The Startup Reproduction Cycle

The Startup Reproduction Cycle is similar to the Human Reproduction Cycle. It may not necessarily last 9 months but has 9 phases which require the founders to mentally strong and physically active.

Phase 1 – The Seed Stage (happens instantly)

This when a person comes across a gap or a problem in a market which he/she starts thinking about. This problem may not be necessarily faced by that person.

Phase 2 – Idea Finalization (takes between 1-2 weeks)

Research is done to validate whether the idea is strong enough, the market is big enough and to judge how much competition exists.

Phase 3 – Building a Team (can happen soon or take forever)

The search for people having the passion and skill sets begins. This is very crucial as the founding team has a big role in a startup’s success or failure.

Phase 4 – Build Prototype (can take between 2-4 months based on the product’s complexity)

If a prototype can be built in house, great. Else vendors are sought to help with this stage.

Phase 5 – Register a Company & Get Other Licenses (in India, it can take up to 1 month currently)

Phase 6 – Make a Business Plan (can take between 1-3 months)

This is the deck which shows the long term vision of the startup. It is comprehensive and can be used to show to any big stakeholders or investors who might be interested in it. Tips on building a deck can be found here.

Phase 7 – Make a Short Term Plan for Launch (takes up to 2 weeks)

This is a detailed plan for launch where all operations and marketing strategies are laid out for a short time period (generally 6 months).

Phase 8 – Hire Resources & People for Launch (can take up to 1 month)

Based on the launch strategy, the necessary arrangements and hiring is done.

Phase 9 – Launch!

A lot of the phases above are carried out simultaneously. Generally the entire process takes between 3-6 months before a startup is born :).