Events for entrepreneurs: where to go, depending on the goal
Now the creation of a startup does not think except two types of IT-people. These are those who normally got into a cool IT company in an office overlooking the Gunung Agung Volcano and are involved in creating really cool projects, or the laziest ones for which corporate lunch and LCA are synonymous with the word happiness.
In turn, those who are thinking about how to blow up the market with a radically new product are also divided into two categories. For those who just got an idea and are ready to start writing code tomorrow, only an investor is missing, and for those who have already begun work on the project (or maybe even have already reached the sales stage).
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1. Sowing stage (seed stage) - the earliest stage of development of venture projects that exist only on paper or in the form of laboratory developments. In other words, the situation “guys, I understood everything, we will make an analogue of Twitter” can be called the first stage, when you need seed investment. However, before running to people from Fast Lane Ventures, it is worth doing research, study the market, calculate it and understand what you actually want and how you see yourself and your product in the near future.
If you could not formulate answers in a conversation with friends-partners (or even ask yourself questions correctly), you should attend an event like #poSEEDelki , which are held in the Digital October Technopark. There are going to people who want to tell about their idea and get advice in terms of where to go and what to start with.
Tip:
• be sure to do research, study the market, competitors - you must give the audience introductory information for more adequate and useful advice
• select three main factors that are unique in your opinion and will bring your product to the market - do not make the audience try to guess them, it’s not interesting
• Remember that even though you have about 25 minutes, you should not spend them on history, as it dawned on you at night to do such and such a service. Read about the time managment of presentations and be sure to rehearse the presentation.
2. Initial stage - this includes projects that are running. Accordingly, the initial stage of financing is the provision of funds to a venture company for product development and initial marketing. Those. You have already understood what to do and how, you have assembled a team, discussed the terms and started working for days. Now you need capital for product development and promotion.
At this stage, you can take part in one of such conferences as RIF + CIB or RIW . If your project is interesting for the organizers, you will be given the opportunity to take part in StatupPoint or in another pitch. If your project is also of interest to experts, there is a chance to get the very startup investments. Otherwise, you will get useful acquaintances and listen to speeches of top Internet leaders (most likely just Runet).
Another option is to take part in iLift . A sort of a mixture of show and business negotiations in Elevator Pitch format: come with an angel / venture investor in an elevator. And during the time when the elevator rises (and this is only 2 minutes), you must convince a stranger that it is your project that this is what the market is so lacking.
Well, the third event (not so stressful): Feedback , which also takes place in Digital October. Russian analogue of TechCrunch and SF NewTech. Someone makes reports, then many who make a presentation of their project. Every entrepreneur gets feedback from an expert. The most successful projects receive contact investor. Even if you are still in the first stage, you should still attend such an event in order to get useful acquaintances and get useful knowledge. For example, on the past Feedback'e, Tatiana Tsvetkova from Fast Lane Ventures told about which projects and technologies will be most in demand by users and appealing to investors in the near future. On 27th of January, Product Director www.ivi.ru, Egor Danilov, will speak about typical design errors and fuckup that are waiting for developers at different stages of the project.
Tip:
• it is more serious here, you will have to speak in front of a crowd of people, many of whom are really rummaging in the market. Or one on one with the angel, which is even worse. Get better. I advise you to arrange a working weekend for yourself, having visited Harvest - two and a half days, during which all beginner IT entrepreneurs have a chance to practice and, again, listen to smart people.
3. Exit - the sale of a completed project, at which the final stage of the venture investment process takes place: the sale of a block of shares owned by a venture capital investor and its exit from the company. This process is carried out in such ways as:
• direct sale (sale by public offer, including IPO)
• write-off
• payment of preferred shares / loans
• sale to another venture capitalist
• sale of a financial institution.
The venture investor chooses the strategy of his exit from the investment (Exit management) to complete the investment, liquidate his share in the venture capital company and obtain the maximum income.
There are two most common scenarios: either your project “did not go”, or everything is ok, and you continue to work without problems (without external financing) independently within your project, or sell it (and start a new startup =).
If your project is really a bomb, then it will definitely be noticed by the monsters of the market. If you have not received a call, call yourself. For example, the same Fast Lane or Russian Venture Company OJSC, LiteVenture and others like them.
