Revenue, Subscribers, Investors, Advisors— So What Are You Really Seeking?

A recent email from a startup founder that was worth sharing my response to as the question the founder asked, in some form or another, is asked all too frequently and my answer, regardless of the sector or market or eco-system, is typically the same. Bottom line: investors aren’t always the right answer (when the question is about growing a business), neither is scaling quickly the right business strategy. Seeking advice is always a good idea but asking big, open boiling-the-ocean questions — never!

Founder: I launched a mobile service …we’ve had terrific press, are growing monthly subscribers, and showing strong revenue growth (85k+ revenue in 5 months). I want to scale this quickly…. I’m reaching out for insight on strategic advisors,...