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By Lenny Rachitsky · lennysnewsletter.com · @lennysan on X · YouTube · LinkedIn
Lenny Rachitsky examines whether a startup needs a strong 'why now'—a clear reason the product is only possible at this moment. He argues it improves odds by enabling a 10x better product or a new untapped market, but many large companies succeeded without one through execution, and a why now can emerge later.
Subscriber post — summary only01Key takeaways
- A strong 'why now' improves the odds of success but is not strictly required for a large business.
- A why now typically unlocks either a 10x better product or a newly growing untapped market need.
- Five sources of why now: new technology, new data or APIs, regulation changes, behavior shifts, and belief shifts.
- Great companies can succeed by riding trends later, and the why now can emerge after founding.
- Even with a compelling why now, timing alone does not guarantee success; regulation and other hurdles can stall adoption.
“Venture capital works because there is justification for being an unprofitable company at the outset because the opportunity later on is so huge”Ann Miura-Ko · Lenny’s Newsletter
02Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.