Prioritize planning over rapid iteration
ProductUnlike software, hardware mistakes can be fatal and unrecoverable, requiring rigorous upfront planning and testing before going to market.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Hall of Masters
Chris Dixon
크리스 딕슨
Investing and capital allocationBorn 1972
General partner at Andreessen Horowitz; founder turned investor
1,416 records in all
- Principles 579
- Episodes 284
- Quotes 553
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Principles
87 basic records of 579
Principles are our summary of their public statements.
Distinguish Protocols from Platforms
TechnologyA service is only truly open if it functions as a distributed protocol rather than a centralized service controlled by a single for-profit gatekeeper.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Accept the brutality of leadership
LeadershipFounding a company involves painful decisions like firing friends, which is a reality of creative destruction in business.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Distinguish Adequacy from Optimality
StrategyJust because a system or tool works well enough for daily use does not mean it is the most efficient or logical design possible.
1 more supporting quote is in the member records.
Beware of Metric-Driven Acquisitions
ManagementAcquisitions made solely to boost short-term growth or manipulate expense categories often destroy the product culture of the acquired startup.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Acquire Subsumed Products
ManagementIf a platform must absorb a developer's functionality, it should maintain ecosystem health by acquiring the affected products.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Force the momentum
StrategyEntrepreneurs must actively force progress because the world naturally resists change and prefers the status quo.
Supporting quotes
The default state of the world is to stay the way it is, which means the default state of a startup is failure.
Source Chris Dixon The Default State Of A Startup Is Failure, 2012 (opens in a new tab)
1 more supporting quote is in the member records.
Identify Outside-In Opportunities
StrategyFounders should look for technologies that start on the fringes and are dismissed as toys, as these often have lower capital requirements and level the playing field.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Adapt to Market Maturity
StrategyAs industries mature, competition shifts from basic functionality to specialized products tailored to specific customer segments.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Build for community governance
LeadershipDecisions about ranking, filtering, and user promotion are better handled by transparent community mechanisms than by unaccountable corporate groups.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Combine Federation and Extensibility
ProductWeb services should aim to be both federated through APIs and extensible through third-party apps to maximize their utility.
Supporting quotes
Allowing websites to be federated and extensible will open up a whole new wave of innovation.
Source Chris Dixon Web Services Should Be Both Federated And Extensible, 2010 (opens in a new tab)
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Enable Data Threesomes
StrategyTrue innovation happens when multiple services can exchange data seamlessly rather than forcing users to choose a single siloed provider.
Supporting quotes
Allowing websites to be federated and extensible will open up a whole new wave of innovation.
Source Chris Dixon Web Services Should Be Both Federated And Extensible, 2010 (opens in a new tab)
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Simplify User Authorization
ProductTo foster complex integrations, platforms must reduce friction by allowing multiple third-party authorizations in a single step.
Supporting quotes
Allowing websites to be federated and extensible will open up a whole new wave of innovation.
Source Chris Dixon Web Services Should Be Both Federated And Extensible, 2010 (opens in a new tab)
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Build gravitas for long-term control
LeadershipLeaders need enough influence or structural control to resist quarterly pressure and focus on generational transitions.
1 more supporting quote is in the member records.
Product desirability can shift power
StrategyA product that is sufficiently desirable to consumers can force powerful incumbents to change their behavior and restructure the entire industry.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Adopt the Underhype Mode
StrategyFocus on acquiring users and generating revenue publicly without seeking tech press or investor hype to delay competitor entry.
1 more supporting quote is in the member records.
Track the Full Customer Journey
MarketingAdvertisers should track users through the entire purchasing process rather than just attributing success to the final click.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Capitalize on Attribution Inefficiencies
Finding ideasMarket opportunities exist in providing technology or strategies that correctly value top-of-funnel activities.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Prioritize Infrastructure Over Networking
StrategyFounders need reliable high-speed internet and physical infrastructure more than they need government-organized networking events.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
The Clean Slate Test
DecisionsRegularly ask if the product would be built the same way if starting from scratch today to avoid cognitive biases.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
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