Thursday, January 18, 2007
Learning From the Crash
Today's tech start-up can last almost indefinitely even without revenues because it only takes one or two engineers to build a fully functional Web 2.0 site, and hosting costs are minimal. Exit strategies have also changed from IPO to acquisition. A WSJ article nicely highlights the differences between startups of 2000 and 2007.
What's changed?
Then:
- Pets.com Inc. burned through $110 million in 1999 and 2000 -- including spending an estimated $25 million on advertising in venues like the Super Bowl
- PayPal burned through about $10 million a month in mid-2000 to maintain a staff of 200. In total, PayPal spent $150 million before it finally broke even
- Spending an average of $35 on advertising, sales and other promotions to get just one user
- Using inexpensive server systems, open-source programs or Web-based services to build and launch their products, and offshoring to places like India
- Tech start-ups raising less funding these days -- an average of $8 million each time, down from $11 million in 2000
- Making the money last longer: Tech start-ups in Silicon Valley now survive an average of 17 months on a single round of funding before needing to raise more money, up from just 10 months in 2000
The key to survival that all smart start-ups know is to keep money in the bank for the inevitable shakeout, which the online video sharing sites are feeling right now.
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Labels: Technology