Music legend Tom Petty once wrote “I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings. Coming down is the hardest thing.” All irony aside–and ignoring whether this may in fact be true–many find just the opposite. As a business goes from concept to a physical entity, offering an actual service or product, the act of getting off the ground takes a momentous action to get going.
No matter the professional experience of the parties behind a startup, many business ventures take time to turn a profit, if they turn a profit at all. This is capitalism at work, and is dictated by the simple economic standby of supply and demand. If knowing is half the battle–and often times, it ends up being much, much more than just half the battle–then understanding the outside forces working against the success of any given startup is crucial to that startup’s existence.
This infographic takes a look at the forces that have made startups successful in the past through the lense of ABC’s hit “reality” show Shark Tank. It provides vital insight for those looking to get their startup off the ground, and is an important learning tool for aspiring businessmen and businesswomen everywhere.
Ivan Serrano is an infographic designer from the Bay Area in California. He prefers to cover business, technology and marketing.