Opportunities for Managers

Phases of startups

Startups move through numerous phases from their inception as an idea to their growth as a full-fledged company. As these stages progress, various opportunities can arise where you can get involved as a manager. We’ll take a look at these with reference to the figure below.

Let’s begin by briefly walking through the diagram from left to right, taking in the stages.

• Co-founders: This is where the people with the initial idea create a business and get started. Unless you’re one of the founders yourself, you won’t be concerned with this stage. The co-founders will be looking for a problem-solution fit. They ask is it possible to build a product that solves some business problem? Typically, this results in building a minimum viable product (MVP) to see if customers purchase it and what they can learn from them. Most, if not all, input at this stage will be from the co-founders.
• Initial investment: If the initial MVP gains traction and looks like it may become a viable business, startups seek initial investment, so they can begin to grow faster than they could organically. This initial investment can come from angel investors, who are typically wealthy businesspeople, startup accelerators, specialized investment funds, and