THE STARTUP JOURNEY / 03 / Commercialise
Can this become a viable business?
Separate a useful product from a company that can capture enough value to survive.
Evidence that counts
Actual pricing decisions, delivery costs, repeat purchases, retention, and a clear buyer.
Signals to question
Product usage without willingness to pay, or revenue that ignores delivery effort.
The principal risk
Creating customer value without a sustainable way to capture it.
Your decision gate
Can revenue support delivery, acquisition, and the operating model under explicit assumptions?
The next proof
Test a real price with a defined buyer and document the full cost of fulfilling the promise.
Set the success criterion
Establish a contribution margin and repeat-use threshold appropriate to the business.
Do not do yet
Assuming that more volume will repair an unproven revenue model.
Choose the decision the evidence supports
Proceed when the gate is met. Iterate when the approach needs changing. Stop the current path when evidence undermines it. If observations are missing or conflicting, record insufficient evidence and define the next test.
Connect the decision to capital
Account for the cost of the next experiment, the time it consumes, and the commitments it creates. Product, commercial, and ownership decisions should be assessed together. Use specialist review where technical, financial, or legal judgement is required.