Karaoke and the Entrepreneur, by Paul Watts

Founder Feedback gives you insights from the startup trenches. In a story originally posted to Seattle 2.0, Paul Watts, Co-Founder & CEO of Meevine, describes why his love for startups and karaoke are actually more alike than one might think. 

You can read the full story posted by our friends at Seattle 2.0 here. Below is an excerpt. 

"Karaoke is a fundamentally silly thing to do. You’re not a singer. This isn’t “Glee.” What will people think? You risk both failure and embarrassment.

Yes, it is silly. But so is starting your own business. In a startup, your chance of failure is even bigger. Even if you execute well you have to break through the noise and indifference, whether it be in a marketplace crowded with competitors and busy customers, or a bar crowded with people interested only in their own conversations and their next cocktail. In both cases, it’s your job to convince them your product is worth their time...

Rebecca Lovell of GeekWire, herself an avid karaoke enthusiast, has her own three factors that go into karaoke entrepreneurial success. Here, with my commentary, are Rebecca’s Rules:

1. 20% Vocal talent. It’s true, some people have better singing voices than others, but this doesn’t mean that they automatically get the attention. Having a top-notch team with millions in funding doesn’t necessarily equal success in the marketplace.
2. 40% Song selection. This is the elusive “product/market fit” of the karaoke scene: finding the right song for the right time. What will the crowd react to? If it’s a packed house on a Friday, save the slow songs: you need to have a fast song with a catchy intro that cuts through the noise...
3. 40% Bring it! Make me sit up and take notice. Execution is everything! A great performance can easily make up for bad vocal talent and poor song selection, especially if you do something that is unexpected...

Being an entrepreneur means stepping out of your comfort zone, taking risks, and trying things you’d thought you’d never do. But just like karaoke, it’s possible to succeed. Just don’t stop believin’." 

Meevine makes Schemer, a social app that helps you do more with your friends by taking away the pain of planning. Schemer recently launched in beta on the Android Marketplace here, and is a Graduate of the Seattle Founder Institute. Follow Paul Watts on Twitter at @joulespersecond, and Seattle 2.0 at @seattle20.