Killer startups? BlackBox releases report/application to help avoid Deadpool founders

RIP Empson-writer at TechCrunch. He did not find friends here, he is here to win and you don't forget it. You can contact him at rip [at] techcrunch [dot] com ? more

It's not just green — or entrepreneur. The inherent risk of becoming an entrepreneur or startup founders is high. Sleepless nights, sweat equity, bribing new users come to your product — it's all part of the nerves, spinning and teeth grinding process. That's why these thugs mainly pirates in nature. But it's true that question several startups to ever make it far enough to find a buried treasure or piggyback on Facebook before fame; in fact, cold, hard reality is that more than 90 per cent of all startups fail.

This is why four young international entrepreneurs (Ziba Herrmann, Max Marmer, Fadi Bishara, Alexander Markov) created a so-called report launch genome because they wanted a deep dive into what makes a successful launch — and that causes so many to drink from a cup of FAIL.

67-page report, created in collaboration with scientists from Stanford and Berkeley, collects data from 3200 startups to date in order to work towards the creation of foundations for a new foundation for a more effective assessment of startups — by measuring thresholds and main stages of development, navigate through the early stages of a Web company. (Read our initial coverage of the launch of the genome report here.)

The report, which has a comprehensive and scientific approach to the analysis of trends launch was a success; has been downloaded 15000 times and in more than 150 publications in 20 different languages. But perhaps more importantly, the report (and subsequent data, add new companies and entrepreneurs) has already begun to show some interesting results — this can actually benefit those very people analyze. Namely, co-founder of Ziba Lasse Herrmann tells me the number one cause of the startup failure: premature scaling.

Herrmann said that group study found that 90 per cent of the startups that are 70 percent scaled prematurely, which sometimes subtle and sometimes dramatic impact on the success (or lack thereof) of their business. Self-destructing and not competition is the bane of most startups, it seems.

Thus the team behind the report, which also created the business Accelerator, called Blackbox (designed for the use of data collected from their R&D projects), wants to move beyond static reports and a tool for startups that will help them to deal with this widespread problem of premature scaling.

Today team Blackbox produces start compass, a tool built to be a recipe for premature scaling by comparing the progress of the company "5 main interdependent aspects", according to Herman: customers, products, teams, business model and finance. Compass provides entrepreneurs with the dashboard for monitoring progress on these parameters, helping them better priorities on a monthly basis, as well as help them find any inconsistencies in these measurements.

According to Herrmann many startups have problems whose solution priorities follow, not to mention measuring their effectiveness once they do, "almost always land in the proverbial grey zone". He gave these issues as classic examples of start of uncertainty: "good 5 per cent, increase retention? I have enough users to announce product market fit? Currently, step on the gas pedal and scale? "

Compass, then, is a simple benchmarking tool to reduce this grey zone by evaluating the startup type and stage of development and then compare the data of other startups of the same type and the stage — on 25 core indicators, to help them better understand their current location (and the efficiency of their direction).

For those who wish to check the Compass beta you can find it here. BlackBox is looking for feedback from entrepreneurs and founders, too, as she wants tools that actually benefit those who are there in the wild and woolly world accent — not only to researchers. This joint project, Herman said, and one that can have real consequences more data it collects.

Readers who want to check the Blackbox mini genome report report Launch: additional premature scaling-up can be found here.

BlackBox set out to find a scalable way for faster startup. As part of our opening we started genome project start to uncover mechanics as startups ...

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Social commerce site Zlio joins the Deadpool

Zlio, a site that allows users to create online stores where they sell goods from other e-commerce services, joins the deadpool. 6-year-getting going out of business and will be officially closes its doors on 11 September. The company is accusing Google algorithms for its demise, amazing, Zlio in the concept, or business model.

In an e-mail to users to inform them of an impending shutdown service fingers were pointed out all around, not only on Google, but also on an SEO company to improve website ranking in Google search results.

Oddly, Amazon aStore by Amazon service that allows Associates to build their own stores, not mentioned as a contribution to the service. The product was not a professional Web store Amazon. Or the dozens of DIY online shops filled with user-created content, such as Cafepress, Zazzle or Spreadshirt, for example.

Oh no, it's all Google's fault.

Full email is below.

Six years after its launch, we regret to announce that we are going out of business.

The service officially expires 11 September!

Zlio was a fantastic start, getting capital from one of Europe's largest venture capital funds, mangrove capital. In addition, we have advanced m & amp; talks with Google, which unfortunately is not at the last minute.

Our strong initial growth was interrupted on 27 September 2007, when most shops Zlio, which as a rule very well occupy, saw their Google ranking fall sharply, the Elimination of 65 per cent of our movement.

Despite our best efforts, as well as opening of 380 000 shops have so far failed to restore our previous rankings on Google, except in exceptional cases.

When we founded the Zlio, we thought that you, the members of the Zlio successfully will promote your shops among your community. We do not believe that links to Google is so important. Unfortunately, it was necessary.

Among the measures taken to improve our Google ranking, we came to the SEO company who claimed that they were able to resolve our problem.

Due to their poor performance, we evaluated that this company has not fulfilled its obligations. Thus we have entered into a dispute with him, resulting in a court case, whose sentence was passed on 26 July 2011. This decision is available on the Web site of the Paris commercial court (Tribunal de commerce de Paris).

This solution offers us to pay the entire service, which we continue to believe that was not provided and to pay compensation for the publication of our view Referencement on Twitter. The last part of the sentence has already drawn attention in the French media.

This phrase means that we cannot go. Service losing money for several years (which have forced us to gradually reduce our employees), and the amounts to pay today we sentenced to no longer allow us to fulfil our obligations.

Zlio allows users to create their own store and sell goods from other e-commerce services. Users can Stock shop products over three million and earn ...

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