

Ask HN: When does a startup stop being a startup? - brianbreslin

I was wondering when do you consider a startup no longer a startup?<p>Is it a question of time? Size? Revenue? Growth?
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wpeterson
Steve Blank argues that a startup is "an organization formed around
discovering a business model".

By that definition, you're no longer a startup once you've established your
business model and proven the assumptions built into it.

You can make revenue and even profit and still remain a startup, if you're
evolving the business model.

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brianbreslin
so once you stop doing major pivots?

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wpeterson
That sounds right. Once you shift focus from defining the business model to
scaling the business.

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jsatok
In a recent interview (D8 Conference), Jobs called Apple "the world's biggest
startup". I don't think it's a question of size, revenue or growth, but rather
the mentality of the company and the individuals working there.

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coryl
Cute, but in the literal sense, I don't think you can call Apple, a 30+ year
old company, a startup.

The word is "Start" + "up". Time probably has the most to do with it, because
your not a startup after more than a couple years. If your still small after
that long, you're just an underperforming company. Growth probably has a to do
with it as well, because the bigger and more successful you grow, the closer
you are to reaching your company's maximum potential. Tons of employees aren't
typical of company's that just start.

So there's my logic!

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brianbreslin
I asked this question on twitter, and people thought once you had an HR
department you lost your startup-ness

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macros
My definition is that once there is no longer beer in the fridge, it isn't a
startup anymore.

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regularfry
When the question changes from "How can we make money?" to "How can we do it
faster?"

Startup mode is the search for a repeatable, scalable business model. It ends
once you've found it.

