First things first… what’s your problem?

Since I have moved to Paris, I have been asked to help with a number of entrepreneurial projects, and all of them have had one thing in common: there is no need being filled and no problem being solved. I have seen all sorts of plans, spreadsheets, and proclamations on all the ways that this company will be greater than any others (“more better” as a close friend likes to say), but no need. If a startup’s offering doesn’t fill any actual need, though, it is unlikely that there will ever be enough customers and the project will be doomed to failure.

This is why sequence matters. A successful startup does not come from doing the right things; it comes from doing the right things at the right time and in the right order.

So what is the first thing that you need to do to build a great company? Find a need that is not being filled, a problem that is not being solved, or a customer that is not being satisfied. (It is true that you can build a “me too” business and do alright, but it may be harder to attract good talent or investment if you are just copying someone else.) Even if you are a later entrant to a market, though, you still need to understand what is the need that you are filling.

So before you develop a solution, identify what the problem is. Find the pain that you are going to alleviate before you start, write it down, and share it with your possible teammates. Make sure that it is real. Make sure that it really ticks people off. Do this first … … and you will begin your startup journey with a head-start.