Credibility – the confidence that is critical when trying to sell your product or service – comes from several sources. For startups, the source might simply be (baseless) confidence in one’s ability to deliver. Later on, having proven results to the company’s name makes it easier to approach other potential leads. And over a period of time, even results become irrelevant if enough customers have bought the same product or service. Once the market reaches a tipping point, herd behavior among customers kicks in if other factors are conducive.

I can easily imagine some of Infosys’s earliest clients buying their IT projects after listening to the bunch of youngsters who sounded like they barely knew what they were doing. Over a period, having done multiple projects and delivered results that were measurable, they would have found it easier to present credentials. Of course, the company is busy setting its own house in order now, but that’s another story.

Showcasing credibility is easier with experience, but the process has to start somewhere. Perhaps square one is not a bad place to begin.