This document is a comprehensive startup guide that covers essential topics such as differentiating small businesses from startups, following the lean startup methodology, and understanding the business model canvas. It emphasizes the importance of a minimum viable product, entrepreneurial skills, and having a solid exit strategy to attract investors. Additionally, it highlights the transformative potential of startups in various industries through innovative practices.

1. STARTUP GUIDE
EVERYTHING YOU
NEED TO KNOW TO
START & GROW
AAMIR QUTUB

2. WHAT TOPICS
WE'LL GO
THROUGH:
• What's the difference between small business and startup?
• Why should you follow the Lean Startup Methodology?
• Best startup resources for lean startup entrepreneurs
• Steve Blank's Business Model Canvas
• What is a Minimum Viable Product?
• How to find a good idea for my startup?
• Why is business model canvas important before venturing out
your startup?
• Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?
• What questions does an investor ask before investing in your
company?
• Exit Strategy is a crucial part while mapping a business strategy

3. What's the difference
between Small Business
And Startup?
A small business is a self-sustaining entity that
generates revenue from the first day of its opening. It
doesn't need substantial investment and time to build
a working company.
While there are no stringent rules to determine what
startup is, the general definition of a startup is any
company that is in the early stages of operations but
expects significant growth in the near future.

4. Why should you follow
the Lean Startup
Methodology?
The Lean Startup Methodology offers a systematic
approach to the development and management of
startups and accelerates consumer production of the
desired product. The Lean Startup approach shows
you how to drive a startup:
• how-to guide, when to turn, and when to
persevere,
• how to grow a company with full speed.
This is a principled approach to the production of new
goods.

5. Best startup
resources for
entrepreneurs
Statistics claim that most startups are faced with a grim fate. You may
have learned that 8 out of 10 companies crashed. Nevertheless, this is
not entirely correct; according to a survey by Statistic Brain, more than
50 per cent of U.S. businesses fail after five years, and more than 70 per
cent fail after 10 years.
Why does this happen? Steve Blanks suggest that traditional
approaches to business growth will not apply to startups.
Unlike businesses, start-ups conduct innovations; they are sponsored
and scaled differently and have different goals. The aim of startups is to
bring change to the masses rather than follow the trodden track of very
well-known business schemes.

6. Steve Blank's
Business Model
Canvas

7. What is a Minimum
Viable Product?
A minimum viable product
(MVP) is a development technique
in which a new product or
website is developed with
sufficient features to satisfy early
adopters. The final, complete set
of features is only designed and
developed after considering
feedback from the product's
initial users.

8. If you're looking for a startup idea, don't
look outside for people to tell you what
they're looking for. Choose a personal
problem, reaffirm it, and if you see
people actually inclined to use or pay for
a solution like that, then and only then
start a business around it.
How to find a
good idea for my
startup?

9. Why is business model
canvas important
before venturing out?
Business Model Canvas is strategic management and
business tool. It helps you to define, plan, challenge,
innovate and rotate your business model.
Business Model Canvas breaks down your business model
into easily understood segments: Key Partners, Key
Activities, Key Resources, Value Propositions,
Customer Relationships, Channels, Customer
Segments, Cost Structure, and Revenue Streams.

10. Why is business model
canvas important
before venturing out?
Innovation is disruptive. But, not every business is
prepared for disruption. Without a strategy, pivoting is
almost impossible. For a company to evolve, it must have
a fine-tuned plan to lead it towards a sustainable potential
business model. Using a method like Business Model
Canvas will help to put your company together in a
simple vision of where your organization is now and
where it will be tomorrow (and how it will go there).

11. The fact is you don't know what it takes to be an
entrepreneur unless you try. To be an entrepreneur, you
have to be persistent or resilient enough. Many people
can become successful entrepreneurs-it takes the will
and the willingness to learn. There are specific skills that
increase the chances of entrepreneurial success, such
as management, sales and product design. These skills
can be taught and mastered. Also, to become an
entrepreneur, you need more than charisma. Successful
entrepreneurs exhibit vision, systematic thinking, strong
analytic skills, and a blend of humility and ambition
Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

12. What questions
does an investor ask
before investing in
your company?
Investors usually ask five questions before they
decide to invest in your startup.
• What problem are you solving? What is
it exactly you're solving?
• Whose problems are you solving? Who
are your customers/target audiences?
• Who are your competitors?
• How are you better than your
competitors?
• How are you faster than them? How are
you better than them and cheaper than
them?

13. Exit Strategy is a crucial part
while mapping a business
strategy
Your exit strategy is crucial because it helps you
define the success of your company. When
entrepreneurs have not formulated an exit plan, it
could be an indication that they are not focused on
the potential transformation of the company.
There's a saying among venture capitalists, "It's
easy to make an investment, but how do we get out
of it?"
And investors don't want the exit plan to be
complicated or messy. Essentially, having a harvest
strategy and a plan to achieve it is what
distinguishes successful entrepreneurs from the
rest of the group.

14. TO FIND MORE INFO
Since the turn of the century, small startup ideas—Uber, Twitter,
Instagram, Airbnb, to name a few—have been scaled into technology
giants. Could you imagine a day without scrolling social media? Or
jumping in an Uber to the airport? Startups have disrupted industries by
focusing on cutting-edge technology, the sharing economy, and social
media.
Startups also have the potential to influence and transform industries of
the future. So, leap into the start-
up world with fresh ideas and a desire to change the world.
Learn more from the video on my Youtube Page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmVlN3xei4w&t=80s