squar start up lessons
DESCRIPTION
I had prepared the presentation below for Barcamp Saigon today but by the time the disorganized staff had schlepped me back and forth, they had closed off the ability to submit topics so I was not allowed to present. Usually at Barcamps you can submit a topic at any point during the day but apparently the organizers here felt the need to be fancy. All that amounted to is that I had two presentations prepared that are now just content for my blog. Given how busy I’ve been lately, it’s nice to have some content to post actually. Below is something that I put together and is very specific to me and SQUAR. As with most start up information you find online, it should be noted that every company has their own stories and nuances. Hopefully this can provide some food for thought for any budding entrepreneurs, especially in Asia where our game is played so much differently than in the Silicon Valley. It should be noted that we moved very quickly: product from concept to Google Play store in less than 4 weeks, oversubscribed investor interest in two weeks and a ton of media interest within 5 days of a beta launch. A combination of great timing, hard work and a bit of luck has SQUAR in the enviable situation of Silicon Valley investors like Sequoia seeking me out. One day soon, I will write a more detailed story about the SQUAR start up story but for now, would love to hear from others who have done this in the region to see if they have additional stories to tell.TRANSCRIPT
RITA NGUYEN!Co-Founder & CEO!
Start Up Lessons!
Sunday, 7 July, 13
Lesson 1: Define the product
✦ Find a problem to solve and validate it as quickly as possible
✦ Get in front of your customers quickly and often
✦ Stop reading TechCrunch - you’re not going to build the next Instagram so how are you going to make money?
Sunday, 7 July, 13
Lesson 2: Funding
✦ Not as scary as you read about✦ Tell your story over and over...and
over✦ Delay it for as long as you can✦ Don’t forget that they need you
more than you need them✦ Stop reading TechCrunch - dilute
if you need to
Sunday, 7 July, 13
Web LaunchLesson 3: Advisors & Staff
✦ Surround yourself with people who are way smarter than you
✦ Sell them on the dream - if they don’t believe then they have no business taking these early steps with you
✦ Don’t let them drown out your inner voice
✦ Stop reading TechCrunch. Just stop.
Sunday, 7 July, 13
Lesson 4: JFDI
✦ Don’t be afraid to talk about it...with everyone
✦ Take the leap without all the answers
✦ BTW, you’ll never be ready✦ Be prepared to stop sleeping ✦ Now go pitch TechCrunch
Sunday, 7 July, 13
