Startup Diaries: WHASSUP
By Dan Fellars
I recently spoke to a relative who began his own startup journey not too long ago. After initial chit chat, I ask a simple question: So, how are things going with your new venture? Instantly after the words came out of my mouth, I’d realized I had broken the code of early stage startups. His two word response of “going good” was like a slap to my face for breaking the code.
What is this unspoken code, you ask? You see, this question of how are things going is such a loaded question. What is the best way to respond to it? How much information should you share? So much has happened, but often times there is little to show for it. To the casual observer it’s very hard to portray all that has happened. And, do they even care about any of that anyways?
As startup founders, there is significant pressure to always portray the best possible perception of the status of a company. Show any signs of weakness and investors won’t touch you, potential hires won’t want to work with/for you, customers won’t want to stay with you. In graduate school, my marketing professor coined this the Law of the Puffer Fish — always appear bigger and better than you actually are to the outside world. Fortunately, the side effects of this pressure are being spoken of more openly in the tech community, but there is inherent stress associated with going down this path that all who pursue it should be aware of.
So, when someone asks how your startup is going, it’s only natural to go into “Puffer Fish” mode and talk about all the highlights of what’s going on. But what if there are few highlights, or the highlights that are there are not really relevant to the person asking? What is the best way to respond to such a simple question?
Hayden Williams from startup Treatings wrote an excellent article a few months back sharing how he approaches this question. After reading that I evolved my response to this question and tried a couple different approaches depending on who is asking that I thought I would share with you. I don’t know that I have the best answer yet so would love to hear back from Beehive Startups’ readers on how they approach this question.
The Concerned Friend/Family
Typically when this group is asking, what they are really saying is more like: “I’m worried about you. When are you going to get a real job?” These are often the toughest to answer because although they have sincere intentions, they often don’t grasp what it is you’re actually doing regardless of how many times you explain it. So you continue to assure them that everything is ok, progress is being made, and it will all work out in the end, but going into specifics probably isn’t necessary. Often they need to have some nugget of information that they can retain in case they get asked about you. A recent milestone should be sufficient, such as: Just signed a new contract, just released a new version of product, just added new team member, etc. I try not to overpromise or over-promote to this group because this group, more than the others, will hold on to those expectations and if not hit, the worry level will only increase.
The Acquaintance
This group is typically just asking casually and don’t really need to know the gory details. This group typically get the basic “Going Well” response. But I also try to ask this group for help. Something along the lines of: “Things are going pretty good. I’m looking for some help with ________ so if you know anyone that does that let me know.” 99 out of 100 times it won’t lead to anything, but you never know.
The Fellow Startuper
Why is it that the group that understands us the best is often the one we don’t open up to. Whether it is the competitive nature of being an entrepreneur, or simply the fear of looking weak, we seem to have an innate desire to “one-up” other entrepreneurs. This competitive drive is a good thing to help us move forward, but this might be a scenario where it should be tabled. In interacting with other founders, I try to determine if they fit the arrogant founder stereotype or not. If they are, then I’ll minimize how much I share and let them do the talking/bragging. (To be honest, I don’t meet many of those types here in Utah). If they are not that type, then I’ll try to seek their guidance and advice. We shouldn’t be afraid to share our struggles with others also going through them or who have been through them.
The Potential Customer/Investor/Employee
This group is the one asking the question with real purpose. They’re not just chit-chatting or concerned for your personal well being, per say. They are after answers that will impact choices they have to make. Whether their decision is to sign a contract, invest, or join your they company, the answer you provide cahn have pretty drastic consequences. So, answering how things are going to this group requires walking a fine line. The general rule I follow is to be positive yet honest. Don’t oversell or over-promise. If that results in a sales loss, lack of investment, or failure to hire talent, I believe it is better than the alternative of moving forward and having that party realize after the fact that things are not as rosy as they were told.
If answering the simple question of “How are things going?” has never been an issue for you, my apologies for making you now think twice about it next time you’re asked. If it has been an issue, you now have a framework to help you answer it.
So now, let me ask you: How are things going? Leave your best responses on how you answer that question in the comments below.
Published 8/18/2014
