The idea can only be believed. About rational and irrational in startups
The idea can only be believed. I borrowed this paraphrase from my own note in the series Guide for Dummies with Ideas . It seemed to me that he is very suitable for the title of this note, in which I continue the correspondence discussion [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] with a very interesting opponent .
Entrepreneur and evangelicals
Responding [ 4 ] to my last note [ 2 ], in which I tried to deal with business experts, my opponent, the expert himself, tried to explain why the experts do not want to go to the project’s ideologue, but prefer hand than a crane in the sky. " One can see it somehow touched my ironic phrase that such a preference happens “despite the fact that the“ crane ”business model was not designed without their (experts) direct participation.”
This is what my opponent says on this occasion [ 4 ]:
What can be answered? First, despite my irony about the “business crane”, I never denied the fact that all experts, with the exception of brokers, work for direct reward everywhere and in the overwhelming number of cases. Moreover, I consider it normal, as well as direct payment for other participants in the process of turning an idea into a business. They are my opponent himself lists here [ 3 ]:
In another place he adds [ 4 ]:
The only question that I have with this arises. How does a business expert (consultant, etc.) differ from all other involved participants in this process? Why, precisely, a business expert can never take “the risks that the entrepreneur simply does not get along with the investor?” But can a programmer, for example, take such risks? After all, he too often needs to feed the family.
')
No, dear opponent, the matter is quite different. I am sure that everything depends on only one factor - did your potential partner believe in the idea itself or not? If you believe in it, then all other things being equal and it will go to risks, but if you do not believe it, you will never do it under any circumstances.
And this is my confidence based on my own experience. With my project, I went through a search for co-ideologues, programmers, marketers, and business experts who would agree to work “for the idea” at first. You can talk about this for a long time, which maybe I'll someday do. However, ultimately, he found everyone he was looking for. Rather, they found me. At the same time, some more believed in the idea itself, others in its carrier. Some were traded for their share in the project, others agreed with the proposal immediately. However, the main thing is that they all believed !!!
Of course, this should not be a blind faith. At the heart of such a belief should lie and knowledge, and life experience, and analysis, and what is briefly called the vision, and much more. But all the same, from a few irrational elements of faith here we will not go anywhere.
In large American companies there is even a position like this - evangelist (evangelist). Almost every big project has such a full-time unit, and sometimes a few Evangelist may be the generator of the basic idea itself (let's call it the main evangelist), or it may be an expert committed to it. The main thing that such a person should do is be able to “carry the idea to the masses”: write, speak, explain, propagate, recruit new supporters, promptly twist the idea under a rapidly changing market.
It is good when the entrepreneur and the main evangelist are two-in-one. A classic example of that is Bill Gates. Otherwise, you will have to look for not only "ordinary" evangelists, but also the main one.
In this case, it is necessary to proceed from a simple rule: “several bears in one lair” get along hard. And to get along, each of these "bears" must become an evangelist in his own direction. For example, one leads the functionality, the other - the market, the third - finance. If an entrepreneur succeeds in selecting such evangelists as a team for a project, the probability of success of the cause will increase significantly. If you don’t succeed, you’ll have to do it yourself, which is almost impossible for the development of a large project. And, unfortunately, money here will not always help. Evangelist must be born.
A matter of life or everything for sale?
And one more thing that somewhat embarrassed me in the statements of my opponent [ 1 ]:
Considerations on this issue can be found in the full text of the notes in iTech Bridge .
- After posting a note in iTech Bridge, my opponent immediately spoke in Live Journal . Unfortunately, there I did not find direct answers or comments to any of my theses. However, to judge this, of course, not me, but the readers. I think we two will have your opinions interesting. And I just want to thank my opponent, who passed through the discussion with honor. Personally, I was very, very helpful.
I hoped to put this note in Habré immediately after the opponent’s response, but the work on the “ Enterprise 2.0 directions and projects in the same direction :) I was very distracted.
So, is it all a matter of life or everything for sale ?
Entrepreneur and evangelicals
Responding [ 4 ] to my last note [ 2 ], in which I tried to deal with business experts, my opponent, the expert himself, tried to explain why the experts do not want to go to the project’s ideologue, but prefer hand than a crane in the sky. " One can see it somehow touched my ironic phrase that such a preference happens “despite the fact that the“ crane ”business model was not designed without their (experts) direct participation.”
