Why Startups Should NOT Write a Business Plan

Starting a business is an exciting but challenging journey. For years, conventional wisdom has advised entrepreneurs to start with a detailed business plan. However, more and more experts argue that this approach might not be the best fit for startups in today’s fast-paced world.

Let’s explore why writing a traditional business plan might be a waste of time for startups and what they should focus on instead.

A traditional business plan is typically a long, detailed document—often 20 to 40 pages—covering everything from market opportunities to financial projections. While this might sound comprehensive, it’s actually a problem for startups. Why? Because startups operate in an environment full of uncertainties and assumptions.

When you’re just starting out, your business idea is built on a lot of assumptions: that your product will appeal to customers, that your marketing strategies will work, and so on.

These assumptions might not be accurate, and it’s crucial to test them as quickly as possible. Spending weeks writing a business plan means you’re not out in the market testing these assumptions. By the time you finish writing, your initial ideas might already be outdated.

Instead of writing a long business plan, startups should adopt the Lean Startup methodology, popularized by Eric Ries in his book The Lean Startup. This approach focuses on rapid experimentation and iteration to validate business ideas. The core of this methodology is the Build-Measure-Learn cycle:

1. Build: Create a minimum viable product (MVP) or a simple version of your product or service. This could be a basic website, an app, or even just a landing page.
2. Measure: Release your MVP to the market and gather data on how it performs. Are customers interested? Are they willing to pay for it? This step is crucial for understanding whether your assumptions hold true.
3. Learn: Analyze the data you’ve collected. If your assumptions were wrong, what went wrong? Use these insights to improve your product or pivot your business strategy.

This cycle allows startups to quickly test their ideas in the real world and make necessary adjustments without wasting time on lengthy plans.

When it comes to presenting your business to potential investors, a pitch deck is a far more effective tool than a traditional business plan. A pitch deck is a concise, visually engaging presentation that covers the key aspects of your business—such as the problem you’re solving, your target market, and your growth strategy.

A well-crafted pitch deck can be put together in a few hours, especially with tools, which simplifies the design process. In contrast, a traditional business plan might take weeks to write.

Moreover, investors typically don’t have the time to read through long documents. They want to see the big picture quickly and understand if your business has potential.

In the early stages of a startup, adaptability is crucial. Your pricing model, marketing strategies, or even the product itself might need to change rapidly based on what you learn from the market.

A rigid business plan can make it harder to pivot quickly. Instead, focusing on real-time feedback and staying flexible allows you to adapt to market demands faster than competitors.

Instead of a business plan, consider using tools like the Business Model Canvas or the Lean Validation Board. These tools help you map out key aspects of your business on a single page and focus on testing and validating your ideas quickly. They’re also much easier to update as your business evolves.

Using no-code tools like Bubble allows you to create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) quickly and cost-effectively. Bubble is a top choice for startups looking to build and launch their MVP with minimal time and budget.

If you’re not an expert in Bubble, consider hiring specialized no-code agencies like Zeroqode, which has successfully built over 300 apps using bubble.

While traditional business plans were once seen as essential, they may no longer be the best approach for startups in today’s fast-changing world. Instead, adopting the Lean Startup methodology, focusing on rapid iteration, and using tools like pitch decks and the Business Model Canvas can help startups move faster, test their ideas in the real world, and adapt to changes more effectively.

Additionally, leveraging the best no-code tools like Bubble, Webflow, and Airtable can further streamline your process, allowing you to build, test, and iterate on your product without needing extensive technical expertise. These tools enable rapid development and adjustments, making it easier to pivot based on feedback and market demands.

In the end, the goal is to learn quickly, pivot when necessary, and build a successful business without wasting time on lengthy planning.