Something I am fascinated by is comparing businesses to things we encounter in every day life. Doing this helps me make sense of the world. It shows me how companies are moving, where companies are going and even in which state certain companies are in.
The metaphor. I love it!
During the beginning of Layar I really felt connected to a song of U2. It’s sung LIVE at a concert in Boston 2001. I felt that the song embodied what a disruptive start-up is going through. It’s especially the first 3 minutes that remind me how it felt to start and launch with Layar.
I will try to match the song now with the timeline of a start-up..
- 0.00-0.12: A stable market. Still singing the song from an old “market state”.
- 0.13-0.22: Announcement of something new. Something is coming.
- 0.23-0.35: Arrival of something new. Something we were longing for. Recognition. Acceptance. Warm welcome.
- 0.35-1.14: ‘Pregnancy’! Preparation for launch. Building up the excitement.
- 1.14-1.27: LAUNCH. Be proud!
- 1.27-1.53: Share the rhythm and melody of your product. Get people to understand you. “How can I contribute and sing along?”
- 1.54- 2.54: Create harmony between you and your audience (co-create) “start singing together”.
- 2.45- 3.00: Share and repeat your purpose. Make clear why you are here and who you are. You are grounded. Welcome!
Now with the internet I believe that any start-up can create the circumstances to sing to a large audience like U2 does every week. It’s American Idol for start-ups. You just need to make sure that the first note is right!
Well I didn’t expect this to be my first real blogpost in 3 years 😉
