The Jeff Pulver Blog: How long is a Start-up a Start-up?

« My search for Startups and Innovators continues: | Main | Feed Me Bubbe and Millie Garfield in the WSJ Today: »

May 09, 2007

How long is a Start-up a Start-up?

When talking about companies that are Start-ups, how do we define a start-up? By age? By revenue? By profitability? By Funding? (pre-seed, seed, Series A, Series B, etc?)

Is a company that was founded in 2000 and producing revenue in 2007 still a Start-up?

Or is a Start-up only a Start-up as a friend says “while it is losing money?”

As a judge in a “Start-up Competition” I am wondering how long a company is considered a Start-up?

Thoughts/Feedback/Comments would be appreciated here.

Tags: IVA, Startup, Israel, Red Herring, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff on May 9, 2007 07:46 PM | Permalink

Additional resources: #140conf events | Watch the Jeff Pulver Show | Jeff's Qik Videos

Comments

Posted by: トリーバーチ　スリッパー at September 26, 2011 05:38 AM

Posted by: OB蛋白痩身素 at September 26, 2011 05:37 AM

Posted by: さんべんぼう at September 26, 2011 05:35 AM

Posted by: 巨人倍増枸杞 at September 26, 2011 05:34 AM

A guy is walking past a big wooden fence at the insane asylum and he hears all the residents inside chanting, Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen!
　　Quite curious about this, he finds a hole in the fence, and looks in. Someone inside pokes him in the eye.
　　Then everyone inside the asylum starts chanting, Fourteen! Fourteen! Fourteen!

Posted by: jerseys58 at August 5, 2011 03:37 AM

http://custombaseballjerseyscheap.weebly.com/
http://custommadejerseyscheap.bligoo.com/
http://custombasketballjerseyscheap.weebly.com/
http://customsportsjerseyscheap.bligoo.com/
http://customjerseysforcheap.tumblr.com/
cheap custom jerseys
http://cheapcustomjerseys.weebly.com/
http://customhockeyjerseyscheap.weebly.com/

Posted by: cheap jerseys at May 11, 2011 04:34 AM

This is such a nice addition thanks

Posted by: سعودي كول at February 25, 2011 03:29 AM

Posted by: Replica watch at November 19, 2010 01:14 AM

http://www.citystyleshoes.com/diesel-jeans-c-45_80.html

Posted by: diesel men`s jeans at November 4, 2010 09:47 PM

It is good!

Posted by: Gucci cosmetic case with zip at October 22, 2010 03:18 AM

iphone 4 accessories
http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-Iphone-4-Accessories-c-1152.html
iPhone 4 Case
http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-Iphone-4-Cases-And-Housing-c-1224.html
iPhone 4 Car charger
http://www.banggood.com/product-tags-result/Iphone-4-Car-Charger_t1401338/1
iPhone 4 charger
http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-Iphone-4-Charger-c-1163.html
iPhone 4 screen protector
http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-Iphone-4-Screen-Protector-c-1154.html

Posted by: iphone 4 accessories at October 22, 2010 01:34 AM

http://www.oxpdf.jp/pdf-creator.html
http://www.oxpdf.jp/pdf-converter.html
http://www.oxpdf.jp/pdf-to-word-converter.html
http://www.oxpdf.jp/pdf-to-excel-converter.html
http://www.oxpdf.jp/pdf-to-image-converter.html

Posted by: tree at October 19, 2010 03:45 AM

Posted by: NHL Jerseys at October 14, 2010 11:03 PM

cheap supras,http://www.suprashoesfans.com；
supra footwear,http://www.suprashoesfans.com；
supra skytop,http://www.suprashoesfans.com；
buy supra shoes online,http://www.suprashoesfans.com；
Supra TK Society,http://www.suprashoesfans.com/supra-tk-society-c26/；

Posted by: supra shoes at October 9, 2010 11:42 PM

thank you! I like this news, I also have information to share, here is my message.we sale 60%-80% discount
cheap Abercrombie Premium Sweaters shoes、clothing、Jewellery、bag、Watchs。

Posted by: Abercrombie at October 7, 2010 03:48 AM

Posted by: mbt at August 29, 2010 11:33 PM

i like your blog very much

Posted by: nike air max at August 23, 2010 02:20 AM

Awesome question Jeff. I'd love to know what answer you end up with. Make sure you blog it :)

I've recently stopped referring to Scouta as a startup, but maybe that's my marketing gene kicking in.

Posted by: Richard Giles at May 10, 2007 11:56 AM

We are an ideas business, currently making PS2 games for Sony, which is profitable. But the purpose of the business is to generate commercial ideas, wherever we find them. We have an early stage VON project which is not connected with games. We think it counts as a start-up. What do you guys think?

Posted by: Toby Moores at May 10, 2007 11:13 AM

As long as there's more passion then revenue..

Posted by: Gadi Shimshon at May 10, 2007 06:48 AM

You're not a startup anymore when you can't fit your entire staff in one room at the same time. This is the only reliable metric. You can squirm around the definition with smaller people or a bigger room, but you're kidding yourself if try to twist into some revenue/funding/customers based metric.

Posted by: Pablos at May 10, 2007 03:53 AM

Used to be very simple. In traditional biz, startup phase was first 5 years of business. Once you got past Year 5, the wisdom was you were in it for the long haul and less likely to go bust.

In tech biz, they may no longer be considered a startup after first year IF they can generate revenues on their own. But I think people still look for longevity. Three years and you're already ancient in this space.

I don't think profitability dictates startup status. Nor customers.

I write a column for Entrepreneur and they consider startup to be under a certain revenue amount - $1 million. So what about the hundreds of thousands of companies who have been in business for 10+ years but will never generate $1 million in a year?

It seems to also be influenced by industry. I think a tech company can get out of the startup phase relatively quickly if they can at least generate steady revenues or steadily obtain financing over time. But getting your first $3 million funding infusion in the first 3 months of business doesn't suddenly take you out of startup status.

Bottom line - it is more based around time but that time can be shorter based on industry.

Posted by: Aliza Sherman at May 9, 2007 09:17 PM

Another good sign that you're no longer a startup - when you're the leader and you no longer trust everyone in the company, and need to codify things because you can no longer directly exert your own good judgement on who you hire.

Posted by: Christopher S. Penn at May 9, 2007 09:15 PM

To me, a company stops being a startup when it loses agility, when it can no longer adapt rapidly to a changing environment and no longer move with lightning speed. Generally speaking, the day you get an employee handbook that's longer than "Use your own good judgement in all things." is the day you stop being a startup.

Posted by: Christopher S. Penn at May 9, 2007 09:14 PM

Is it funding?

Is it revenue?

Is it staff?

Is it the number of customers?

Is it something else?
(Like location/office or press coverage etc.)

Posted by: Mike Hollatz at May 9, 2007 08:57 PM

I would say a company is a start-up until it becomes profitable.

Posted by: Casey at May 9, 2007 08:57 PM

May 09, 2007

How long is a Start-up a Start-up?

Comments

Post a comment