What It Takes to Succeed: 10 Learnings from 10 Years as a Startup

1. Aim High, but Be Realistic

This might sound like a given, but in the beginning, it카지노 게임 컬렉션�s important to focus on the core idea of your business 카지노 게임 컬렉션� which includes making sure you have one clearly in mind! Everything that goes beyond this point might be great, too, but should be saved for later. Your resources will be limited at the beginning, so make sure to focus on the right things at the right time and don카지노 게임 컬렉션�t lose sight of your original goal in an attempt to serve everyone카지노 게임 컬렉션�s needs at once.

When the 카지노게임사이트 platform launched in 2007, it did so with an ambitious 235 communities around the world: the global character of our community was a key aspect of the idea behind 카지노게임사이트. However, while both the platform and our member base grew quickly, it took a while before some other early ideas such as local events or destination-specific guides could realistically be implemented.

2. Don카지노 게임 컬렉션�t Be Afraid to Look for Support

The German idiom Aller Anfang ist schwer 카지노 게임 컬렉션� i.e. every beginning is hard 카지노 게임 컬렉션� especially applies to start-ups. You카지노 게임 컬렉션�ve got a great business idea, but you have to break it down into manageable details. You need capital. You need to get started on marketing, because the best product is worth little if nobody knows about it. You need to look for office space and tackle various administrative issues, from registering your business to accounting and recruiting.

Luckily, there카지노 게임 컬렉션�s no shame in looking for help. Depending on the scope of your start-up idea, securing investors may be a prerequisite anyway. However, also look for support beyond the monetary and make sure to network. Try to find a business mentor, take advantage of the numerous start-up-focused blogs out there, or join an entrepreneur group where you can learn from each other카지노 게임 컬렉션�s experiences.

3. Stay Informed

Getting feedback from industry colleagues whenever you can 카지노 게임 컬렉션� at conferences, trade fairs, or other networking events 카지노 게임 컬렉션� will help you stay informed. Also make sure to read up on what is happening in your industry; especially in the fast-paced IT sector, you can카지노 게임 컬렉션�t afford to ignore current developments.

You don카지노 게임 컬렉션�t have to follow every trend, of course, but you need to be aware of them in order to judge how they might (not) affect your business. An extreme example would be the noticeable shift from desktop to mobile use this past decade; a development that no online service could afford to ignore.

4. Listen to Your Customers

You shouldn카지노 게임 컬렉션�t just keep an eye on the industry, though. Actively listen to your customers and ask them for their point of view. You can find out about their current and future needs and how your product satisfies them in various ways, be it through surveys, product reviews, or even direct conversation.

카지노게임사이트 Founder and Co-CEO Malte Zeeck makes sure to regularly attend 카지노게임사이트 Official Events around the world, for example, talking to our members and getting their input. The introduction of the 카지노게임사이트 Groups and Activities was a direct result of such feedback: many members told us that they카지노 게임 컬렉션�d also like to attend smaller gatherings that focus on a specific interest or hobby, from hiking trips to book clubs, in addition to the bigger official events.

5. Build a Brand

You have officially started your company, come up with a logo, and registered it together with your name as a trademark. However, building a brand doesn카지노 게임 컬렉션�t stop there! What are the mission and vision of your start-up? What are its core values? Who is its target group? What카지노 게임 컬렉션�s the attitude your brand should convey? What style in both communication and design will you aim for? The answers to these questions are invaluable when it comes to branding!

A recognizable brand is immensely important when developing and marketing your product: it creates trust, helps you find new customers e.g. through referrals, and even builds financial value 카지노 게임 컬렉션� stock exchange prices don카지노 게임 컬렉션�t reflect a business카지노 게임 컬렉션� hard assets, after all, but rather the value of its brand. Having a clear mission and vision also gives your employees something to work toward and feel proud of.

6. Hire the Right People

Your employees are the heart and soul of your company and play a major role in its success. As your start-up grows, you will find yourself hiring more and more people who are bringing in their own expertise. However, when selecting and interviewing applicants, don카지노 게임 컬렉션�t just focus on their CV and the skills they can offer.

