LIVING A

STARTUP LIFE
MUHAMMAD CHAERUL ISMI
STAGES OF BUSINESS GROWTH
• Startup
– Limited resources, developing position in the market
• Rampup
– Get costumers and money, balancing cashflow
• Expansion/Maintenance
– Hard work paid off, hire more people
– Expansion is optional
• Maturity
– Maintaining innovation, boosting company culture
FOCUS ON
STARTUP
H O W LO N G I S T H E
S TA R T U P S TA G E
W I L L TA K E
PLACE?
 STARTUPS
• Netflix 1997,
• Facebook started
in 2004, funding 1999
expanding in 2008

• Product 2010
• Amazon 1994, got real
profit 2001, 2019: Jeff • Funding 2011
Bezos became richest
man in the world • Acquisition 2012 for $1B
STARTUPS IN INDONESIA

• Gojek – Unicorn, 6 year old

• Tokopedia – Unicorn, 8 year old

• Traveloka – Unicorn, 5 year old

FORBES data – startup phase: average of 3 years

CHALLENGES STARTUP MAY FACE…
• Formulating code of conduct (rules, values, ethical principals, and
visions for business)
– Guideline for future development
• Uncertainty
– Product, money, market: define them.
• Poor management
– Not enough resources
• Meeting the market needs
 THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO
SURVIVE?
• Idea “truth” outlier
• Team
• Business model and execution
• Funding
• Timing
IT’S TIMING

“If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too
late.” –Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn Co-Founder and Venture Capitalist
STARTUP MINDSETS
• Focus on impact: solve the most important problems
• Planning, priority, and scheduling – expect for the best, plan for
the worst
• Independency
• Speed and change
• Be bold, out of your comfort zone
• Build social value
HOW TO GENERATE IDEAS?
• Focus on solution
– List multiple solutions
– Ask like a kid, why? Why? Why?
– Think in reverse
• Benchmarking
• Surveys – to the potential market, what they want and what
they need
• Get someone else’s perspective
• Risk and failure assesment
MAINTAINING CREATIVITY AND
SANITY
BE CREATIVE!!! STAY SANE!!!
• Make meaning • Make time for your passion
• Don’t worry, be – games, gym, movies
crappy • Eat properly
• Polarize people • Don’t get discouraged
• Value vs. Uniqueness
PROS AND CONS
CONS

• Heavy workload
• Job stability
• No social life?
PROS
• Unique experiences – favorable work environment, stimulating workspace
• You learn A LOT – loads of responsibility, often outside your job
description
• Working without supervision – making smart decisions and take
responsibility
• Innovating – grow fast, fresh concepts
• Pride in growing the company
• Flexible working hour
• Casual atmosphere
• Working from home
• Free food
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important
to heed the lessons of failure.” – BILL GATES