

Ask HN: Is the term "Startup" always mean Tech Startup? - MarlonPro

I have always dreamed of building an startup but I have not yet reached a viable idea that I can start with.<p>So, I have a plan b - e-commerce. I have a product in mind that I want to sell online via Shopify. I won't manufacture the product myself.<p>The question is, does an e-commerce business (retail) qualify for the term "startup"?
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mindcrime
With all due respect, I'd wager you've already spent more time worrying about
this issue than could ever possibly be warranted. "Startup" is just a word,
nothing more. Do what _you_ want to do, quit worrying about how some people
use a word.

But if you really care about the opinion of some random stranger on the 'net,
I'd say that a "startup" does not have to be a "technology company" but I'd
say the definition has more to do with the scalability of the company. If
you're starting a restaurant that will never be more than one location, and
will just provide income for the proprietors, then I'd say that isn't what I
think of as a proper "startup." But a restaurant that's the first of a planned
nationwide (or worldwide) chain, that expects to eventually do billions of
dollars in revenue, I would count as a "startup."

On the flipside, just because a company is a "technology company" doesn't
necessarily mean they'd be what I consider a startup. Look at the Micro-ISV
movement and the idea of small software companies that aren't meant to scale
up and grow big. I wouldn't consider those startups either.

If you expect to take outside funding, and see a potential path to an IPO, you
probably have a "startup" by most standards. But, again... none of this crap
really matters. Forget playing semantic games with labels and definitions and
get to work, regardless of what you call it! :-)

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ig1
The term startup more reflect the growth curve than the type of business, is
it something that could grow 10-100x+ fold in a short (~5 year) time period.
So something like Groupon or Zappos could have been considered a startup even
though they were essentially retail businesses they had that hockey stick
growth curve.

Similarly a tech business which is very labour intensive (for example a
consultancy firm) is unlikely to be a startup because scale that type of
business tends to be a very slow and expensive process.

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thejteam
The term "startup" varies depending on who you are talking to. To most people,
"startup" simply means a new business. Around here, it seems to have a
specific meanign that I will not atempt to elaborate on because I would only
get it wrong.

