Ask HN: Why is a companies success still very random?

It may seem random because there are many factors outside of the control of the business owner that affect success. For example, how effectively your competitors compete for your customers, the state of the economy (whether people have money to spend on discretionary purchases), etc.

However, there are factors that are controlled by the business, which are not random. For example:

- Have the business owners conducted market research to determine whether there's demand for their proposed products or services at a price point that would make the company profitable?

- Does the business have experienced marketing staff and an adequate sales budget?

- Does it have managers who have experience managing people and projects?

- Does it have staff who have previously launched and supported successful products?

- Does the business spend money on things that don't provide a competitive advantage (like fancy office space in an expensive area)?

There are an infinite number of variables. If there were a clear path to running a successful business then the majority wouldn't fail.