"Les startups sont des entreprises construites pour croître rapidement."

Growing quickly is the heart of what startups aim to achieve. They’re designed to scale fast, often by leveraging technology or unique business models. Unlike traditional businesses, which might be content with steady, incremental growth, startups are all about speed and momentum.

The term "startup" became especially popular during the tech boom of the late 90s and early 2000s. Think about companies like Google or Facebook. They didn't just grow—they exploded onto the scene. The idea is to capture a market fast, often disrupting traditional industries in the process. When Paul Graham, a co-founder of Y Combinator, coined the phrase, he was emphasizing the fundamental difference between startups and other types of businesses.

Take Uber as an example. It started in 2009 as a simple app to connect riders with drivers. The core idea? Make transportation as reliable as running water. That concept required rapid growth to be effective. They needed drivers, riders, and cities to jump on board quickly. And they did. Within a handful of years, Uber wasn't just a local service—it was global. That kind of explosive growth is what sets startups apart.

So, how can you take this idea and make it work for you? If you’re looking to launch a startup, focus on scalability. Ask yourself: Can this business model handle a sudden surge in demand? Can it expand to new markets without massive overhauls? Aim for solutions that grow with your customer base. Utilize technology to automate and streamline as much as possible. Think about how you can make your service or product indispensable and easy to spread.

Imagine you’re at a coffee shop with a friend who has a killer idea for a new app. They explain it’s a platform for swapping home-cooked meals. Sounds cool, right? Instead of just having a couple of people cook and exchange meals in your hometown, think bigger. How can you grow this idea rapidly? Maybe you start by focusing on college towns or urban areas where people are more open to trying new things and might need convenient, affordable meals. You could implement a referral system to encourage users to invite friends—more users mean more cooks and more meal options.

Picture this: Jane and Mike, two college students, love cooking but hate dining hall food. They start using your app and invite their friends. Soon, you’ve got a small community of students swapping meals. It catches on like wildfire. You tweak the app to make it easier to use and add features based on user feedback. Before you know it, you’re in ten campuses, then fifty. Soon, you have a startup with thousands of users who are not only using your service but spreading the word.

The key takeaway? If you want your startup to follow this path, design it from day one with growth in mind. Focus on scalability, use technology smartly, and always be ready to adapt and seize new opportunities. It’s not about slow and steady; it’s about fast and scalable. That’s the essence of what makes a startup unique and, potentially, wildly successful.