The Startup Podcast

First Principles Thinking - Don’t Doom Yourself to Mediocrity (Replay)

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Disrupt or Digitize? The Art of Breaking the Status Quo


Why do some startups revolutionize entire industries while others just digitize legacy processes? Disruption isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a mindset and one that too many founders shy away from. Are you pre-compromising your vision before you even start?


In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein break down the essence of first-principles thinking and how startups can challenge legacy constraints to create truly disruptive solutions. Drawing on examples from Uber, Netflix, and DocuSign, they discuss how to identify and creatively navigate constraints without sacrificing vision.


In this episode, you will:

  • Understand the difference between incrementalism and true disruption.
  • Learn how to apply first-principles thinking to reimagine industries from scratch.
  • Explore real-world examples of companies like Uber and Netflix that rewrote the rules.
  • Identify which constraints are real, imagined, or worth challenging.
  • Master the art of balancing bold vision with practical constraints.
  • Uncover strategies to creatively layer in constraints while staying true to your goals.
  • Apply an iterative approach to move incrementally toward your ideal outcome without compromising vision.


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      • Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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        • Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

        Work 1:1 with Chris: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://chrissaad.com/advisory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

        Follow Chris on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

        Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


        Credits

        Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Justin McArthur⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

        Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/

        Intro Voice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeremiah Owyang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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        The Startup PodcastBy Yaniv Bernstein, Chris Saad
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