RIDE. TRICK. PROMOTE.
◀ BACK TO THE WAVEBLOG
Startups, surfing and competition. 10 posts on picking a wave, staying in the pocket and getting back on the board after a wipeout.
-
Pick Your Wave Before You Paddle Harder
Most startups do not fail from a lack of effort. They fail because they picked a wave that was never going to break. Here is how to choose better.
-
The Paddle Out: What the First 90 Days Really Cost
Nobody photographs the paddle out, but it is where most of the energy goes. An honest accounting of the first ninety days of a startup.
-
Wipeout Recovery: Getting Back on the Board After a Failed Launch
A failed launch is not a verdict on your company. It is data, and there is a repeatable way to extract it before your team loses its nerve.
-
Reading the Lineup: Competitor Analysis Without the Paranoia
Watching competitors makes most teams slower, not faster. Here is how to read the lineup for information instead of anxiety.
-
Stay in the Pocket: The Case for Doing One Thing Absurdly Well
The pocket is the small part of the wave with all the power. Startups have one too, and most teams spend their time outside it.
-
What the Leaderboard Does Not Tell You
Every leaderboard measures something. The question is whether it measures the thing that decides whether your company survives.
-
Surf Etiquette for Founders: Competing Without Dropping In
Every crowded lineup runs on unwritten rules. Startup markets have them too, and breaking them costs more than most founders expect.
-
Timing the Set: Why Most Startups Are Early, Not Wrong
Being early looks exactly like being wrong, right up until it does not. How to tell the difference while you still have runway.
-
Board Selection: Choosing a Stack You Can Actually Ride
The best board is not the most advanced one. It is the one that matches the wave you are riding and the surfer you currently are.
-
Heat Strategy: What Competitive Surfing Teaches About Launch Day
A competitive heat is thirty minutes, two scoring waves and a clock. Launch day has the same structure and most teams plan for none of it.