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Rules - Rule 11. Lean-forward effects transform an idea into a company
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.
