Anand Sukumaran

Startup Founder, Software Engineer, Abstract thinker
Co-founder & CTO @ Engagespot (Techstars NYC '24)

Why most 'new' things never make it mainstream

There’s a common pattern behind every success - whether it’s a startup, a platform like X, YouTube, or anything else.

It all starts with your first steps: your first product, your first piece of content, or whatever you’re creating. But no matter how good it is, there’s a hard truth. Between you and the big opportunity, there’s a gap so big and difficult that I call it “The Impossible Gap.”

Most people will never cross this gap. Why? Because, at the beginning, nobody cares about someone new. Nobody trusts them. Nobody gives them a chance - except for one special group.

These are your lifeline. They are the “Early Supporters” - your first believers. They are curious, they take risks, and they don’t care if you’re new or don’t have much experience. The only thing they care about is this: are you worth their time?

At the start, your only job is to win them over. If you can impress these early supporters, they will help you cross that impossible gap. And on the other side of the gap is where your big opportunity is waiting.

So, if you’re building a startup, making content, or starting something new, remember this: focus on your early supporters. Speak to them. Build for them. They’re the ones who will believe in you when no one else will.