Innovation in tech favors the naive and the stubborn. If you are too rational you won't tackle problems that others once failed at. Aaron Levie More Quotes by Aaron Levie More Quotes From Aaron Levie Tip: Take the stodgiest, oldest, slowest moving industry you can find. And build amazing software for it. Aaron Levie industry software moving Innovation is hard because solving problems people didn't know they had & building something no one needs look identical at first. Aaron Levie innovation people needs The benefit to building a startup is that customers don't have the same kind of friction when they adopt new technology. Aaron Levie benefits technology kind I don't use many apps. I use naps. Aaron Levie apps use naps Everything about the enterprise, and then by definition the software the enterprise uses has changed - just in the last 5 years. Aaron Levie definitions use years If every customer is using your product "correctly", you'll never learn anything interesting about what to do next. Aaron Levie next customers interesting Startups live at the intersection of existential crisis and everything going perfectly great. Aaron Levie existential-crisis crisis existential In the enterprise you want to start intentionally small. Aaron Levie enterprise building want Modularize, don't customize. Build a platform as opposed to building all of the custom technology and custom vertical experiences. Aaron Levie platforms building technology Your product should sell itself, but that does not mean you don't need salespeople. Aaron Levie doe mean needs Read these 3 books - Crossing the Chasm, Innovators Dilemma and Behind the Cloud. Aaron Levie building clouds book Go after the customers that are working in the future, but haven't totally lost their minds. Aaron Levie building mind lost You want to find the really crazy but still somewhat reasonable outliers within the customer ecosystem. Aaron Levie ecosystems crazy want You can look at the cost structure of an incumbent company and discover: where are they not going to be able to drop their prices... because that business model is fundamental to the existence of the company. Aaron Levie cost fundamentals looks Do things that incumbents can't or won't do because it's economically or technically infeasible. Aaron Levie incumbents building You can keep 'consumer' DNA at the center of your product. That will always mean that adoption is easier. Aaron Levie adoption dna mean Listen to your customers, but don't always build exactly what they're telling you. This is a really key distinction around building enterprise software. Aaron Levie distinction building keys If people don't think the odds are against you, you're doing it wrong. Aaron Levie odds people thinking Why we do what we do: that moment when you get to see the future on your computer screen before the rest of the world. Aaron Levie computer moments world I think I'm the kind of person who would be very difficult to employ - I'm pretty annoying, but driven. Aaron Levie kind would-be thinking
