What Are Stealth Mode Startups?

Updated: 15/04/2023

The environment for launching a new company is exceedingly competitive these days. Because the market is so competitive, the failure rate for most businesses is fairly high, hovering around 90%. While this figure is alarming, there are ways to avoid the fate that so many other bright-eyed entrepreneurs have. If you are thinking about starting a new business, you might choose to start with a stealth mode startup.

You will gain an advantage over the competition, safeguard your ideas, and be able to focus on providing a one-of-a-kind product or service to your clients as a result of doing so.

What Is A Stealth Mode Startup?

A stealth mode startup is a company that is seeking to launch a new product or service while maintaining a high level of secrecy. Stealth mode startups, as the name suggests, strive to develop, test, and launch a new product or service without letting on. Depending on the type of business you are in, this can happen in one of two ways.

There are two categories of stealth startups:

  • Total Stealth Mode
  • In-Company Stealth Mode

Both types of stealth modes have their own set of benefits, so it all depends on whether you are beginning a new firm or releasing a new product within an existing one.

What Is A Total Stealth Mode Startup?

A startup in total stealth mode is one whose principal goal is to keep all product-related actions and decisions as hidden from the public as possible. This means that your product or business will go unnoticed while you are in stealth mode. There will be no press releases. There isn't a website. There isn't any hype coming from anywhere.

While this may appear to be a red flag, staying under the radar is a technique that should be carefully studied and has its advantages. Firefly, for example, operated quietly for two years before revealing itself to the public.

In-Company Stealth Mode

In-company stealth mode, unlike total stealth mode startups, is when an existing company wants to keep a new project, idea, or effort hidden from the public, including investors and other stakeholders. It may appear to be deceiving, yet it is a widespread technique and here's why.

The fundamental goal of in-house stealth mode is to prevent new ideas from being dismissed prematurely. Companies frequently employ code names for new endeavours to hide the genuine purpose of the project.

This form of stealth mode is typically reserved for huge companies, think Apple, Uber, or Tesla that can dedicate extra resources to the stealth mode project. Employees working on these initiatives are obliged to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to protect intellectual property and keep the secret under wraps.

Benefits Of Stealth Mode Startups

Everyone knows how difficult it is to keep secrets. Why then would some firms prefer to keep their core values hidden, a technique known as "stealth mode" in the startup world? Getting engineers to embark on a hidden business venture may be difficult in an age where open source technology is a norm and entrepreneurs are building collaborative goods and solutions. Despite the difficulties that come with functioning in stealth mode, many startups prefer it. Why do you think that is? Here are some hints:

Intellectual Property Protection

If you're thinking about starting a firm in stealth mode, you probably believe your product will disrupt a market. In this situation, it's critical that no one discovers your concept before you can share it with the rest of the world. This is especially true if a larger corporation with more resources believes that your idea is sound. Take your time developing your product in secret, and only release it when you're certain it's ready.

Anonymity

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of being a stealth mode startup is the anonymity it provides to your company and product. To put it another way, you and your team will be able to stay laser-focused on your strategy and create the finest product possible. You can build a go-to-market strategy that will undoubtedly astonish the market once your anonymity is revealed, free of distractions and criticism.

Control Over The Media's Attention

Stealth mode startups have complete control over press coverage and pre-launch excitement, which goes hand in hand with anonymity. This can be huge assistance in concentrating on your product and getting it ready for launch. While press coverage might be beneficial, it is known for causing conjecture and unwelcome commentary about your product's path. You get to communicate the message you want when you're ready because you have control over news coverage. A strong focus on your objective, rather than creating hype or putting out fires, will help you meet your customers' expectations in the long run.

Gaining An Advantage Over The Competitors

As soon as you announce your goods or your intentions to the public, competitors may emerge from the shadows. Thus begins the race to be the first to market with your product, attracting customers, creating buzz, increasing media coverage, and so on. And if your product isn't truly the best it can be, you're allowing bigger, wealthier firms to shut you out before you even have a chance.

Set Your Own Pace To Enter The Market

The ability to select their own pace to market is a startup's biggest competitive advantage. You'll be in the best position to succeed if you avoid the temptations of early momentum and focus on truly creating a world-class product or service. As the old saying goes, haste leads to waste.

Drawbacks of Stealth Mode Startups

Hinders Identifying the Appropriate Target Market

The use of a stealth mode approach by startups may impede their ability to find the right market fit for their product. This is because the ideal market for a product is often narrower than what the startup may think, and finding the right market requires testing and feedback, which may be difficult to obtain while in stealth mode.

Limited Feedbacks

Limiting the amount of feedback that can be received is a natural consequence of running a startup in stealth mode, which can be detrimental to the success of certain products. While this may not pose a problem for some startups, it can make a significant difference for others, as feedback is crucial for determining what works and what doesn't.

Prevent Pre-Buzz

Without pre-buzz, your product or service may launch to a lukewarm reception, and it may take much longer to gain traction in the market. This could be especially harmful if you’re trying to compete with established players in your industry who already have a loyal customer base.

When To Launch A Stealth Mode Startup

Most stealth startups are risky, but they can have a lot of appeal in the end. Stealth businesses give unique prospects for investors to capture revolutionary enterprises before they make waves, promising more profitable success as a result, for those who uncover those rare diamonds.

