The document outlines 9 things that were not told to the author about starting a business. It advises to not generalize, prioritize work flow, meet people in person, understand that sales are important, technology is not the only part of a product experience, sell the current version and not future promises, learn from mistakes, hire the right people, and tell an honest story to potential customers. The document was written by Hjálmar Gíslason for Nerd and provides a link to presentation slides about the 9 points.

1. F I N D A N D U N D E R S TA N D D ATA
9 things nobody told me
about the start-up business
Hjálmar Gíslason - Nerd Betware, March 2012

2. #9 Do NOT generalize
especially not to begin with

3. #8 Prioritize
and find a work-flow that works

4. #7 Meet people
face to face

5. #6 You are a sales person
whether you like it or not

6. #5 Technology != product
it’s the entire experience

7. #4 Sell the current version
no matter how amazing the next one is

8. #3 Learn from mistakes
preferably others’

9. #2 Pick the right people
good people is not enough

10. #1 Tell a good story
but don’t make them up

11. F I N D A N D U N D E R S TA N D D ATA
9 things nobody told me
about the start-up business
Slides: http://tiny.cc/9things
hg@datamarket.com
@hjalli / @datamarket