The Delville Academy is part of Delville Management, a 100% digital interim management firm.
Cyrille du Peloux, President of MySeedCap, moderated the 15th session of the Delville Academy on "What are the levers of success for seed-stage start-ups?"
Seeding is a fundamental phase for any start-up, where the decisions taken can determine the company's future success or failure. Several levers of success have been identified to maximize the chances of success during this pivotal period.
The first key to success is the composition of the founding team. A duo or trio of founding partners, capable of withstanding tensions and working in a complementary fashion, is a major asset.
Each member brings essential and varied skills to the table, such as marketing, technology and management. This complementarity enables us to cover the various aspects necessary for the startup's development. It also enables us to respond effectively to challenges as they arise.
In addition, each member of the startup must feel sufficiently motivated by the project. The fact that a project is innovative is not enough. Only strong motivation will encourage the founders to persevere through the difficult times and moments of doubt that all projects entail.
Co-founders must also demonstrate a constant, customer-focused pragmatism. This is essential, as it helps maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty by encouraging founders to constantly adapt to market changes and needs.
Indeed, they must be ready to constantly question themselves, to learn and evolve in line with market dynamics and customer feedback.
Perseverance and stress resistance are also indispensable qualities. Co-founders must be prepared to put in a considerable amount of work, and to overcome setbacks and obstacles with resilience.
Avoiding the "dominant animal" syndrome, where a single founder imposes his or her ideas without regard for the others, is crucial to maintaining a positive, productive group dynamic.
The key to success is rigorous financial management. Cash flow is often described as the lifeblood of seed-stage startups. An acute awareness of costs, combined with a constant focus on sales, helps maintain the company's financial viability.
Startups also need to find the right balance between attracting new customers (new business) and increasing sales to existing customers (upselling).
This strategy allows us to diversify our revenue sources and stabilize growth.
The keys to success for startups in the seed phase lie in the solidity and complementarity of the founding team, and in prudent, proactive financial management. The ability to adapt, remain pragmatic and persevere in the face of challenges is essential. By applying these principles, startups can maximize their chances of success and position themselves favorably for subsequent phases of growth.
At Delville Management, we understand the importance of these levers of success for startups in their seed phase. As a firm specializing in interim management, we bring our expertise to help young companies structure their growth, optimize their financial management and strengthen their founding teams.
Our network of experienced interim managers is ready to step in quickly to navigate through strategic and operational challenges, ensuring the continuity and success of your projects.
By working with Delville Management, startups benefit from invaluable support in turning their ideas into lasting successes.
To find out more about interim management, our services and our approach, please contact us.