Startup Revolution

I became a testing junkie to defeat HIPPOs. We riff a Tommy Walker Shopify post sharing why SMBs & online merchants should be testing junkies too.

Startups & Stores
I almost forgot one of my rules (lol). Stores help any website, brand or idea get better faster. There are things you learn creating a store our #startup http://www.curagami.com can't teach.

We have over 30 years of ecommerce experience and creating one Shopify store will, over the course of the 2 - 4 days it takes, teach you half of what we know.

What Creating A Store Teaches Startups

* Content and copy writing.

* Webdesign.

* Product categorization, planning and business intelligence (#BI). 

* Social Media.
* Thinking about THEM (your customers).

* Learning to test & validate assumptions.
* Provides a new dimension for B2B and B2C products, companies and tools.

The new "perspective" the last bullet mentions is the gold. Getting out of your head and testing assumptions and ideas IRL (In Real Life) is more valuable than every brainstorm we've ever had.

Brainstorms and past experience create an assumption framework. Creating a store pushing assumptions into the deep end of the pool and they learn to swim fast or drown

Competitive Advantage
We work around 6 startups and NONE of them have or are likely to follow my advice to create store. Every startup here in Durham thinks they are selling a THING.

I've learned the hard way the first thing we startups sell is OURSELVES (you & people on your team). Next thing you sell is money making competency. If you know a better way to prove "money making competency" than spending $200 to create a Shopify store be sure to tweet @Curagami and share that idea and trust we will be creating your idea next :).

Marty & Team Curagami

PS. Will share HackHeadphones.Shopify.com when its live (probably Monday)

Buffett's Startups Tips
* Multiple Money - Don't depend on one source of income.

* Spending - Don't buy what you don't need or you will be forced to sell what you do.
* Saving - Spend what is left after saving not other way around.

* Risk Taking - Never test river depth with both feet.

And more tips from the Oracle of Omaha for startups in this Haiku Deck
http://shar.es/1a0BaI