The devil in the details or how to go to the investor

Warning: the article is written on the topic of the day, and for a better understanding, many situations are exaggerated in an effort to bring them to the point of absurdity. Despite this, the topic raised does not lose its relevance .

It is finished! The idea was invented, the business plan was drawn up, the presentation was assembled, the prototype was designed. Now you are ready to conquer the world, and things are easy (as you think, yeah) - to find the means to make your dreams come true. The first thing that comes to mind is to go and conquer investors with your super-project. No, not so: SUPERPROJECT!



You make the first two or three laps with ease an experienced sprinter, turning into a burnt-out division and opening the door with your foot when you enter the rooms, the silence of which loves so much loot. After all, investors should run up to you and offer to allocate money for the implementation of your brilliant idea. You only need to say a couple of proposals for the project, and everything will fall into place: a swarm of gold buratin is secured, now the first factory opens near St. Petersburg, then the franchise goes to China, where the assembly of your fantasies becomes truly gigantic, the sales department phones do not fall silent for a minute, young miss of the world make you eyes, and you take a picture of a sigh and leave for permanent residence in the Caribbean, giving you a big press conference before that money doesn't matter to you.



At the first stage, it is possible that the investor will allocate money to you just like that, without any interest from your company ...



... it does not happen.

')

Dreams are broken about granite reality: the forehead is in the cones, but the great idea never brought the necessary investment.



Stages of reaction to outrageous investor behavior:

Stage 1. I am a genius. Not negotiable. Point.

“But how could these little people with their petty brains get to such posts if they are not aware of the genius of the idea that will bring millions? Everything is clear: father, mother, brother, matchmaker - family ties! He ... he sleeps with the secretary general! "

Stage 2. I realized everything.

“Maybe the problem is still in me? Maybe they did not like the fact that I came in shorts and moccasins on my bare foot? But these are the most fashionable shorts among hipsters ... Maybe the presentation should have been printed ... But no, I showed it on the iPad, now the 21st century is new technology. What did I do wrong? ”

Stage 3. Reincarnation, or work on the bugs.

After the awareness and suppression of the genius of all mankind (the Messiah of this century) in itself, serious preparation begins: millions of articles are read on the topics “how to go to investors”, “the art of negotiation”, “Get-Up or Good Luck”, and all presentations are revised again with Steve Jobs and his ilk. We transform and go to meetings again.

But seriously ...

Meet on clothes - this is the Russian reality, not devoid of meaning. Ermenegildo Zegna suit, iPhone 6 and Emporio Armani case add +50 to your charm. But, in principle, it is not bad just to wear a decent suit in size. Clear and convincing speech - let's not doubt your rightness. Do not nukayte, do not start, more restrained with facial expressions and gestures - you are not in a circus (in a circus for this they give +15 to karma and +15 to charm, for an investor this is -5 for all items). Do not openly argue, but do not agree with everything. Business cards - fucking piece of cardboard - add +5 to the status, because if you master ordering business cards, then you are at least worthy of being listened to. A presentation from a laptop to a projector causes respect (in 95% of cases there is a projector, and if there is no projector, then there is no need to look for money). And take the prototype with you, it's easier to show once than to tell a hundred times.



We all know the stories of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, and we remember that these guys almost came to the negotiations in their pajamas. Do not build illusions: even if you are one of them, you have a long way to go. See how much work, effort, and time are behind their apparent and seeming simplicity. Add to this the difficulties in our Russian realities that you will not find in America.



Finally. You can re-read tons of literature on how to interview with an investor, how to successfully negotiate, how to make presentations and persuade people, and even take appropriate courses. You can be dressed in the best fit. Your speech can be clear, the arguments are convincing. But if you promote the twin idea of ​​existing projects or an untimely project, or even you simply do not fart, then it will not work.



The good news is that you need to think more widely, globally assessing the possibilities. No luck with investors - do not focus only on them, there are other options - accelerators, crowdfunding, business angels, and more. Do not stop and do not lose heart - after all, it is these qualities that help the leader to stand out and win the long-awaited victory.