Disciplined Entrepreneurship Startup Tactics

TACTIC 2Systems: Startup Tooling and Systems

New ventures need easy-to-use, flexible tools and systems, but—unlike larger, established organizations—they don't need every system under the sun. Determining what needs to be in place when and planning accordingly begins early in a venture's existence, but anticipating new needs and reevaluating current solutions should occur on a regular basis.

In This Tactic, You Will:

• Determine which systems you will ultimately need as a business.
• Prioritize the systems you need based on the goals you set in Tactic 1.
• Try tools that you and your team will align on using to maximize efficiency.

Goals Are Only as Good as the Systems

We can set the best goals in the world, but unless we hit them we are not advancing the venture. How do we know whether we're on track to hit a goal? How can we prove we reached it? Metrics and KPIs help us define and track our success for each goal, but we need tools and systems to monitor and bring visibility to our progress.

Must-Have Systems for Startups

Like any organization, startups and new ventures eventually need a variety of different systems, including CRM (customer relationship management), file management, project management, finance and accounting, payroll, expense management, and business intelligence. The question we must ask is which systems does a startup need right now?

If we think about ...