The 9 things that separate merely successful startups from ones that become billion dollar businesses

pulse

June 30, 2017 12:02 AM

A lot of companies are successful, but these 9 things are different about building a billion-dollar business like Facebook or Uber.

There are thousands of tech startups, but only a lucky few (or, technically 205) ever become valued as billion-dollar businesses.

So what's the difference between a merely successful company and a billion-dollar one?

Y Combinator cofounder Jessica Livingston has a ready answer: "An unpromising idea that blossoms into a frightening big one, and driven founders who see that opportunity and run with it."

Livingston cofounded Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley startup accelerator that churns out batches of 200 companies every six months. She's seen thousands of companies become successful. But she's also seen a lucky few like Airbnb that have become huge businesses.

On stage at Y Combinator's Female Founders Conference, Livingston offered nine pieces of advice — based on her past experience — for founders to follow if they want a chance to create the next billion-dollar businesses:

pulse