Project flipping is challenge launch-to-sell. It’s the challenge identical of drag-car racing. The function is to briefly promote the challenge to a strategic purchaser who regularly will pay a prime top class for a corporation that matches their company technique. Instagram is a paramount instance. It was once offered for double the valuation a couple of week after the VC funding. Most commonly the flipping takes longer than per week, as with regards to YouTube (bought through Google), WhatsApp (received through Fb), and Paypal (purchased through eBay). Flipping to firms generally gives a good looking go out for each the VC and the entrepreneur, however acquisitions have no longer performed really well for company patrons. Roughly 70% – 90% of company acquisitions are estimated to fail.
Project construction is construction a challenge with out taking into account it a non permanent car for a quick sale. It’s the challenge identical of the Dakar Rally. It rewards smarts, talents, and staying power. The function is to construct an actual trade for the longer term. The 99.9% of ventures that don’t obtain VC are on this class. And most likely the 80% of VC-funded disasters must had been on this class – and could have decided on this technique if there was once a do-over in challenge construction.
After which there are the unicorns, the uncommon ventures that turn into a house run. They’re the of entirety a bet construction. Billion-dollar marketers, i.e., marketers who construct a challenge from concept to greater than $1 billion in gross sales and valuation, are challenge developers.
The Steps: Flipping vs. Development
Project flipping’s steps come with:
· Figuring out a chance, together with a Minimal Viable Product
· Discovering a technique that works with angel capital
· Launching the challenge with challenge capital
· Searching for an go out basically by means of strategic sale or an IPO (if the challenge is a good fortune).
Project construction’s steps come with:
· Figuring out a possible enlargement alternative
· Proving the tactic for enlargement possible
· Financing with Opposite-VC to develop with keep watch over
· Commencing with out VC
· Scaling up after take-off – regularly with VC in Silicon Valley and with out VC out of doors it.
Which is Higher for Marketers?
Project flipping works neatly:
· For the nineteen% of VC-funded ventures which are a success however no longer unicorns. The VCs who funded those ventures after Aha need to go out at a prime valuation. So that they turn the ventures to strategic patrons who pay a prime value.
· In Silicon Valley the place VCs fund a large number of promising ventures, challenge flipping is regularly for ventures that can not or don’t need to cross public however have price for an organization
· In ventures with restricted upside possible, which belong as divisions of firms
· When the challenge addresses a distinct segment marketplace, basically in a sizzling rising business and the dominant unicorn needs to buyout possible competition and steer clear of long run pageant. This is one reason Fb purchased WhatsApp.
· For marketers who’re in search of a quick go back for growing a era and advancing it to the purpose the place a company purchaser pays a good looking top class.
The issues with challenge flipping are the percentages, which might be that:
· The challenge is not going to get VC (~99,900/100,000)
· The challenge will fail with VC (~80/100)
· The marketers will be afflicted by dilution (100/100)
· The marketers might be ousted (very best estimates are ~30/100)
Project construction specializes in strengthening the challenge for long-term enlargement and domination. The function is to construct an actual challenge that may continue to exist, prevail and dominate as an impartial company. If strategic patrons be offering a king’s ransom, the entrepreneur accepts it. If no longer, they maintain rising. WhatsApp was once a really perfect instance. Jan Koum and his spouse have been construction a really perfect challenge. When Fb paid billions, they took it.
Project construction works neatly:
· For all ventures sooner than Aha as a result of VCs don’t fund sooner than Aha – they want proof of possible
· For the 99.98% of ventures who don’t get VC or who fail with VC
· For marketers who are not looking for VC or should not have VC – and are not looking for or want a observe having a look over their shoulder.
MY TAKE: Project flipping is to concentrate on the go out. Project construction is to concentrate on enlargement. Project construction is best for 100% of ventures sooner than Aha, and for 99.981% of ventures after Aha. Bobbing up with a minimal viable product and looking for challenge capital to scale up works for only a few. Marketers want talents to expand a capital-smart technique for enlargement possible until take-off and management talents to dominate after take-off.