Remember that a Russian project does not have to be financed by a Russian investor. By and large, the West does not care where to invest money, so long as the project was successful.
In turn, those who are thinking about how to blow up the market with a radically new product are also divided into two categories. For those who just got an idea and are ready to start writing code tomorrow, only an investor is missing, and for those who have already begun work on the project (or maybe even have already reached the sales stage).
So, let us consider the main stages of the project development and the corresponding measures (in Moscow) for attracting investments.
')
1. Sowing stage (seed stage) - the earliest stage of development of venture projects that exist only on paper or in the form of laboratory developments. In other words, the situation “guys, I understood everything, we will make an analogue of Twitter” can be called the first stage, when you need seed investment. However, before running to people from Fast Lane Ventures, it is worth doing research, study the market, calculate it and understand what you actually want and how you see yourself and your product in the near future.
If you could not formulate answers in a conversation with friends-partners (or even ask yourself questions correctly), you should attend an event like #poSEEDelki , which are held in the Digital October Technopark. There are going to people who want to tell about their idea and get advice in terms of where to go and what to start with.
Tip:
• be sure to do research, study the market, competitors - you must give the audience introductory information for more adequate and useful advice
• select three main factors that are unique in your opinion and will bring your product to the market - do not make the audience try to guess them, it’s not interesting
• Remember that even though you have about 25 minutes, you should not spend them on history, as it dawned on you at night to do such and such a service. Read about the time managment of presentations and be sure to rehearse the presentation.
2. Initial stage - this includes projects that are running. Accordingly, the initial stage of financing is the provision of funds to a venture company for product development and initial marketing. Those. You have already understood what to do and how, you have assembled a team, discussed the terms and started working for days. Now you need capital for product development and promotion.
At this stage, you can take part in one of such conferences as RIF + CIB or RIW . If your project is interesting for the organizers, you will be given the opportunity to take part in StatupPoint or in another pitch. If your project is also of interest to experts, there is a chance to get the very startup investments. Otherwise, you will get useful acquaintances and listen to speeches of top Internet leaders (most likely just Runet).
Another option is to take part in iLift . A sort of a mixture of show and business negotiations in Elevator Pitch format: come with an angel / venture investor in an elevator. And during the time when the elevator rises (and this is only 2 minutes), you must convince a stranger that it is your project that this is what the market is so lacking.
Well, the third event (not so stressful): Feedback , which also takes place in Digital October. Russian analogue of TechCrunch and SF NewTech. Someone makes reports, then many who make a presentation of their project. Every entrepreneur gets feedback from an expert. The most successful projects receive contact investor. Even if you are still in the first stage, you should still attend such an event in order to get useful acquaintances and get useful knowledge. For example, on the past Feedback'e, Tatiana Tsvetkova from Fast Lane Ventures told about which projects and technologies will be most in demand by users and appealing to investors in the near future. On 27th of January, Product Director www.ivi.ru, Egor Danilov, will speak about typical design errors and fuckup that are waiting for developers at different stages of the project.
Tip:
• it is more serious here, you will have to speak in front of a crowd of people, many of whom are really rummaging in the market. Or one on one with the angel, which is even worse. Get better. I advise you to arrange a working weekend for yourself, having visited Harvest - two and a half days, during which all beginner IT entrepreneurs have a chance to practice and, again, listen to smart people.
3. Exit - the sale of a completed project, at which the final stage of the venture investment process takes place: the sale of a block of shares owned by a venture capital investor and its exit from the company. This process is carried out in such ways as:
• direct sale (sale by public offer, including IPO)
• write-off
• payment of preferred shares / loans
• sale to another venture capitalist
• sale of a financial institution.
The venture investor chooses the strategy of his exit from the investment (Exit management) to complete the investment, liquidate his share in the venture capital company and obtain the maximum income.
There are two most common scenarios: either your project “did not go”, or everything is ok, and you continue to work without problems (without external financing) independently within your project, or sell it (and start a new startup =).
If your project is really a bomb, then it will definitely be noticed by the monsters of the market. If you have not received a call, call yourself. For example, the same Fast Lane or Russian Venture Company OJSC, LiteVenture and others like them.
Remember that a Russian project does not have to be financed by a Russian investor. By and large, the West does not care where to invest money, so long as the project was successful.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/136772/
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