It’s not a great team that brings success for a startup. Nor a great product. It’s market – the primary reason for any successful startup. You have to choose the right market to be successful. If not, screw everything! Why?

Which one should be put first? It’s brand awareness. The excitement of creating a new product might lead you to the wrong path: after finishing product creation phase, you chase after distribution – how to sell it. This approach only costs you time and effort as well as tons of money on ineffective marketing. Instead, before going insane for how much money you can gain from selling the product, invest in spreading your brand further. This means, find more customers. Whisper into their ear about who you are anytime you can so they can recognize you when you are among the crowd. That’s when marketing tactics jump in and work.

Facebook reminded me of a status I wrote “on this day” 2 years ago. I asked my ex-boss and my team about what the special feature or recognition of a product they made is to write a marketing plan based on it. They said they don’t have a single idea. I was shocked.