A talk given to students of Computer Science and Engineering at QUT in Brisbane, Australia. What is a high-growth startup, how do I know if I have the right startup idea, and have I got what it takes to be successful?

1. Startups

2. Startups

3. Hi, I’m Dwight
1 Gold Coast born and bred
2 Amsterdam based (for now)
3 Software engineer
4 Startup founder
5 Community advocate
@dwightgunning

4. @dwightgunning
Visiting Entrepreneur Program

5. Who’s in the
room?
@dwightgunning

6. Ask if you’re not sure …
@dwightgunning

7. • What is a startup?
• Have I got what it takes to be
successful?
• How do I know if I have the right
startup idea?
@dwightgunning
Topics

8. What is a startup?
@dwightgunning

9. “A temporary organisation in search of a repeatable,
scalable and sustainable business model”
— Steve Blank
@dwightgunning
A formal definition

10. @dwightgunning
Venture
Funded
Bootstrapped
High Risk
High
Growth
Innovative
The Party Balloon Diagram

11. @dwightgunning
How do startups get going?
Inspired
Individuals
Emerging
Entrepreneurs
Founders
Early-stage
Startup
Growth-stage
startup
Mature
business

12. Concept credit: Daniel Newman @dwightgunning
Startup
Business
Product-
Market
Fit
Uncertainty rules …

13. Concept credit: The Lean Startup @dwightgunning
Build
MeasureLearn
@dwightgunning
Data
Ideas MVP

14. @dwightgunning@dwightgunning
Minimum Viable Product

15. If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you've
launched too late!
Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn)

16. Do I have what it takes
@dwightgunning

17. @dwightgunning
What traits do entrepreneurs need?
Think in
problems
and solutions

18. @dwightgunning
What traits do entrepreneurs need?
Think in
problems
and solutions
Vision

19. @dwightgunning
What traits do entrepreneurs need?
Think in
problems
and solutions
Vision Self Belief

20. @dwightgunning
What traits do entrepreneurs need?
Think in
problems
and solutions
Vision Self Belief
Risk Taking

21. @dwightgunning
What traits do entrepreneurs need?
Think in
problems
and solutions
Vision Self Belief
TenacityRisk Taking

22. Startup ideas
@dwightgunning

23. Passion > Idea > Startup
@dwightgunning

24. @dwightgunning
A similar story …

25. @dwightgunning
… they looked like terrible ideas

26. @dwightgunning
A similar story …

27. @dwightgunning
… they started as side projects / pivots

28. 28
‘If something is important enough, even
if the odds are against you,
you should still do it.’
— Elon Musk
@dwightgunning

29. It’s a wrap.
@dwightgunning
Download the slides
http://www.launchsteps.com/meetups-workshops/