0:00:16Life isn't fair, I was told by some startups that it's not fair that they
0:00:21are
0:00:21that there is a jury just sitting behind and they ask the questions
0:00:27from the comfortable seats. So, let's make life a little bit more fair. So I
0:00:32would like to invite our jury on the stage to answer some questions. Please, guys.
0:00:48Before we... careful. Before we... yes, we were picking straws which one of these chairs
0:00:56will be broken.
0:01:00Okay, before we proceed to the awards part, we will have a really short kind
0:01:04of session with our jury. So I would like guys to let you know, let
0:01:11you know the audience, what you really do, what projects you are now working on.
0:01:16And I would need microphone for this, please.
0:01:19So, our jury might answer the questions. So, let's go.
0:01:36Okay. So, Ivan, please, this is your elevator pitch, thirty seconds. What do you do?
0:01:43Hi. So I'm Ivan Debnar from The Spot in Bratislava, Slovakia. I am running, and
0:01:49I founded a Coworking Space and also Accelerator. For all of you that want to
0:01:55really do something really quick and be successful. Pretty much like the Starcube here, we
0:02:01are doing it in Bratislava, as I said. We help you learn how to do
0:02:06stuff, how to be intelligent, how to not make that much mistakes or make them
0:02:11at least very fast, and really create an investible team.
0:02:15Thanks. I'm not sure if it was 30 seconds.
0:02:23My name is Vincent. I just wanted to tell you that's I was really amazed
0:02:26by the quality of the presentation today. I'm especially amazed by that because I started
0:02:32like you guys. I started in 2004. in the Imagine competition that we won in
0:02:36Brazil. And then I had to pitch in 2010. in the Peace Park summit same
0:02:42way that you did five minutes to jury. But these brought me to create Kobojo
0:02:47which is a seventy people company today, making good money. And I've been a CEO
0:02:53of that company for a while and I recently left for new ventures%2
0:03:25Hi. Yes, I'd like to second that, you guys did a great job today. I
0:03:29started not in a similar way, actually. It was me and three other guys, and
0:03:33we had an idea for a java productivity tool that we had been building out
0:03:39over the last three years or so. And for the last three years I was
0:03:43the CEO. We grew the company from very, very small amount of revenue to now,
0:03:50like, multi million dollars and eighty people in the office and
0:03:54offices in Boston and Prague, and a couple in Estonia, where we were based.
0:04:00And now I've moved on to do some investing, and
0:04:06advising and mentoring, and stuff like that. So, I'm just
0:04:09kind of working with people in the startup space and considering bulidinf my own again,
0:04:13so... Thanks.
0:04:22Hi, I'm Tom.
0:04:24Great job, as well. I started
0:04:29my first business about six years ago in Britain. And it's literally started in my
0:04:35bedroom, and it was a marketing agency. The I sold it. I was running car
0:04:42brokerage business, car finance brokerage business, which is now second largest in the UK. Sold
0:04:48my stake as well. And because I wanted to come back home, I started Slevomat,
0:04:52which you might know, which is not a 150 people company and has seven under
0:05:01entities in central and eastern Europe. Last month I left, I left my CEO spot
0:05:11I became a CEO of Slevomat Ventures, so I'm looking for opportunities for businesses that
0:05:17complement Slevomat and it's user base. And it's because I'm not an investor and I'm
0:05:23not an adviser. I'm an entepreneur. I started another company, which is now focusing on
0:05:28food delivery. So, next year maybe, when you want to order food online, we'll be
0:05:36the place.
0:05:38We'll be working very hard to become it. And, thanks again for a great afternoon.
0:05:43Thanks.
0:05:50I have a few more questions for you and then the audience might take advantage
0:05:55of this opportunity as well. I have a question for you, since you have a
0:05:59microphone right now. What was the initial, what was the spark for you that you
0:06:06decided to create your first company, your first project? Even though it was not successful
0:06:12or was successful?
0:06:13It doesn't matter.
