The Startup Chat with Steli and Hiten

238: Deadly Shortcuts Founders Should Avoid

Sep 5, 2017
Startups often fall into the trap of shortcuts that promise quick growth but cause long-term harm. Purchasing low-quality email lists leads to poor deliverability and spam issues, resulting in minimal conversions. Imitating marketing tactics without context can sabotage customer relationships. The dangers of discounting products and sharing misleading metrics are also highlighted, stressing the need for authenticity. Founders are urged to resist the temptation of the easy path, emphasizing the value of building a solid foundation for lasting success.
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ADVICE

Avoid Buying Cold Email Lists

  • Avoid buying large, cold email lists; they contain many outdated or bouncing addresses and lead to poor open and response rates.
  • Using such lists can get your email banned and damage your startup's reputation permanently.
ADVICE

Don't Blindly Copy Marketing Tactics

  • Don't blindly copy marketing tactics without validating that your customers use that channel.
  • Tailor your marketing to what fits your business, not just because another company succeeded with it.
ANECDOTE

Founder Begged for Fake Sales

  • A founder once begged friends to open paid accounts just to hit fake sales goals for a board meeting.
  • This desperate begging creates fake metrics that lead to worse future business outcomes like bad churn and unrealistic targets.
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