Today I’ll start a new serie of our blog: The Startupper FAQs.

In these posts, I’ll just write some questions a wanna-be startupper could want to make to the people who have this job and provide some short answers… like in the FAQ section of a website. I’m not the best startupper in the world and I’ve (still) not a Fortune-500 company, but in these almost 2 years of rollercoasters to become my own boss, I can say that I’ve learnt something about this world.

Ready? Go!

1. What is a startup? It’s just a… just founded company?

Kind of. A startup is a newly founded company (but can also be not founded yet) that:

a. Has an innovative product;

b. Is made to grow very fast (grow the user base, the incomings, the number of employees, etc…).

So if you start a pub, it is not a startup. If you found a company that will make a product that can transform water in beer, that is a startup.

2. I’ve an innovative idea. Should I found my startup, then?

Maybe yes, maybe not. The first questions you have to make to yourself are:

a. It is really innovative your idea?

b. What problem does it solve? (this is the most important one)

c. Can it have a lot of customers?

d. Do you have enough money to start the development of your company?

e. Do you have enough time to develop a prototype? (if you have another full-time job, it can be a problem)

If the answer is yes to almost all the questions, the answer is yes. Otherwise, you have to think carefully about your situation.

3. In the question number 2 you were just kidding with all that points, weren’t you?

Of course! That 5 things are not enough You need also to ask you:

f. Are you ready to work really really hard?

g. Have you someone to start the company with?

h. If you dress as Popeye, are you badass like The Rock?

i. Do you know an experienced entrepreneur or a consultant that can help you in the first phases of you startup?

j. Are you in contact with incubators or accelerators?

4. Ok. It's enough for the question points.

No. There are still:

k. Are you able to talk with customers, investors or make a public speech?

l. Do you know how to use social media?

m. Are you ready to see less your family and your friends?

n. Are you ready to live an emotional rollercoaster when one day you feel like an hero and the day after you think you are the most idiot person in the world?

o. Do you know how to beat a Korean in Starcraft?

OK, it's enough, the alphabet letters are ending. I think you got the point: startupping is a hard work, emotionally and physically. It can satisfy you a lot, but you must take it seriously.

5. I don’t trust you, I just read on the Internet that a 15-year-old guy just had an idea that Google bought for 1 bazillion dollar!

Yes, and I’ve read on the Internet that the son of Tom Cruise is an alien and that you can cure cancer singing Gangnam Style for one hour a day. Internet is not that reliable source of information :-)

6. But…

NO. You are not 15-year-old, Google doesn’t know you and “bazillions” do not exist. And the son of Tom Cruise is human.

You have to take the hard way.

Ok, it's enough for today. Next times I’ll write other questions, going deeper in the details of the various points I’ve written.

Do you like this FAQ section? Do you have other questions to make? Or better answers to add? The comments section is the right place where to write them!

See you for the next FAQs! Happy startupping!