idea originated in December, 2018 and it became functional just at the start of this year. https://cdixon.org/2009/05/15/the-myth-of-the-eureka-moment">https://cdixon.org/2009/05/1...
4) Keeping your Idea secret only hurts you in the end.
We have made our thesis and model open for everyone’s scrutiny and feedback through a blog post.
It became a common practice but he wrote it back in 2009. https://cdixon.org/2009/08/22/why-you-shouldnt-keep-your-startup-idea-secret">https://cdixon.org/2009/08/2...
We have made our thesis and model open for everyone’s scrutiny and feedback through a blog post.
It became a common practice but he wrote it back in 2009. https://cdixon.org/2009/08/22/why-you-shouldnt-keep-your-startup-idea-secret">https://cdixon.org/2009/08/2...
5) Building Marketplaces is hard, even to this date. It has been challenging for us as well.
Chris offers 6 strategies one can use to solve the chicken and egg problem. https://cdixon.org/2009/08/25/six-strategies-for-overcoming-chicken-and-egg-problems">https://cdixon.org/2009/08/2...
Chris offers 6 strategies one can use to solve the chicken and egg problem. https://cdixon.org/2009/08/25/six-strategies-for-overcoming-chicken-and-egg-problems">https://cdixon.org/2009/08/2...
6) “you need to figure out two things: 1) how information and influence flows in your market, and 2) when and where people use and/or purchase your product”
This helped me understand where to focus our marketing efforts. https://cdixon.org/2009/10/11/understanding-your-market">https://cdixon.org/2009/10/1...
This helped me understand where to focus our marketing efforts. https://cdixon.org/2009/10/11/understanding-your-market">https://cdixon.org/2009/10/1...
7) “ Pigeonholing is one reason startups should actually welcome direct competitors. ”
We have been guilty of trying to do all things for all customers. This posts talks about positioning without mentioning positioning once. https://cdixon.org/2009/10/20/the-challenge-of-creating-a-new-category">https://cdixon.org/2009/10/2...
We have been guilty of trying to do all things for all customers. This posts talks about positioning without mentioning positioning once. https://cdixon.org/2009/10/20/the-challenge-of-creating-a-new-category">https://cdixon.org/2009/10/2...
8) “Good startups think about the whole wedge from the start. They build an initial user base with simple features and then quickly iterate to create products that are enduringly useful, thereby creating companies that have stand-alone, defensible value.” https://cdixon.org/2010/12/26/the-thin-edge-of-the-wedge-strategy">https://cdixon.org/2010/12/2...
9) “People who say recruiting is easy are probably recruiting bad people. People who say recruiting is hard are right. People who say it is impossible just aren’t showing up enough.”
Personally has been a challenge I am yet to overcome https://cdixon.org/2011/04/12/showing-up">https://cdixon.org/2011/04/1...
Personally has been a challenge I am yet to overcome https://cdixon.org/2011/04/12/showing-up">https://cdixon.org/2011/04/1...
10) “To build a long-term sustainable business, the best place to be is “just right” – useful to lots of partners but not so strategic that they are unwilling to rent it.”
This post talks about how to pitch our product to customers in order to succeed. https://cdixon.org/2011/11/28/business-development-the-goldilocks-principle">https://cdixon.org/2011/11/2...
This post talks about how to pitch our product to customers in order to succeed. https://cdixon.org/2011/11/28/business-development-the-goldilocks-principle">https://cdixon.org/2011/11/2...
11) Another Recruiting post on hiring engineers for your team. On similar lines to what @vindytalks patiently explained to me.
Working on it prior to our next hire. https://cdixon.org/2011/12/29/recruiting-programmers-to-your-startup">https://cdixon.org/2011/12/2...
Working on it prior to our next hire. https://cdixon.org/2011/12/29/recruiting-programmers-to-your-startup">https://cdixon.org/2011/12/2...
12) Practical tips on interacting with the press. Be courteous and valuable even if you and your company is not ready or in need of the spotlight. https://cdixon.org/2012/03/01/some-tips-for-interacting-with-the-press">https://cdixon.org/2012/03/0...
13) This one on firing gives you the most meta rationale take on doing it fast and doing it early. https://cdixon.org/2012/06/19/firing">https://cdixon.org/2012/06/1...
14) History, analogy, theories and direct experience are few tropes to navigate your idea maze.
Covered the first three, but seriously lacking on the fourth. https://cdixon.org/2013/08/04/the-idea-maze">https://cdixon.org/2013/08/0...
Covered the first three, but seriously lacking on the fourth. https://cdixon.org/2013/08/04/the-idea-maze">https://cdixon.org/2013/08/0...
15) “Think of the internet economic loop as a model train track. Positions in front of you can redirect traffic around you. Positions after you can build new tracks that bypass you.”
This is world we currently live in. https://cdixon.org/2016/03/13/the-internet-economy">https://cdixon.org/2016/03/1...
This is world we currently live in. https://cdixon.org/2016/03/13/the-internet-economy">https://cdixon.org/2016/03/1...
So, that’s it for now. There are more. Like i said a writing expanding more than a decade. I might never meet @cdixon or get a chance to talk to him. Yet, he still has taught me things I couldn’t learn elsewhere. Thank you !
Side Note: I saw how his thinking grew over the time.
Side Note: I saw how his thinking grew over the time.
Writing is communication at scale. This thread is just one example of how it propagates.
I took the learning relevant to me. The act of writing and sharing only compounds with time.
And in our company that is one thing we practice right from the start.
I took the learning relevant to me. The act of writing and sharing only compounds with time.
And in our company that is one thing we practice right from the start.