0:06:16Right after my university, which I didn't finish, I failed, I moved to the UK
0:06:24and I started working in factories, as you do, because no one's really expecting you
0:06:31there with open arms. And then I got my first IT job and I was
0:06:35really underpaid. And then I got my second IT job and I was really underpaid
0:06:39as well. And I was really pissed off, because I was thinking: I''m better than
0:06:43this. You know? I can do better, I don't have to be underpaid. So I
0:06:48left, I quit and moved to a smaller apartment. I knew I would be six
0:06:56months without any income and I decided to give it a try. And it's was,
0:07:02it was successful try. So, I was just basically pissed off and angry
0:07:09That's a good motivation. And I wanted to prove myself in the world, I can
0:07:15do things. Great, thank you. And David, please, I don't have the same question for
0:07:20you. Let's make it a little bit more difficult.
0:07:24What do you think is the most important thing for a startup to be successful?
0:07:30Is there one, the most important thing, the startup must have?
0:07:37Vision. You have to know where you're going. And you've got to... if I was
0:07:40in a couple of thet with something else, it would be a team that's determined
0:07:43to get there.
0:07:44So, if you have a really clear idea of where you're going to go, why
0:07:47you're going to go there and the team that will support you the whole way,
0:07:52I think those are the most important things.
0:07:54Okay. After that the money tends to follow. Right.
0:07:57Thank you. And Vincent, please, how do you like Prague and how do you like
0:08:02Brno?
0:08:05The tough ones. Thanks for the question. I have seen Prague for the first time
0:08:11today from the passenger's seat of a car and Brno just from a taxi for
0:08:19my hotel two years ago. So, I have to come back to give an answer.
0:08:22Great.
0:08:23We always want to people say: I have to come back. Thanks, no, but more
0:08:28difficult question. Now you have a team working in Poland on a new project. How
0:08:34do you pick the best people for your team?
0:08:38You know, it's a good question. I think, actually, right now I'm looking for co-founders
0:08:42and not looking in one place. And I think that, and I think all the
0:08:47that's what you need to look for. And for me, what is a good cofounder?
0:08:51It's someone that is not in for the money and isn't in for the anger;
0:08:54he's here because he wants to do things with his own hands. And I've seen,
0:08:59I've have been in many trial of startups that I don't always show up, because
0:09:04I... there were just few successes, because the lean approach that you have here I
0:09:09think is the right one. And I've tired many stuff and failed many times and
0:09:12then I found success. But what I've learned is that the people with you are
0:09:17in for the passion and the excitement and the thrill to build something from the
0:09:23ground. That might take you somewhere or might not, but just the experience of it
0:09:28is what I'm looking for in someone, when I talk to someone.
0:09:33Great and thank you. And the last question for Ivan. Why did you move from
0:09:40like more business area that you were the owner to the area where you help
0:09:46other people to create companies? I mean, you founded The Spot.
0:09:50In Barislava. Well yes, there is, well, funny answer. Well, I felt that I am
0:09:55really old and tired, so I don't have those ideas anymore. And I'm not able
0:10:00to do anything myself, so I decided that I will just try to stick with
0:10:04people that rally can. And so I tried to really help them with the content,
0:10:10with the, well, inside and the experience that I gained over the years, so.... And
0:10:17I really like to be among the people that really can have the passion, have
0:10:21the vision, have the drive still. And I really, I enjoyed being there. And I
0:10:26think there's something that we really can give back.
0:10:30Great. Thank you.
0:10:40And now it's place for you, for a few questions you might have. I see
0:10:44the first hand here. From Jean.
0:10:48You can scream, or...
0:10:53Hi, I'm Jean Trojan, I'm a pitch and presentation trainer. So I'm really curious
0:10:58and I just wnat a one word answer from you, so be really fast. When
0:11:02you're on a jury like this, what is the one most important element of a
0:11:07pitch for you? What really
0:11:10makes it?
0:11:18I just need to believe it. I think, you know, that's the most important thing
0:11:23for me, personally. You know, if I see a guy and I don't believe him,
0:11:26he can say whatever yoheu wants, but you know, the find out trust that you
0:11:32can do things and he can do things he's saying is
0:11:35is essential.
0:11:38I think you used all our words.
