The document provides advice for startups on embracing risk and focusing on creating successful products and services. It recommends that startups avoid reducing risk through diversification, and instead focus on a single brand, product, and revenue stream. The document also advises startups to build what they believe in rather than pursuing money or the preferences of investors, and to aim high through creating new worlds rather than incremental improvements.

1. Silicon Valley Startup
Ali Partovi
@apartovi

2. crisis = danger + opportunity

3. Silicon Valley
embraces risk.

4. SUCCESS
FAILURE

5. SUCCESS
FAILURE
SURVIVAL

6. SUCCESS
FAILURE
SURVIVAL

7. Even worse than failure
is survival without success.

8. Risk is a startup’s competitive
advantage! Avoid strategies
that reduce risk.

9. Do not diversify. Focus.
One brand.
One product.
One revenue stream.
People have limited attention.

10. WhatsApp

11. Avoid multiple revenue
streams. One is enough.
(It’s easier if your users are
the ones who pay you.)

12. Don’t make decisions based
on what other investors want
to see.
You are the biggest investor.

13. Build what you believe in.
Then find the investors who
believe too.

14. Don’t pursue money.
Create something people will
want. Money will follow.

15. Be bold. Create a new world.
Don’t start a company around
incremental improvement.

16. If you’re going to fail, fail fast.
As an entrepreneur, you
diversify over time: by starting
the next thing.