Eric Migicovsky’s "Not a Startup" Model Promotes Focused, Sustainable Business Growth

Eric Migicovsky, founder of Core Devices and Pebble, demonstrates a unique approach: rejecting traditional startup norms to focus on sustainability, profitability, and a dedicated audience. His strategy includes bootstrapped funding, small teams, built-to-order production, and open source software, all aimed at avoiding overextension and financial risk. This model encourages founders to prioritize restraint, meaningfully engage with their core market, and avoid scalability pressure.

• Launch products for niche audiences, only if there's proven demand (e.g., preorders).
• Use open source as a community-building tool for innovation.
• Maintain simplicity and reject unnecessary complexity to stay lean and purposeful.