0:11:44The the one thing that... so I'm going to be fast on that one
0:11:50I think that's, you know, in such a short pitch, I think it's about getting
0:11:55the attention in the first search segment, and
0:11:58you need to get it. Like, you need to, like, literaly be able to phrase
0:12:03what you do in one sentence. And I think that's what gets me in the
0:12:07pitch. If I get it, then I'm going to, you have my full attention, I'm
0:12:10going to fall on the floor, I'm going to get everything and I'm gonna try
0:12:14to appropriate it to myself. And so, and it might just be that's you're like,
0:12:19let's say that you're the Facebook of cat owners. Just that one sentence from it,
0:12:24I get it. You know, Facebook of cat's owners and don't try to do, that's
0:12:28it.
0:12:31for me it has to be clear and it has to be passionate.
0:12:34Great, thank you.
0:12:35Other questions?
0:12:45okay
0:12:46You are kidding me! There is no one who wants to aks these great people
0:12:50something?
0:12:56I need to, I need to tease my colleague.
0:13:03No, actually I do have a question. I knew. About that anger. Like, that's something
0:13:09I can relate to, that you were talking about; that kind of your
0:13:13start of the business. But,
0:13:17Was there, like, even more detailed, like, did tipping point, like, what was actually the
0:13:22phase? Was it the, your blast paycheck you got that then decided to go for
0:13:27the business, but that anger had to come up to a point where you said
0:13:31Okay, now I'm doing it.
0:13:40See it's a long time ago, and I'm not sure.
0:13:45I'm quite angry person, so...
0:13:48It's just like, you know, anger, like, is high all the time. I don't know.
0:13:56Probably you. Yes, it's me. I don't
0:13:59want you to be angry on me.
0:14:03At least, I think, I think it was just... I had a time frame. I
0:14:09was, I decided before I came to the UK I will give it a shot
0:14:14for twelve months. And ten months after I arrived I was still working in a
0:14:22factory.
0:14:25because I just couldn't get, couldn't get anything else, you know? Because there is just
0:14:29a lot of Poles in the UK. And it's like millions of foreigners and just
0:14:34they didn't trust you want to stay. And then things started to happen and I
0:14:41kind of got in the flow, I think, and you know, first month I got
0:14:45a job, then I got... the month after that I got second offer. And then
0:14:50nothing happened, you know? I stopped climbing ladder and I just forgot
0:14:57I just need to make my own luck. So I think, I think it was
0:15:01just, I was in a flow and it wasn't enough.
0:15:08I think that
0:15:09there's not such a thing as luck. I mean, obviously there's luck, but I think
0:15:13that
0:15:13you cultivate luck. See, you can, you can really make luck grow by being enthusiastic
0:15:19about everything you want to do and you want to show. And the fact that...
0:15:23you know, iIve been in Poland for just two weeks and a half, and I've
0:15:27met already fifteen influential people. But I didn't know anyone, I just started with one
0:15:32person who introduced me to another one, who introduced me to other one. And all
0:15:35conversations, all those cafe, all those one on one are like just opportunities. And at
0:15:40some point there's a tipping point, there is that mix that you strive for passion,
0:15:45for doing something. And the right person that you meet to after those fourteen people
0:15:49that you bounce on this year: Holy crap, would you, do want, do you want
0:15:52to do something with me? Do you agree with that too? What do you do
0:15:56next week? And boom, there's the spark, and you are on and you're excited and
0:16:03you don't need money. That's one point I wanted to say. But everything that I've
0:16:07built, I didn't raise money until I was making at least hundred fifty thousand euro
0:16:12a month. So,
0:16:16sorry.
0:16:18I'm jumping on the anger thing. Anger's great.
0:16:21I was turning thirty, and in a job that I knew I wasn't going to
0:16:25go any higher in. And just really, really frustrated. I've been there for four years
0:16:29and I thought: Okay, I've got enough experience in this place; I'm out. And so
0:16:33I basically left to create a marketing consultancy, actually. And that
0:16:37six months later I was the CEO of the startup. It just took off, like
0:16:41you just, you go. I think, I think I'd wanted to be a millionaire by
0:16:46the time I was thirty, that was the goal. And I was like: Okay, well
0:16:47it's happening in a month. So,
0:16:50I better get started.
