История успеха проекта, которую вам никогда не повторить – но вы должны все равно пробовать.
Success story you will never repeat: but should try anyway.
1. Хронология успешного проекта.
a. Построение отношений между основателями
b. Поиск людей, которые будут работать на Вас, и поиск партнеров, которые будут работать с Вами
c. Сотрудничество с юристами, менторами, советниками, и консультантами для продвижения вперед
d. Сбор всей своей интеллектуальной собственности в одну корзину (компанию)
e. Подход к инвесторам
f. Переговоры с инвесторами, основные недостатки и ошибки
g. Инвесторы вошли в Вашу компанию – как теперь ею управлять
2. Фатальные ошибки, которые собъют Ваш бизнес при взлете
1. A timeline of a successful project.
a. Forming relationship among founders
b. Finding people to work for you and finding partners that would work with you
c. Working with lawyers, mentors, advisors, and consultants to move forward
d. Gathering of all of your intellectual property in one basket (company)
e. Approaching investors
f. Negotiations with investors, main shortfalls and mistakes
g. Investors are in – how do I run my business now?
2. Critical mistakes that shot down many projects at the takeoff
3. 1. Inception (DOs)
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Birth of the Idea (March 8, 2013!!!)
Need to think through, live and improve the idea
“I would use it” – merge the two worlds
“Other people would use it”
It solves a specific problem with ease
Could be a unique problem but (better!) you
should offer a unique solution!
It does not need to be YOUR problem. But you
need to know people whose problem it is.
Solution has to be better or (better!) – simple!!!
5. 1. Inception (DON’Ts)
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Failed ideas of other projects:
Assumes it solves a problem (but there is none)
“I would not use it but someone should”
Easy to replicate (but not always!). Run fast!
No focus, no need, no goal
No monetary value (time, money or fun)
too much work with little resources
Don’t assume “so simple – somebody probably
did it”. What if you are wrong?
7. 2. Building the Team (DON’Ts)
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2
Failed Teams in other pojects
too much disparity in approach (one focus)
But you do not need the same skill
NOT a partner/founder – ask for $$ every day
If there is a discussion “how much you will pay
me” in first weeks – this is not a partner
signing stupid papers at initial stages
giving away/disclosing too much IP
Misunderstanding re ownership %% (think in raitio
me/you 3:1, rather than you will have 25%)
8. 3. Architecture/Shape (DOs)
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Company (Pinxter Inc. formed on June 3 in
US)
Formation is the key
USA/EU v. “Laundromats” (v. ридна ненька
Украина?)
Scalable and set for growth (no “restructure”)
Company is also to protect you (limited liability)
Relationship b/w founders (understanding)
Necessary votes to act, issue new shares/new team
members
Veto re important issues, how do we sell the project
Adjustments if one works/the other does not
9. 3. Architecture/Shape (DON’Ts)
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Failed structures
“offshore” – focus on making more money for
yourself and NOT on paying less taxes
bad jurisdictions and problems:
can lose everything (creeping nationalization - Cyprus)
Money sending/receiving, certificates, bad rep
NO UNDERSTANDING AMONG PARTNERS
AS TO THEIR POWER DISTRIBUTION
if you can afford attorney/advisor – this is the
time to get it to avoid serious issues
10. 4. The “Filler”/IP (DOs)
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EVERYTHING MUST GO to the COMPANY
All of ideas and IP:
Developed BEFORE (assignment)
Transfer AT THE TIME of formation (assignment)
Becomes property on “click” of the keyboard of each
developer in the FUTURE –software development agt
“Alien code”:
GPL, GNU, “copyleft”, LGPL, “hippy code” - LICENSE it!
“Well, there is some code that I used for other project” - make
sure that your developer licenses it to the company (or vice
versa)
Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks and trade
secrets
12. 4. The “Filler”/IP (DON’Ts)
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lost or uncertain IP
“leaking” vessel cannot float (nor financed/sold)
copyright not registered
– hard to prove, hard to match
Descriptive or generic TM are bad:
“Best Race”, “Good Farm”, facebook (need a lot money to defend!)
Must be:
fanciful (Playzum, Fozium, Alawar, Playrix, Luxand, Pintrest)
Arbitrary (BlueTooth, Gaijin, Oxygen)
Suggestive (Pinxter, Apple, SkyOdds, ToonBox, ZBrainy)
More read at: IT Grabli: how to choose the name for you product
wp.me/p2AI6A-1n via @femidaUS
13. 5. MONEY (DOs)
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By June 21, Pinxter gets 1 round of
financing from a consortium of
angels:
Truly smart money (=connections)
Investment Funds are spent on
Development
Marketing
Legal Protection
Founders chose NOT to take any salary…
15. 5. MONEY (DOs)
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Big role: existing company, IP,
agreements
fair deal:
Veto, restrictive covenants, board seat
Minimum day-to-day interference (if all goes as
planned)
minimum changes to the EXISTING
agreements
Maximum help (almost as much as with
founders)
17. 5. MONEY (DON’Ts)
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You have to be ready to take the
money
Danger areas:
Don’t make investors do YOUR job
Don’t give out too much
Perform as promised
Put things on paper/agreement
Protect you IP
20. 6. Release (DON’Ts)
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LEGAL FAILURES:
Privacy
terms of use
licenses
DMCA
Dangerous/weak agreements (exclusive etc.)
Complete mess with the contractors,
employees and consultants
21. 7. Accelerate and expand…
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September 1:
Second round of investment…
…. from the SAME group of investors
BUILDING on TRUST and PERFORMANCE
It’s not the ‘success‘ yet…
…but it’s ready for one
22.
23. Contact information
Need your feedback!
email: dd@femida.us
blog: facebook.com/femidaUS
skype: ddFemida
ph:
1.703.739.9111