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Russian Silicon Valley - why?

Friends, over the past year, the authorities and the President personally have talked a lot about the creation of an innovative economy in Russia and the creation of our analogue of the Valley. Last week they appointed a responsible person from a large business, Viktor Vekselberg, and it seems that they determined the place where it will exist.

I made this post in order to collect opinions on the following issues:

1) How to relate to these decisions and whether they will be the result for the technology business from everything that was started by our authorities

2) What needs to be done in order for Russia to stop being just a market for foreign innovations and services and to offer technological innovations and successful companies based on them to the market itself?

My attitude and opinion to what is happening - in this post.

In the comments I ask all who are not indifferent and who have an opinion on these issues to speak out.





What does power do?

The goal is obvious - to increase the share of innovative breakthrough companies in our economy. The leader and excellent example here is the United States, and Silicon Valley as the center of innovation. And they decided to copy it.

The authorities are doing what they did in Skolkovo. Active and very competent people in business education (I do not exaggerate) lobbied for the Skolkovo project at the highest level, gathered a circle of major businessmen-investors, built a huge set of buildings, etc. etc. I know a team of people who do it, and I am sure that they will succeed. What they are doing is adequate for creating a strong business education school. The first persons of the state are looking at this project and they are probably satisfied with it. And they also decided to build a center for technological innovation.

Chosen a place, in my opinion, the same Skolkovo. Appointed a responsible from the business. He will prepare the project, collect money from his colleagues, major businessmen on the project. Surely, they will build huge buildings and allocate state money for innovative projects.



Where is the mistake.

Innovations do not need buildings, government money, curators from large businesses, and generally government support. Silicon Valley provides innovative technology services, new companies are built and grow there because there are people who do it.

These are tens of thousands of entrepreneurs. Not those who finished school yesterday and cannot get a job, writes delusional executive summary and spamming fund boxes. Real entrepreneurs who could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in senior positions at Microsoft or Oracle, but refused it for the sake of their idea, faith, drive when creating their own company. Tens of thousands of those who know their market, the problem of the consumer and what to offer.

These are hundreds and thousands of professional investors. Not successful businessmen from the oil industry or the concrete industry, who decided to invest in a couple of Internet projects, because "the Internet is cool and this is our future." Professional investors who give smart money - money, experience, connections, help in business development, help morally and inspire an entrepreneur when his hands fall in difficult times.

To create a new technology or service and build a company that earns money, state financing is not needed, a single center of innovation and a complex of buildings. Only people are needed - entrepreneurs and investors. And where they sit and find themselves. It turns out that the patient has sore teeth, and he is treated with hemorrhoids.

How will the number of entrepreneurs increase as a result of the emergence of the “Russian Silicon Valley”? How will the number of professional investors increase in Russia as a result of this project?

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Why are we not an innovative leader?

New companies appear where a sufficient number of proper entrepreneurs and investors are concentrated. Quantity here is just as important as quality. There are statistics - start-up success probability is 0.3%. Those. out of 1,000 initiatives, only 3 will become successful innovative companies. All the rest will die.

I want to emphasize that the number of entrepreneurs and attempts to make successful companies is very important. The more attempts - the more successful companies in the output.

By the number of entrepreneurs, i.e. people who have a desire to make a new company in the blood, and who, for the sake of it, refuse from good places in Gazprom, we are behind the USA by about 30-40 years. There are such statistics. The same for the number of business angels and entrepreneurs.

The daughter of one of my friends is 5 years old, answering the question where she wants to work, she answers “In Gazprom”. My younger brother, who studies law, wants to work in the internal organs. This is the ultimate dream for those who are between 5 and 25 years old today. Too few people want to be entrepreneurs, too few people have a desire to make a new service and company, and the tension and risk associated with this outweigh the stable salary in the Russian state company.

We do not give out innovation, because we have too few attempts at start-ups and too few entrepreneurs who are able to create successful companies.



What to do?

1. It is necessary to make the main character of the society not oligarchs, cops or someone else, but entrepreneurs who implement cool ideas into successful new companies. At least 5 - 10% of young people should dream and set as a goal to become successful entrepreneurs. This is a task rather at the level of propaganda.

2. We need a training system and modern business education in schools and universities. Young guys should learn to look at the market, see the problem, look for a solution, look for sales channels, etc. We need strong organizational and management training for people under the age of 20-22 years in schools and universities, on internships.

3. To prohibit state financing of innovative projects, incl. in the form of RVK. All government investments are in high-quality business education and entrepreneurship training. Naturally, no state project called "Russian Silicon Valley".

4. Exemption from UST and other taxes for new companies in the technology industry until the first profit and concessions on VAT and income tax for the first 3 years after registration of the company.

5. Increase the quantity and quality of Start-up Crush Test and Start-up Point events. To bring overseas successful funds and entrepreneurs to exchange experience and review Russian projects.



On the universal truth to claim. Fasting is just my opinion. Your - write in the comments.

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/89215/



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