"Value"

Founder of start up companies often focus on their product/offering  and their business/distribution structure. Though, expressions of the question are that, every start up should really be asking itself first: "what will we be valued for?" 

Every  business makes an offer and has a structure. Value is different- it's implicitly linked to what other businesses don't offer. The start up businesses are those that  can deliver beyond or before their competitor; often beyond and before their customers' expectations. That's not what you can find just by starting. and its not something you can create by marketing. Its something you need to identify in order to start. For all the reason you can give as to why your brand deserve to succeed, the cruel reality is that you can only stand out when and where others think you do.