
A Recipe for Growth: Adding Layers to the Cake - dwynings
http://jeff.a16z.com/2012/01/18/a-recipe-for-growth-adding-layers-to-the-cake/
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mindcrime
Now that is good stuff. I mean, it seems obvious in a sense, and arguably it
distills down to "grow by offering a continually expanding portfolio of
complementary products." But for folks who haven't spent a lot of time
thinking about growth strategies, or who have tunnel vision over their current
product, this article could be a real eye-opening.

At Fogbeam Labs, we use the analogy of an onion, with it's many layers,
instead of a cake analogy... but the point is the same. Know exactly what
you're doing, and have great focus; but also have a strong awareness of what
your complements as a good leading indicator of where you can grow.

BTW, on that note... for the hackers in the crowd, who are doing startups but
have never cracked open a marketing book or anything "business related," I'd
like to offer a suggestion. Pony up the couple of hundred bucks or so that
it'll cost, and commit 1 semester to taking a "Marketing 101" class at the
local community college. Or at least buy the book and read it. Despite what
you might believe, marketing isn't all about hucksterism and selling snake-oil
to unsuspecting rubes.

