How Your Startup Can Beat the Odds

These days, it seems like everyone wants to be part of a startup or small business. Just last year, small businesses accounted for as much as 80% of employee growth in the U.S. The U.K. also broke records when it launched 581,000 new companies, with this year expected to be another record-breaker. Startup hubs are popping up in new places, too; more than $3 billion was invested in LA’s tech scene, for example.

(Still not convinced? Take a look at just how much VCs are investing in startups.)

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But being part of a startup isn’t all glitz and glamour. By now, many of us have heard the frequently thrown around stat that nine out of 10 startups fail.

How then can you become the one that makes it? Check out three decks on achieving startup success — including how to develop company culture and scale — below:

The Ultimate Playbook You Should Follow

This isn’t your typical company playbook. This one is about the need for human-friendly policies in startups. Innovation consultancy Luminary Labs looked to examples from Etsy and General Assembly to Upworthy and Birchbox to find out how those companies improve their bottom line with employee-centric policies. Among a few of the policies listed? “Have options for your options,” (Pinterest), “Sick means sick” (Luminary Labs), and “Leave when you need it” (Change.org):

How to Ride the Wave of Startup Advice

There are two types of advice: generic and specific. While startups can benefit from both, there also lies an inherent issue: contradictory advice. For example, you may hear that you need to “Have a clear vision, and stick with it” while also being told, “Be prepared to change your idea/pivot.” 500 Startups resident Andy Young shares how to interpret all the advice coming your way (including the cliches):

Blitzscaling Your Startup

In this course by LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman, Stanford students learn about blitzscaling, a.k.a. a specific type of scaling that enables tech and Silicon Valley startups to grow — fast. The secret sauce? Networks. See how to leverage blitzscaling in the first course below, and view the other lectures here:

READ MORE: 3 Decks on Mastering the Art of the Startup