Breaking the Mold: Unconventional Paths to Startup Success
Anyone thinking about launching a startup will quickly discover there are a lot of rules. Find a cofounder, raise venture capital and go to Silicon Valley — stat. If you want to succeed, you’d do well to follow the playbook, or else face total, humiliating failure.
Back in 2006, when I was starting my business, I was aware of these so-called rules — and I chose to ignore them. As the acclaimed author Toni Morrison wrote in her 1992 novel, Jazz: “What’s the world for you if you can’t make it up the way you want it?”
Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t just one correct way to build a successful startup. Over the years, I have embraced several unconventional strategies that defied conventional wisdom yet led to the growth and sustainability of my company, Jotform. Here are three key choices I made that bucked trends—and why I would make them again without hesitation.
1. Play the Long Game
From the outset, I was determined that Jotform would not be a fleeting phenomenon, flaring up with venture capital and then fading away quietly. I viewed my entrepreneurial journey as a marathon rather than a sprint.
This approach manifested in several ways. Notably, Jotform launched as a free product—I didn’t earn a cent from it during its first two years. The rationale was simple: I wanted to remove any barriers to adoption and observe if people would actually use the tool. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Offering the product for free initially allowed me to gather invaluable user feedback and insights, enabling me to tailor the paid version precisely to customer needs later on. This user-centric, data-driven approach aligns with best practices in product development highlighted by experts like Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, who advocates for iterative learning and validated learning cycles.
Another unconventional decision was to forego Silicon Valley’s tech ecosystem. Instead of relocating to the U.S. West Coast, after leaving my full-time job in New York City, I moved back to my parents’ home in Turkey. This move allowed me to reduce living expenses and reinvest resources into product development while maintaining creative freedom away from the high-pressure startup hubs.
Though it lacked glamour, this choice prioritized actual success over appearances. Today, Jotform operates seven global offices, including San Francisco, where I eventually relocated and purchased a home. This demonstrates that success can be built outside traditional startup hotspots, echoing findings from the Kauffman Foundation that highlight growing entrepreneurial activity in diverse geographic regions.
2. Teamwork as a Business Strategy
Initially, Jotform operated with a very lean team. However, as the company grew beyond a handful of employees, I noticed stagnation in productivity and morale. Building a healthy company culture has always been a top priority, so this was a red flag.
Upon reflection, I realized the secret to our success had been our small size and close-knit collaboration. The solution wasn’t to downsize but to replicate that intimate environment on a larger scale. I restructured the company—then 15 employees—into small groups of three teams, each with diverse roles and strengths focused on a singular product goal.
To reinforce this, I commissioned an architect to design an office layout accommodating small pods of up to six people, each equipped with whiteboards and glass doors to encourage transparency and collaboration. Individual privacy was limited by design because the goal was to foster unity and shared purpose within teams.
This strategy delivered immediate results: creativity and productivity spiked. Since then, I have championed cross-functional teams as a cornerstone of scalable innovation. Today, Jotform supports 130 such teams worldwide, a testament to how thoughtful organizational design accelerates growth and adaptability—a point supported by research from Harvard Business Review on the effectiveness of small, empowered teams.
3. Saying ‘No Thanks’ to Remote Work
The shift to remote work accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely embraced across industries. While Jotform adapted by allowing work from home in 2020, we made a conscious decision to return to the office once it was safe to do so.
Remote work was functional, but something crucial was missing—especially for new hires. Onboarding remotely meant missing out on the warmth of face-to-face introductions and the spontaneous knowledge sharing that happens in an office environment. This disconnect impacted team cohesion and slowed integration.
Returning to the office revitalized our culture almost immediately. Productivity rose, morale improved, and we reinstated cherished traditions like weekly team lunches and product launch celebrations. For Jotform, company culture is intrinsic to success, and in-person collaboration remains a vital element.
Of course, every company’s needs are unique. My experience underscores the essential founder prerogative: you get to make your own rules. If a strategy isn’t working, change it. Build the business and culture you want to be a part of.
Key Takeaways
- There isn’t just one correct way to build a successful startup, despite what conventional wisdom might tell you.
- Playing the long game, making teamwork part of my business strategy, and saying “no thanks” to remote work helped make my startup, Jotform, a global success.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
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