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1.The Top Reasons Why Startups Fail Part 5[Original Blog]

In the previous four installments of this blog series, we discussed the first four of the top ten reasons why startups fail, as identified by CB Insights: lack of market need, lack of a good team, running out of cash, and getting outcompeted. In this final installment, we'll discuss the last two reasons on the list: pricing/cost issues and product issues.

Pricing/cost issues are often the result of a startup not having a good handle on its costs of goods sold (COGS) or its customer acquisition costs (CAC). COGS are the direct costs associated with producing a product or service, while CAC are the costs incurred in acquiring new customers. A startup that doesn't understand its COGS and CAC is at risk of pricing its products or services too low (resulting in insufficient margins) or too high (resulting in low demand).

Product issues can manifest themselves in a number of ways, but often boil down to a startup either not having a minimum viable product (MVP) or not having a product that meets customer needs. A MVP is a product or service that has the bare minimum features necessary to be viable in the market. It is important to note that a MVP is not necessarily a "cheap" or "simple" product; it is simply one that has only the essential features required to be successful. Oftentimes, startups believe that they need to have a fully-featured product before they can launch, when in reality it is better to launch with a MVP and then add features later based on customer feedback. Additionally, even if a startup has a mvp, it still might not be successful if the product does not meet customer needs. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as the product being too complex, not solving a real problem, or not being differentiated enough from competing products.

Both pricing/cost issues and product issues can be fatal to a startup; however, there are things that startups can do to mitigate these risks. In terms of pricing/cost issues, startups need to make sure that they have a good understanding of their COGS and CAC before setting prices for their products or services. Additionally, they should consider using market-based pricing strategies, such as pricing at or below the competition, to ensure that their prices are in line with customer expectations. Finally, startups should always remember that price is not the only factor that customers consider when making purchase decisions; other factors, such as quality and customer service, are also important.

In terms of product issues, startups need to make sure that they have a MVP before launching their product or service. Additionally, they need to make sure that their MVP is differentiated from competing products and meets customer needs. Finally, startups should always be prepared to pivot their product based on customer feedback; this might mean adding new features, changing the target market, or even completely redesigning the product.

While no startup is immune to failure, understanding and mitigating the risks associated with pricing/cost issues and product issues can give startups a much better chance of success.

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