0:16:54I've actually realised what was tipping point now. And I apologise because it was such
0:17:01a long time ago. I found a co-founder. And that was the tipping point, that
0:17:04was the coffee, that was the opportunity, you know? So I wanted to do it,
0:17:10I was angry, but I found someone who said
0:17:14You know, I'm goinig to do it with you. And that was the tipping point.
0:17:18So sometimes you just need to meet someone who is the spark for your business
0:17:23to come true. Is this right?
0:17:27Yes. You have to be persistent.
0:17:30Yes, that's right. Yes.
0:17:34Okay, so that was the last question from us. Thank you guys very much that
0:17:38you attended this short panel and session. And so will continue with the evening, so,
0:17:44thank you.
0:17:54Okay, we have to do some short clearance here. But you saw our jury. They
0:17:59are, they are quite... yes yes, all right.
0:18:08At least someone remembers, at least someone. Great.
0:18:14You saw that our jury, they are quite professionals, they didn't get sweaty at all
0:18:18during the panelist session. I wish I was such a professional.
0:18:23But let's continue with Starcube Show. You've learned something about how to become enterpreneur. What
0:18:30you have, what you must have to become successful; what might be the obstacles or
0:18:36what might be the sparks. So, let's find, I would like to show you what
0:18:40you can do if you want to start your own company. There are some events,
0:18:46some communities in Prague, Brno, Zlin, Ostrava; pretty much everywhere. So if you decided to
0:18:53create your own company, maybe today, let's find out what it is. So, for example,
0:18:59if you don't have the idea and you just want to know what people solves,
0:19:04for problems go to ideaswatch.com. It's the Czech project where are tons of ideas that
0:19:10needs to be sold.
0:19:13If you just want to meet great people at one place in one day, you
0:19:17can go for Starcube Show definitely, but you can also go for Barcamp Brno. One
0:19:22of the biggest Barcamps in the world.
0:19:26If you want to meet people from IT community, go and visit some of the
0:19:30business IT club events in Brno or Prague.
0:19:34And if you have the idea already or you are working on a project and
0:19:37you want to hear a feedback on our project, on your idea; come and visit
0:19:43us at micminutes.cz, because there is a jury similar to this, short presentations, feedback, new
0:19:51contacts for you.
0:19:55But if you are
0:19:56if you decided to really create a project, you have a team, there are several
0:20:00accelerators that will be opening new rounds or that will start in Czech Republic. For
0:20:08example, Wayra Academy from Telefonica. You can also go for Startup Yard in Prague.
0:20:14And to Node5 for accelerator they want to launch or use their co-working space as
0:20:22well.
0:20:23And there are other incubators, accelerators, IT communities, startup communities everywhere, pretty much, around the
0:20:30world. So it's just up to you and that you decide to do something and
0:20:34go and visit someone or at least visit some website.
0:20:39If there is just one website for people from South Moravia, I would like to
0:20:45show you that on startupclub.cz there is pretty much everything which is connected to creating
0:20:51startups from all other communities around Czech Republic.
0:20:58So,
0:20:59that's pretty much for you who decided to do something and didn't know what to
0:21:04do, where to start.
0:21:06And now I want to do short announcement.
0:21:11Some of the teams presented their solution, some of the teams from Starcube launched their
0:21:16product recently.
0:21:18And we are launching today registrations for Starcube 2013. So, since today, you can register
0:21:25your project or you can tell your friends that they can apply for next round
0:21:30of our Startup Accelerator. We already have registered teams from, and we started today, we
0:21:37already have teams from Italiy, Bulgaria, Lithuania, India. And I wanted to say at the
0:21:45beginning, I wanted to say today, that we still don't have any Czech teams unfortunately.
0:21:50But that's not true, because during Starcube Show, three teams registered. So, that's great. And
0:21:56I would be happy to see more other people applying for Starcube in spring next
0:22:03year. Actually, you have to apply now, if you want to attend during the spring.
0:22:09So you can check the website; the program will be in English, because there will
0:22:12be foreign startups, foreign companies. So, you can get even better and bourne global much
0:22:19faster.