What the Best Startup Pros Do (and You Should Too)

Empat, as a startup studio, has been working on the development of 300+ projects. So, we know everything about startups, their features, and hidden tips for their success.

How to have a growth mindset?

Many successful startup founders share a common philosophy called a growth mindset, which allows their companies to develop continuously. Here are some tips on how to have it:

1. Define your purpose and values: Prioritize the values that are most meaningful to you and form them into purpose so that it will drive every decision, from product development to team building.
2. Look at failure as at an opportunity: Many successful startup founders are not afraid of failure but consider it a chance to grow. They consistently gather feedback by testing and creating MVPs from customers and investors to improve their products, strategy, etc. The growth mindset allows you to make every failure a chance to improve.
3. Value the process over the results: By focusing on continuous improvement, you can create a culture of innovation and experimentation.

The right way of focusing on customer needs

Successful startup owners don't only create products; they solve real people's real problems. They are always oriented on people's pains, values, and needs, building products based on their insights.

To achieve such a client-centric approach, you must always be in touch with your Target Audience. This means actively gathering feedback, conducting user research, and analyzing data to deeply understand what your customers truly need and want.

Real-life case "Caries Monsters Fighters"

In the case of "Caries Monsters Fighters," Empat and the creators recognized that their target audience, children, were scared to go to the dentist. We used this insight to develop a product that addressed this pain, helping children overcome their fear and have a more positive dental experience. With our app, after each visit to the doctor, children were given one monster card that they could bring to life with AR. And to make the appointments systematic, each time they were given a new card with a new monster.

Key advises:

1. Focus on solving the problems of your potential customers.
2. Make a detailed "portrait" of your Target Audience.
3. Prioritize customer satisfaction.

Tips to build a strong team

The startup's success in 90% always depends on the relationships beyond the team. Processes can't run smoothly if one part of the team doesn't know what is doing the other. That's why we recommend that you look at Laloux's organizational theory, especially the concept of teal organization.

What exactly is a teal company?

In 2014, Frederic Laloux "colored" companies by stages of development, and the highest degree of organizational development was marked teal. Teal organizations are centered on people. The classic meaning of a manager is removed, and a mentor appears who only teaches and gives advice.

Teal organizations are based on three  principles:

• Self-management: Teams are allowed to make their own decisions and take ownership of their work.
• Wholeness of identity: Employees are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, fostering authenticity, creativity, and a sense of belonging.
• Evolutionary purpose: The organization is seen as a living entity with its own purpose. Team members are encouraged to contribute to the organization's growth and evolution.

To build a teal company, incorporating the concept of DISC personality in your management is a must. It's the acronym for four main behavior styles: dominance, influence, conscientiousness, and steadiness. This concept allows you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of employees and helps to combine them into teams for the best performance.

Let's take a deeper look at this concept:

Dominance: Personalities with such type would instead focus on results; they are leaders with character traits such as persistence, assertiveness, decisiveness, and confidence.

Influence: Such employees focus on social situations and communication. They are often skilled at influencing others and tend to be optimistic, open, enthusiastic, trusting, and energetic.

Conscientiousness: They relate to the structure and organization. Their primary character traits focus on the product's quality and accuracy.

Steadiness: Such team members are patient and thoughtful in their workspace. Their main value is calmness in the working atmosphere. They tend to cooperation and sincerity.

And remember, building a startup demands a deep understanding of team dynamics and a commitment to developing a healthy, collaborative work environment.

Grow network

Success doesn't come just from the perfect product. It would help if you networked with professionals and leaders in your niche to share experiences and find partnerships, investments, and valuable advice. Here are some advices to grow the network:

1. Attend industry events, conferences, etc.
2. LinkedIn is a powerful network; this social media platform is perfect for professionals to communicate, share their thoughts, and present their products.
3. Join startup studios like Empat for mentorship.
4. Collaborate with other startups.

Forget about marketing (only at the early stages)

It may look controversial, but in the first stages, you really need to focus on testing the idea by creating MVP.

Marketing without a product-market fit is fatal. You might get a few users, but without a foundation, your growth will be unsustainable. Instead, invest your time, energy, and resources into refining your product, getting early adopters' feedback, and testing until you've created something truly valuable.

You can start the marketing campaign after your product is fully tested and ready to launch.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you adopt these tips of successful entrepreneurs, you can navigate challenges, find opportunities, and lead your startup to lasting success. Focus on growing and learning, networking, building clear communication via the team, and staying adaptable.