Welcome to Mo’s Letter, a weekly publication by Dr Mo about social media, business strategy and career development.
Your startup is a baby
There are plenty of clothing options you can choose from—from snuggly blankets to cute little hats to tiny adorable shoes. You’ll want to splurge on PJs and toys and a super-fancy pram that’ll turn heads on the street. All of that is nice to have, but ultimately unimportant.
What your baby needs is milk.
Your startup is no different. In the beginning, you’ll meet people who will preach about the importance of a logo, or brand colours, or a fancy design. They’re both right and wrong—but in the beginning, they’re mostly wrong.
Your business doesn’t need a fancy logo; it needs sales.
Start with sales
Figure out whom you’re serving and what you’re selling to them, and reach out directly to close the sale. You don’t need a fancy proposal or company profile—simply tell them what you’re selling. If they like it, they’ll buy it. If they don’t, you’ll know why.
You might obsess over the packaging and the “brand identity” and your “positioning.” That’s like worrying about the baby’s career choices or which college it will attend. Those are all important in the long run—but your baby is hungry right *now.*
So feed the baby.
As it grows, you can turn your attention (and time, money, and energy) towards dressing it up in fancy clothes, distracting it with mesmerising toys, and deciding which school it should attend.
But right now, feed the baby.
Till next week,
Mo
In my last post, I explained why social media is only one aspect of your digital medication. It’s a bitter—but necessary—pill to swallow; and here’s why:
Need help with social media management? I help brands become rockstars on all the major social media platforms. Get in touch.
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Mohammed Shehu, Ph.D. writes on content and marketing for creators and brands. You can find him online @shehuphd everywhere.