As a “startup newbie”, Megna expected the SydWest Accelerator Program to be like a university course: with lectures, assignments, and maybe an assessment at the end. However, what surprised her most about the program was how it suited every kind of early-stage startup.
“From those at the idea phase as myself to those that are already in the market – this program suited everyone,” explained Megna.
For Megna, this 6-month program dispelled the myth that successful startups are all about that beautiful product. “Without product-market fit, it doesn’t matter how sleek your app is, or how beautiful your product is. It won’t be successful,” she further elaborated. “If you have product-market fit, even that imperfect product can be successful.”
The Launch Pad accelerator program started by emphasising the importance of customer research. This was not something Megna had realised was critical for startups to do.
“Like many others, I was really keen to get in and just start building my product. But, by following the methods taught by Launch Pad, I iterated my idea. I validated the problem with real customers and also validated the solutions. Only then did I move on to development, which I think was a great approach. It saved me a lot of time and money.”