Edu: Traditional Business vs Startups - The Essential Differences That Drive Disruption

It’s one of the first questions people ask when they hear of startups.

What makes startups different from usual businesses?

Recently Chris found himself in a debate about the differences between traditional businesses and startups. 

As a result he created a document and shared it with his followers about the similarities and differences.

Fortunately, this week on The Startup Podcast he and Yaniv debate the commonalities, differences and how startups drive disruption.

Together they discuss:

📈 Objectives Clash:

• Traditional businesses gravitate towards steady growth, while startups chase the adrenaline of rapid expansion and scale.

🔄 Activities Diverge:

• Traditional businesses fine-tune existing products, contrasting with startups that embrace experimentation to discover elusive product-market fit.

🌐 Leadership Philosophies:

• While traditional businesses thrive on consensus, startups dance to the beat of a founder's visionary rhythm.

🎲 Risk Tolerance Dynamics:

• Traditional enterprises tread carefully in risk aversion, whereas startups boldly waltz through the uncertainty, seeing it as a playground for innovation.

⚙️ Execution Styles:

• Traditional businesses methodically execute incremental strategies, in stark contrast to startups prioritizing agility, speed, and continuous learning.

🤝 Engaging Industries:

• Traditional businesses seek partnerships within the familiar, while startups set sail to disrupt the status quo and redefine industries.

🔍 Focused vs Diversified:

• Traditional businesses diversify their portfolio, whereas startups concentrate on a niche with unwavering focus.

💰 Compensation Philosophies:

• Traditional businesses stick to market wages, whereas startups entice talent with the allure of equity and moderate pay.

Don’t miss this special episode!

Episode Links:

Checkout the document that Chris created that sparked this discussion: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EiFWYJpSbDoxdiKWeD_EBk26Q82Ki8NvjASQ2m_-JvY/edit

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Key links

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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

• Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/  

• Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/  

• Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Credits

Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:

Editor: Justin McArthur

Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang