Startup Village 2014 in Quotations On June 2-3, 2014, the second international conference Startup Village took place. Numerous people, various industries, interesting sections and trainings and lots of innovation projects in one place. The most interesting and effective way to understand anything is to learn what people think about it. That’s why we suggested that it will be more attractive for you to know what people talked about during this two days. Day 1 I want to touch on a future of Skolkovo. We have people, ideas, money. But we have lack of “gold fever”, lack of a critical mass of success stories. When there will be more such stories, when startups and small companies will gain profits independently from state support then a critical mass of successful projects will form. Skolkovo is that project for accumulation a critical mass of successful startups! Alexandr Kuleshov, Institute of information exchange problems of Russian Science Academy Understand your customer and then you’ll understand your business. Sergey Mitrofanov, Pulsar Venture Capital What inverstors should learn? Do not invest in people who claim they are 100% sure in what they do Do not invest in people who don’t want to learn Do not invest in people who make the same mistakes Do not invest in people who don’t to become the best on the planet. Pekka Viljakainen, Adviser of Skolkovo Foundation President The last thing for a startup, especially for future business which is focused on international market, is such criterion as money. Overriding ones are passion and enthusiasm of entrepreneurs, and their talents. Entrepreneurs should fully understand what the market is, understand its caprices and peculiarities. Dominique Fache, Foundation Sophia Antipolis A recipe for a successful startup: work a lot, love what you do and find a good team. Gary Urteaga, HOLOSENS Startup Incubator There’s not too much eventualities in business. By its nature it’s logic and rational. But it’s not worth forgetting about key role of “wind of change” in business what implies its natural variability under market influence. Renat Batyrov, Skolkovo Technopark People who form technological landscape - they, not politicians - create perspectives for future humanity development. Igor Agamirzyan, Russian Venture Company When young people will come to parents and say they want to start an own business and not work in a stable company or a bank then we will be able to reveal a trand and talk about rapid growth of entreprenerial activity, startups and innovations. For own startup development it’s very important to learn others’ experience and learn from others’ mistakes. Here, now, at Startup Village we will learn from each other! Pekka Viljakainen, Adviser of Skolkovo Foundation President When I invest I’m not interested in idea. It’s much more important how this idea s fulfilled, what team worked on it. How to choose the right idea? The secret is in adherence to a business and in investments. And also un a talented team! Then you should choose a strategy – it might be investments on an early stage when risks are rather high and investments are not big – “spray and pray”. Yossi Vardi, Business Angel A new term Growth Hacking means a growth. It is a Growth Hacking which startups need, not marketing. Andrey Komarovski, CoffeeLab.vc Nowadays technological parks are common trend worldwide, and Russia cannot ignore it. In 1990s when I was starting to work here, Russia was not ready for introduction of such kind of innovation development instrument. But today Russia is actively integrating into international innovation system but still it remains uncompetitive because of low level of Russian goods marketing. Russian businessmen should learn to “sell Russia” qualitatively. Dominique Fache, Foundation Sophia Antipolis We grew very fast, we employed numerous people. You can control a company growth. But when you grow fast you have not time to concern about little things. Rapid growth hides imperfections and even if not all the employees are equally experienced everything goes well. Peter Vesterbacka, Rovio Entertainment You should provide employees with possibility to express ideas, to make changes to company development. It's important to create such environment where employees will feel comfortable and won’t be afraid to do something new. Peter Vesterbacka, Rovio Entertainment I’d like to give a piece of advice to startups which has no money. You ask often a client what he likes. People know only that make them feel inconvenient, they are ready to talk about what they don’t have. Ask them about it and you’ll get the right answer. Sergey Mitrofanov, Pulsar Venture Capital Our mind is able to produce an idea but it may limit your creativity. Because most minds are conservative that’s why we become our own habits victims. We often blame information overload in that our mind is overfilled by its unnecessary part. But a main problem is not in what information a modern information world provides us with but in that how we filter the information channels and how we operate them. Saku Tuominen, Dreando Day 2 Conference Diary: Kjetil Olsen, Elance.com [View:http://youtu.be/nXvaH7VDAVY:0:0] Learn to give up fantasies. The quickest way to do it is to communicate with clients as often as you can. Do not idle to research a market, to test your hypothesis. Learn to listen to signals. Sometimes it hurts but it’s always useful. Alexey Beltukov, Endemic Capital Conference Diary: Pekka Viljakainen [View:http://youtu.be/VsRbypnFtdo:0:0] Nowadays you will succeed only if you will apply skills and knowledge that were not available a few years ago. Gary Fowler, Launch Gurus Group An atmosphere at Startup becomes more warm and pleasant. During this days almost 10 000 participants from 27 cities have visited the event! All this make an impression! We hope that all initiatives will find investors and will be implemented. Construction of Skolkovo Innovation Center will be continued. Soon a big university will be opened here. Professors from different countries will be invited. In spite of various difficulties such projects as Skolkovo got a state approval. And we will finish up this project and fully implement! I want to wish good luck to everybody! Dmitriy Medvedev I remember when I was 14 I played cards created by McDonalds. They always created something to communicate with people, to attract them. Russia should not concern that you have not something that others have. Possibly there’re certain advantages. Here startups have a lot to do. Oliver Clark, Fiksu Possibility to lose a lot of money, risks and instability stops people who are afraid to start a business. This is absolute absurdity. You should act even if you will make mistakes on your way. Great companies were founded by people who didn’t want to make money. They wanted to change world using money. Be that people who will do it. Gary Fowler, Launch Gurus Group A brain is very special and works due to its own peculiar program. Computer provides a possibility to simulate and reconstitute processes occurring in the brain. New researches that were made these years will change all the diagnostic system. Namely young scientists began to make changes to the science. XXI century is a one of human exploration and most of discoveries in this area will be made by young scientists. Vladimir Zelman, University of South California
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