What do you consider the most intimidating part about starting a company?

A good idea20%

The high chance of failure40%

Not getting a salary for a while22%

Raising funds15%

Other (please comment)1%

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Director Certifications in Education5 years ago
Getting the money to run and sustain the company for a while until revenue flow is sufficient to cover all expenses.
2 1 Reply
Director Certifications in Education4 years ago

Yes, it is critical to ride out this period. It is a false representation of the economy.

Lead Consulant, Customer Success in Software3 years ago
Coming from previous experience, the hardest part is living on minimal or no salary until a consistent revenue stream is established.  Make sure that key contributors are compensated was top priority.
5
Managing Partner, Partnerships & Strategy in Software3 years ago
I would say execution. That is, can you (or how well can you) execute on your idea or vision? Everything from hiring to product development to go-to-market to fund raising.
4 1 Reply
CEO in Software3 years ago

Absolutely.  Team and Execution.

1
CEO in Software3 years ago
Ideas are often easy, even really good ones. The courage to head off without a safety net is the biggest issue for me. I've been working since I was 11 and the idea of being without a salary for 12-36 months or longer as I get a company started is terrifying.
3
Associate Director in Software3 years ago
There should be another option "All of the Above" :D but if I have to choose just one, it's definitely trying to get by with little to no salary until a steady revenue stream is achieved. All other challenges, in my experience, can be overcome, no matter how daunting. And even after there is a steady revenue stream, we founders oftentimes try to survive frugally to ensure there won't be unforeseen hiccups (like the pandemic, for example, which made things a lot more unpredictable) because, no matter what, the one thing we cannot take chances with is the teams salaries, and we should ensure that does not get affected.
3

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Yes, but it is rarely followed54%

Some departments do, but not across the business14%

No9%

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Hopefully the company has organized the strategy of "keeping self-service" customers long-term.  Use those reps to ensure customer satisfaction and share resources with those customers.
2
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