5 things we can learn from the startup ecosystem

For the better part of three years, I frequently wrote articles about startups. The startup industry is exciting, moves fast and very innovative.

In writing these articles, I met entrepreneurs who had visions of solving a problem, building software, and making a better place for us to live. One of my friends has gone on to start and run the fastest growing tech company in our state. Recently, his company made headlines by securing one of the largest rounds of funding in quite some time.

Startups have pros and cons to be sure. There are plenty of articles, movies, and TV shows that will reveal both. We are fascinated with shows like Shark Tank where you hear individuals and companies come in and pitch their passion, their dream, and some really innovative products.

I think there are some things we can learn from startups, even as WordPress professionals. Several WordPress professionals have even started their own WordPress Startups. While w may not start a WordPress startup, but as a professional, we can learn a few important ideas from the startup ecosystem.

Here are six things that I believe we can learn from the startup ecosystem. Can you think of others? Add the in the comments below!

1. Lean

Startups are lean in the beginning, even before they get the money they have to show investors their own commitment by taking on some of the risk themselves. Many adopt a lean method for methodology, but many just have to run their startup lean. The idea behind running lean is developing a minimum viable product, validate, test and change.

Did you know that Groupon started with a WordPress site?

Andrew Mason of Group tells Mixergy’s Andrew Warner in an interview,

All we did was we took a WordPress Blog and we skimmed it to say Groupon and then every day we would do a new post with the points embedded.

Amazing! The value of starting lean is often overlooked.

2. Agile

In the startup world, the use of Agile Methodology is a way to project manage the lean process. The spirit of Agile is flexibility, the ability to make changes quickly, pivot and move towards success. This ideology is the opposite of how bigger companies often work. Neil Patel explains,

Big companies have a hard time with change. Change is upsetting. Things break. Stultified routines get upended. Standardized protocols get wiped away.

Most WordPress professionals easily fit this mode. Agile Methodology, even if in spirit, will keep your business flexible and more able to make changes.

CoSchedule is a great example of being agile. The company was once a web agency but set out to solve a problem when they created a content marketing calendar. They pivoted their direction and now has one of the top WordPress SaaS companies.

3. Solution oriented

One of the things I have always liked about startups is that they are solution-oriented. By this, I mean that they are seeking to solve a problem which is the foundation of entrepreneurship.

Even if you are providing a service such as building or managing a companies website, framing it like solving a problem will really resonate with potential clients.

4. Growth

Growth hacking is a term coined by Sean Ellis. The idea is to rapidly grow one’s user base with a limited budget. It the strategy that allowed dating app Tinder to go from 5,000 to 15,000 users in a short period of time.

Every company needs to grow, though they may not need to scale at the level of a tech startup. Growth hacking has led to some innovative strategies to grow users. Ahrefs has summarized many of these hacks in this mammoth post on their blog.

WP Curve discusses how they used growth hacking on their blog.

5. Mentorship

Do you have a mentor in your business? You are not alone. Mentorship is arguably one of the most important pieces of the startup puzzle. Having a mentor gives you another set of eyes, a different angle.

We all need the extra set of eyes, someone with a different angle, and who are supporting us in the long run.

Though mentors are often encouraged for those in college, internships, and early in their professional careers, the truth is anyone in the world embarking on an entrepreneurial adventure can benefit from having an accessible, supportive person with a trusted opinion that they can count on. The 18th Dimension

We are fortunate there are a lot of places in the WordPress ecosystem where we can find mentors. Many WordPress professionals are eager to help new WordPress professionals.

Conclusion

Some things are just foundational to business regardless of the industry. Running lean, being flexible, solution-oriented, seeking to grow and mentorship are all important elements of a successful business.

Not all WordPress professionals will have a startup, but there are plenty of things we can learn from the ecosystem.

What are some things that you have noticed about startups that you really admire?