As your idea gains momentum, you've got to make gains for the business too with deals, partnerships, and a top-notch team. You need a lean-forward effect, something that makes everyone at the table lean forward when they hear it. You want everyone, from the chief technology officer you're wooing to the angel investor thinking about dropping $100,000 on your idea to lean forward a bit further each time they hear from you. In fact you want people leaning so far forward they fall to the ground at your feet.
What generates such devotion? A management team, for starters. But there's an inherent problem: Key partners won't commit until you've got a marketing VP, who won't commit until he/she is reasonably certain the business will get off the ground. You go through a process of talking to a number of interested parties, gradually getting each of them to commit a little more than they did the last time, as they see the progress you've made. It's like orchestrating your efforts to reach a "crescendo."
Do whatever is possible to lock in place at least one element of your business, one lean-forward effect, that is not easily replicable. It may be the product's underlying technology. A slick prototype for a Web site won't do; anyone can hire a Web developer to produce that.
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