Operating in stealth mode, on the other hand, necessitates a lot of hard work, a business-savvy entrepreneur, and investors with enough independent expertise and knowledge to make the appropriate decisions. On the other hand, many venture capitals believe that the outcome of making a significant influence in a competitive market is well worth the added risk.

You've Already Established A Market Fit

A stealth mode startup can be an excellent choice if your product or service already has a strong market fit. If you're releasing a product that's an improvement on (or slightly different form) an existing product, you should already know what the market is; the prior product defined it for you, so being secretive can work in your favour.

You Need Time To Figure Out New Technology

If your product is highly focused on technology, it may take a long time to perfect. Larger firms with more resources (think Apple, Google, and Microsoft) might take your idea, invest more money and people in it, and bring it to the market faster if word got out about what you were doing.

Operating a startup in stealth mode gives you an advantage over the competition. Then, when you do launch your product, instead of developing it themselves, the major firms will have to pay to obtain it.

You Have Created A Truly Disruptive Business.

Few items are actually disruptive in the sense that they cause an industry to revolutionise or the world to alter. Consider Walmart, McDonald's, Facebook, Amazon, and Uber if you're having trouble coming up with some truly disruptive companies. Sure, your product may be cool, interesting, or a new take on a market leader, but is it actually disruptive?

You Are Searching For An Investor

Your idea becomes a reality thanks to funding. If you don't want to discuss your idea with the general public, you'll have to find another approach to attract investors. You can rely on the individuals you've hired or on the fact that others have deemed your startup noteworthy.

Some firms, such as these in the deep learning chipsets field, generate income and interest in their technical niche by coming out of stealth mode. Others may be able to secure finance based on their founders' previous accomplishments. You'll be in a terrific position to go stealth mode if you can generate that kind of buzz around your proposal. If not, ask yourself some tough questions to see if it's the appropriate fit for you.

Things That Startups In Stealth Mode Can Test And Gain Feedback

No entrepreneur wants to be in the position of bringing a bad product to market. However, it might be a difficult hurdle for a startup in stealth mode to conduct market testing without tipping their competitors. Here are a few important things that the startups should test on nonetheless to ensure they enter their product into the market successfully.

Obtaining Input On Early-Stage Exploration Thoughts And Ideas

Concept testing is critical because it allows you to forecast whether a finished product will succeed or fail early in the development process. Consider testing your concept if you're in the early stages of assessing new products, testing concepts, or comparing usefulness. You'll gain vital customer insights and be able to forecast whether or not you're investing in something no one will use if you do it this way. Hear how client exposure hours are a crucial success predictor when developing customer-centric products.

Testing For Product Market Fit

Product-market fit isn't something that happens by accident. However, all too frequently, entrepreneurs make the error of coming up with a wonderful product idea, spending a lot of time, money, and resources designing and developing it, and then (hopefully) collecting some customer input before releasing it.

Just because you created a product that solves a problem doesn't mean there was an issue in the first place. If you want to create a valuable product, you need to talk to your target customer as soon as possible. During this process, you may even uncover an entire group of people who were never on your radar before, but who, thanks to feedback, you've discovered, could benefit from your product or service. Understanding your clients' wants can help you not only build a product that matches their expectations but will also help you accelerate your time to market.

Creating A User Personas

A customer's needs are always at the forefront of a startup's mind. And, however imaginary, building a user persona gives business teams the information they need to make actual decisions based on their users' requirements, experiences, and objectives.

Connecting with potential consumers necessitates the use of qualitative and quantitative data to find knowledge about their attitudes, habits, qualities, and desires. To gain a full perspective of your consumers, you'll need to combine quantitative data to understand breadth and scale, as well as intent and preferences with qualitative stories that bring the persona to life and make it feel real.

Putting Prototypes To The Test

During the development stage, prototype testing is sharing prototypes or wireframes with real people to assess the practicality of a concept.

Start testing as soon as you have a rough mockup of a concept and continue to test as your prototype is revised. It has been discovered that soliciting user feedback early and often can help assure a successful launch of a website or app.

Verify The Price Of Your Products And Services

It can be challenging for stealth mode firms to arrive at a price that is fair and aligns dollar expenditure with value. However, it's vital that your price point is established in such a way that people desire to acquire your product when you first launch.

Conclusion

Going into stealth mode is a popular trend among companies, but it can lead to years of polishing a technology that has no market. Before you launch, make sure you ask the proper questions about your idea and startup to determine whether or not going stealth is the best option for you.

Know that it is fine if you spend a large amount of time behind the scene to work on your product but make sure that you are getting feedback throughout this period. This will help to ensure that you don't enter the market with your eyes wide shut.

Reference

Benefits Of Stealth Mode Startup

When To Launch A Stealth Mode Startup

Things That Startups In Stealth Mode Can Test And Gain Feedback

Related Posts

Subscribe for more right in your inbox!

Thousands of subscribers cannot be wrong! Get Startup insights right in your inbox. 
We will only use your email to send you insights once a month - no spam!
Subscribe To Our Startup Insights

Written by Pinky

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 12

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Join Malaysia’s Top Startup Investors & Corporate Innovation Event
Register for DisruptInvest Summit Now!
Subscribe To Our Startup Insights
© COPYRIGHT NEXEA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRIVACY POLICY. TERMS OF USE.
OUR STARTUP NETWORK
CORPORATE ACCELERATORENTREPRENEURS SUMMIT
ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAMME