Episode 39
What Determines Whether A Startup Will Fail Or Succeed In The Market?

Kim & Todd Saxton

Kim Saxton
Clinical Professor of Marketing

Todd Saxton
Associate Professor, Indiana Venture Faculty Fellow
We’re both very passionate about enabling the innovators.
Kim & Todd talks about how the entrepreneurial journey involves navigating uncertainty rather than taking risks. They talk about how if you can handle uncertainty and create opportunities as well as create challenges then you’re in a better position to not just navigate but to take advantage of that uncertainty to create a positive inflection point for your business.
They also talk about the two main reasons why startup fails – one is the lack of good market fit and the other one is they are running out of money. Market fit refers to how well a company fits into its target audience. It’s also known as customer fit or product fit. If you don’t know who your customers are, you won’t be able to create the products they want. You may think you know what your customers want, but if you don’t test your assumptions with real customers, you could end up building something nobody wants.
Key takeaways:



Having good discovery skills is important for startups.
Related Episodes
Why Leadership Is Built in the Moments Nobody Sees- Episode 152
Colin Strother, Executive Vice President at Rochester Electronics, joins Sannah Vinding to discuss trust, authenticity, customer commitment, and leading global teams across the electronics industry. They talk about why customers need both digital and personal service, how leaders develop confidence and composure, and what small actions reveal about leadership.
How Distribution Leaders Build Trust as AI Speeds Up Work – Episode 151
Riad Nizam of Master Electronics shares how distribution leaders build trust, culture, communication, and judgment as AI speeds up work.
New Episodes
Bi-Weekly Tuesday





