Powerful Lessons from a 25-Year-Old Startup
Plan for the best, prepare for the worst, embrace learning, and enjoy the adventures of everything in-between. Love the dirt!
In the Spring of 1999, I bought the domain name tipclub.com for $75 from Network Solutions for the purpose on building the world’s first business networking website.
Five years before LinkedIn even launched.
I didn’t build the online business networking empire I planned, obviously LinkedIn beat me to it.
I didn’t break the billion dollar mark in sales.
I didn’t surpass a million users.
But I do have a story to tell that I will someday share with my grandchildren.
A journey of a lifetime.
After all, how many people have a 25-year old startup?
“You’re no startup!” a friend recently quipped to me.
“You’ve been in business too long!”
Good point. People don’t equate a business operating for twenty-five years (20 years incorporated) as a startup.
But coming out of Covid, my business had been revived, reengineered, and reenergized.
A company with a new vision, new products, new people, and new business model was created.
So, I feel I’m back in startup mode.
And after all, what really is a startup?
According to mainstream sources:
1.) A startup is a business at the initial stages of its life cycle. (Britannica)
✅ Check
2.) A company undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model is a startup. (Wikipedia)
✅ Check
3.) Startups are businesses that want to disrupt industries and change the world—and do it all at scale. (Forbes)
✅ Check
As I see it, I have a 25-year old startup.
And I’m more excited than ever.
Back in the Dirt
“You've gotta love the dirt”
This was the response that Gary Vaynerchuk, a world-famous entrepreneur, gave when asked how successful entrepreneurs built their initial business and outlasted others.
It starts in the dirt. Doing the things that don't scale, talking with clients, spending time in the details, making mistakes, and learning fast.
I’m back in the dirt. And loving it!
The Lessons Learned
By working on a business model for 25-years, I can share the most important lessons I’ve learned:
Find your purpose and what drives you
Plan for the best to keep your dreams and enthusiasm alive
Prepare for the worst because it could blindside you (Covid)
You and/or your business are never too old to be a startup (or “start back up”)
Focus on client needs and generating traction for your products or service
When you do get traction, start building systems
Systems should lead to processes that produce a predictable outcome
Invest in growth after getting traction and having your systems in place
Automate when possible
Enjoy the ride!
I now think about my business in terms of years instead of days.
Success is all about playing the long game.
No shortcuts. No get-rich-quick schemes.
Are you ready for the long game?
It’s worth it.
TOP 10 HACKS FOR LINKEDIN GROWTH
Profile - optimize it
Post - 3x/week is fine
Educate - Share your wisdom
Consistency - Steady wins the race
Engage - Comments give you visibility
Collaborate - build a community, not followers
Develop your persona - Show people who you are
Help random people - you never know the value of your next connection
Have fun and enjoy the process - otherwise you may lose interest
Don't quit - success could come from your next posting
Want to learn more?
Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-marcellus/
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