They also need to fit in as a person, which is all the more important as start-up teams are typically small. Show a promising applicant around your office so you can both get a feeling for how they카지노 게임 컬렉션�d fit. Or invite colleagues they카지노 게임 컬렉션�d be working with closely to join you towards the end of the interview and take their impressions into account.

Lastly, hire those who really believe in the value of your product, as well as the mission and vision of the company! Resources are notoriously low in start-ups; having employees who are willing to go the extra mile because they believe in what they are doing can make all the difference. At 카지노게임사이트, around three-quarters of the team are expats themselves. They know first-hand how hard it can be to live abroad and fully support the 카지노게임사이트 mission of making expat life a great experience!

7. Share Responsibilities

Speaking of employees who are invested in your product: make sure to delegate responsibilities early on. It might be hard at first; your start-up is your baby, after all, and as any new parent will be able to attest, there are few things scarier than that first time you카지노 게임 컬렉션�re leaving your kid with somebody else.

However, there are several arguments that speak for delegating: Entrusting your employees with more autonomy can boost morale and make them more invested in the company and its success. It also enables them to grow with the start-up 카지노 게임 컬렉션� your early employees might become your most valued experts and trusted managers. And last but not least, letting go frees up your time so you can focus on the bigger picture.

8. Give and Take Feedback

When delegating tasks, it is extremely important to clearly communicate your expectations, so make sure everyone is not only aware of the 카지노 게임 컬렉션�what카지노 게임 컬렉션� and 카지노 게임 컬렉션�how카지노 게임 컬렉션� but also on how to follow up with each other. Open communication channels that go both ways are not only vital for specific projects, though. The bigger a company grows, the more important it is to establish a feedback process and take the time to follow it through. 

Feedback can also be shared through less formal channels: team breakfasts or lunch dates, for example, provide a great opportunity not only for getting to know one another better on a personal level but also for 카지노 게임 컬렉션�talking shop카지노 게임 컬렉션� in an informal, low-stress setting.

9. Document and Share Knowledge

Over time, your start-up is bound to grow in complexity. Being able to quickly look up how something카지노 게임 컬렉션�s done can prove a big help. This particularly applies to training new employees, covering somebody on sick leave or vacation, or rare tasks that are not easily remembered.

The earlier you start documenting relevant knowledge and encourage your employees to do the same, the better. Internal wikis have proven useful for this task 카지노 게임 컬렉션� they are easily accessible, fully searchable, and can grow with your company. There are of course other ways of and tools for managing knowledge; the important thing is that you do it!

Next to documenting, you might also want to think about introducing regular sessions that encourage knowledge sharing. You카지노 게임 컬렉션�ve got somebody in your team who카지노 게임 컬렉션�s a pro at time management? Let them hold a workshop. Or your administration staff has always been curious about the magic that카지노 게임 컬렉션�s happening in software engineering? Give them a glimpse behind the curtain with a department exchange.

Your team and their knowledge is your biggest resource, so make use of it!

10. Don카지노 게임 컬렉션�t Lose the Start-Up Spirit

After a decade in business, 카지노게임사이트 can hardly be called a start-up anymore: we카지노 게임 컬렉션�ve got 2.8 million members around the world, and our over 100 employees do not only work in Munich, but in Vilnius and Madrid as well. However, that does not mean we카지노 게임 컬렉션�ve lost the start-up spirit: We still have a comparatively flat management hierarchy, small teams, and regular team events. The kicker table in the breakroom continues to be just as popular as the 카지노 게임 컬렉션�lunch lottery카지노 게임 컬렉션� that randomly pairs up employees to have lunch together. The Engineering Team enjoys hosting the odd innovative Coding Night. And a monthly 카지노 게임 컬렉션�Golden Albatross Award카지노 게임 컬렉션� has everyone voting for a colleague they feel deserves special recognition.

Regardless of how big your company grows, you should also try to keep up that original drive and the sheer passion that defines a start-up. Foster an atmosphere of agility and inclusiveness that allows your employees to experiment, invent, and react quickly. Be transparent about decisions and goals. Hire the right people who are enthusiastic about your product. And last but not least: keep it fun!