The Startup Calendar
In a startup, you are always racing against a clock. Most of the time this is “when are we going to need to raise more money” but can also be working toward key milestones or trying to outpace key competitors, which is often when you need to raise money. And, as you racing toward these milestones, there are lots of things the team needs to track and measure, many of which relate to one another. For example, if you need to raise money, you want to show a ramp in new users/customers, which is usually fueled by an earlier marketing tactic or key product update. So, you need some form of a “startup calendar” that allows you to look ahead as well as track your progress toward the metrics that matter to the company and can be correlated over time. I have developed a lightweight Google Doc as a start to this process and am using it actively in our latest company, www.rivaliq.com (the best way to analyze and monitor your competitive landscape). It is an open Doc, so clone it, add to it, react to it and help me make it better.
The Startup Calendar – https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnSCCr4IgqIpdGx3M1hUcjV6cGM0NUJaNmNqRGctdkE&usp=sharing
Pay attention to time and make measured progress!
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