This is what my opponent says on this occasion [ 4 ]:
Now the main question. How to negotiate with the candidate ( for the role of expert - AM). Very often I hear a wish, both to myself and to my colleagues, “but let's work from the result”, i.e. when you lead an investor to a company, then we will pay ... What consultant will take the risk that the entrepreneur simply does not get along with the investor?
What can be answered? First, despite my irony about the “business crane”, I never denied the fact that all experts, with the exception of brokers, work for direct reward everywhere and in the overwhelming number of cases. Moreover, I consider it normal, as well as direct payment for other participants in the process of turning an idea into a business. They are my opponent himself lists here [ 3 ]:
In the meantime, I note that in the sentence "Who will help to make a business out of an idea?" The key word is the word HELP. Business makes an entrepreneur. And all the rest (investors, programmers, marketers, consultants, brokers and others) just stand by and try to cling to the body of such an entrepreneur, not always fulfilling their functions conscientiously.
In another place he adds [ 4 ]:
An entrepreneur is a person who builds a company that can be sold. So, he accepts most of the decisions. He gathers himself a team that helps him to build a business. Such a team can work for a salary, but more often it hopes to share success with it. Investors in this case are part of the team. They are just as interested in success as everyone else.
The only question that I have with this arises. How does a business expert (consultant, etc.) differ from all other involved participants in this process? Why, precisely, a business expert can never take “the risks that the entrepreneur simply does not get along with the investor?” But can a programmer, for example, take such risks? After all, he too often needs to feed the family.
')
No, dear opponent, the matter is quite different. I am sure that everything depends on only one factor - did your potential partner believe in the idea itself or not? If you believe in it, then all other things being equal and it will go to risks, but if you do not believe it, you will never do it under any circumstances.
And this is my confidence based on my own experience. With my project, I went through a search for co-ideologues, programmers, marketers, and business experts who would agree to work “for the idea” at first. You can talk about this for a long time, which maybe I'll someday do. However, ultimately, he found everyone he was looking for. Rather, they found me. At the same time, some more believed in the idea itself, others in its carrier. Some were traded for their share in the project, others agreed with the proposal immediately. However, the main thing is that they all believed !!!
Of course, this should not be a blind faith. At the heart of such a belief should lie and knowledge, and life experience, and analysis, and what is briefly called the vision, and much more. But all the same, from a few irrational elements of faith here we will not go anywhere.
In large American companies there is even a position like this - evangelist (evangelist). Almost every big project has such a full-time unit, and sometimes a few Evangelist may be the generator of the basic idea itself (let's call it the main evangelist), or it may be an expert committed to it. The main thing that such a person should do is be able to “carry the idea to the masses”: write, speak, explain, propagate, recruit new supporters, promptly twist the idea under a rapidly changing market.
It is good when the entrepreneur and the main evangelist are two-in-one. A classic example of that is Bill Gates. Otherwise, you will have to look for not only "ordinary" evangelists, but also the main one.
In this case, it is necessary to proceed from a simple rule: “several bears in one lair” get along hard. And to get along, each of these "bears" must become an evangelist in his own direction. For example, one leads the functionality, the other - the market, the third - finance. If an entrepreneur succeeds in selecting such evangelists as a team for a project, the probability of success of the cause will increase significantly. If you don’t succeed, you’ll have to do it yourself, which is almost impossible for the development of a large project. And, unfortunately, money here will not always help. Evangelist must be born.
A matter of life or everything for sale?
And one more thing that somewhat embarrassed me in the statements of my opponent [ 1 ]:
The article is aimed at entrepreneurs who are building a startup for sale in the future and are planning to put together a strong team and attract an investor. Entrepreneurs who build small start-ups on their knees or see a “business of their life” in a startup can safely not read further.
Considerations on this issue can be found in the full text of the notes in iTech Bridge .
- After posting a note in iTech Bridge, my opponent immediately spoke in Live Journal . Unfortunately, there I did not find direct answers or comments to any of my theses. However, to judge this, of course, not me, but the readers. I think we two will have your opinions interesting. And I just want to thank my opponent, who passed through the discussion with honor. Personally, I was very, very helpful.
I hoped to put this note in Habré immediately after the opponent’s response, but the work on the “ Enterprise 2.0 directions and projects in the same direction :) I was very distracted.
So, is it all a matter of life or everything for sale ?
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/28251/
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