Still a Startup

Startups. The whole concept has always been entralling to me. Starting your own company, trying to make it in the world of business.

What exactly defines a startup? Wikipedia offers the following:

“A startup…is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets. “

Whoever put that definition together seems to have done a fairly good job. It’s straightforward and makes sense. If you have limited operating history, your company is just getting started.

Using that framework as a guide, is Prolifiq a startup? It struck me the other day that despite having just celebrated our 11th anniversary here at Prolifiq, we still are referred to as and call ourselves a startup.

Is 11 years a “limited operating history?” I suppose so. Google has been around for 15 years now, Amazon for 17. But when I think startup, I think AirBNB or Dropbox – companies that are barely three years old (if that). In comparison to those guys, we are old.

Do we call ourselves a startup just for the coolness of using the word? For the mystery surrounding it? The grand notion that we’re just getting started and still have a high upside? Possibly. But maybe it’s the other part of that definition that keeps us referring to ourselves as a startup: “In a phase of development and research for markets.”

Just the other day, one of our developers excitedly pulled aside one of our founders to demo something the dev team has been working on, offering a disclaimer that the product was “highly experimental.” As I’ve said before, that’s the kind of stuff gets me out of bed in the morning. Experimenting. Trying things out. Blowing stuff up and putting it back together again.

As Prolifiq moves into the life science space (check our pre-launch video/countdown on the homepage if you haven’t already), my hope is that we never cease to continue researching and developing new products. No matter how old your company gets, if you can maintain that mindset–in my book you’re still a startup.