No arguments, but where we need to focus is opening up the angel community. We need people who have been there, done that to have the opportunity to sift through the ideas and put a bit of mentoring and money behind them.
The Australian VC industry should be doing its part to encourage this as well, and would do well to put some money into some angel-level fund because they would get a lot greater number of companies making it through to that level where you justify VC exposure. Mick, as you'd know having done Techcrunch, an event like that is just swarming with angel-level investors and the difference between that environment and what we have here in Australia is so opposite it's not funny. Until we start a circular effect of our successful people, putting back into the ecosystem, this whole ecosystem can never, ever take hold and prosper. If you look at every single successful start-up centre, this is exactly what they have. Every person on this list should be making a pact to themselves that if they do hit a paydirt, they will give back to the community by putting some time and money into at least one local startup. Thats why I think we so need an event that focuses on connecting angels and startups in this way. because it's all very well to say hit up family and friends for tens of thousands of dollars, but not everyone is in that position to be able to do that (I'll stop now before I get into my rant about how this country is going further and further down the path of locking people into class structures!) Phil Sim Chief Executive Officer, MediaConnect Australia Pty Ltd www.mediaconnect.com.au phi...@mediaconnect.com.au Ph: +61 2 9894 6277 Fax: +61 2 8246 6383 Mobile: 0413889940 On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 11:37 PM, Mick Liubinskas <bigm...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Mike's feedback is right. Unless you're a serious management team with > good traction (making a few thousand a month, or over 100,000 users > per month) then you can't talk to professional investors or VC's. > These investors only invest to expand an already good business. Having > an idea or a prototype is not a business at all. > > If you've got a great idea - build a great prototype. > > If you've got a great prototype - either launch it and see if it gets > traction (see above), ask family, friends or fools for $10,000 each > for 5% or pop it in the drawer and start another one. > > Also, start sharing your idea freely. Put it up on a website and show > it off. All of it. > > I don't want to be discouraging but I do think sometimes startups get > the picture that the idea is worth a lot and VC's invest in startups. > They really don't. > > In fact I want to be encouraging! > > Have a great idea that really solves someones problem. > Build it and solve that persons problem. > Charge that person money for solving it, preferably at a very health > profit. > Forget raising money, just keep it all. > > Easy huh? :-) > > Back to Pollenating........ > > > On Feb 4, 12:07 am, Samuel Bishop <lucract...@mac.com> wrote: >> The feeder type program raises an interesting point. >> Given the difficulty for some people to make trips across the country >> for events based in the east or the west specifically. A feeder >> mechanism is probably going to be essential to get the absolute best >> ideas together. >> I will blanket outright say it, I couldnt spare $200-500 for a trip to >> melbourne/sydney to attend an event, and these days thats about as >> cheap as a trip could be these days. >> >> What would be best is if some people/experts/'wizened ones' were to >> step up and act as a feeder stage for people looking to attend, and >> providing the minimal financial leg up it would take ( the small >> number of few hundred dollar travel cost 'grants' would be minimal >> compared to the total event costs especialy if the bulk of them are >> for western based entrepreneurs to make the trip east to where the >> majority of the people are already) >> >> WIth this kind of 2 stage mechanism, the quality of the 'actual' event >> goes up & the likely hood of the people involved/paying getting some >> world class ideas/tech out of it rises significantly. >> >> On 03/02/2009, at 9:53 PM, Tagmotion wrote: >> >> >> >> > This may be a naive suggestion......... >> > but an alternative route could be to approach Rachel Slattery who's in >> > the business of running events like FundingConnect that put investors >> > on a panel in front of entrepreneurs. >> > She's no doubt considered or even run a Pitchfest-type thing in the >> > past, where it's the other way around. >> > Don't know what her thinking would be. >> > She's certainly got a great database and connections, and does great >> > events. >> > If I was her, I'd want control over the 'quality' of the content >> > (companies and pitches)........after all, the event's got her name on >> > it, and the last thing she wants to do is burn investor and industry >> > leader-type contacts in the 'audience', sitting through substandard >> > presentations. >> > And getting that control may be more trouble than it's worth (handling >> > the grief from businesses or presenters that just don't cut it, >> > assessing them in the first place, training up those who are promising >> > and also 'coachable'. >> > Either way, it gets back to Warren's point.........don't underestimate >> > the amount of organisation required to put on an event like this! >> > Another thought..........maybe what we're talking about is a 'baby- >> > ANZA'-type of event (they train up and take Aust and NZ tech co's to >> > present in the US, for a fee of course). >> > It could be a kind of 'feeder' or 'entry level' ANZA program. >> > Again, I'm sure they've thought of this. >> > It may interest them as something they could underwrite/organise/own >> > if they see this as part of how they want to grow. >> > I know Viki Forrest's tapped into SBA. Viki, what do you think? >> >> > On Feb 3, 11:11 pm, Samuel Bishop <lucract...@mac.com> wrote: >> >> See while its an awesome idea to host an australian startup / pitch >> >> event, the problem is that great idea != pitch and pitch != great >> >> idea. >> >> While the people with money have gotten used to dealing with pitches >> >> that aren't worth it. There's not a lot of people around to help >> >> people get their good ideas to the stage where someone would take a >> >> pitch seriously i think. >> >> >> I can attest to the fact i have *checks notebook*... at least 2 dozen >> >> good ideas for companies to build on... just finished noting down >> >> another one a few minutes ago in fact... >> >> >> Now while each of these may be worth developing into a company... >> >> there is no conceivable way for me to do so... nor is there any >> >> really >> >> easy way to evaluate them all without putting a significant amount of >> >> time / effort towards developing them. >> >> >> Considering that several other companies have independently developed >> >> similar ideas and built themselves up based on them, im quite sure >> >> that each is worth a company on its own... but how to decide. >> >> >> For someone in my position such an event is not really going to >> >> assist >> >> in getting much off the ground... >> >> >> I cant be the only person in this position im sure... though it would >> >> be amusing if i was. >> >> >> Regards >> >> Samuel Bishop >> >> >> On 03/02/2009, at 8:01 PM, Deniss wrote: >> >> >>> fantastic idea and should be doable as well. >> >>> here's a question... is it something you would be really like to do? >> >>> If yes, I would love to be part of it. >> >> >>> On Feb 3, 5:29 pm, Phil Sim <philip...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>>> Okay, here's a proposal... >> >> >>>> What we need is something akin to the TechCrunch50 event and >> >>>> Demopit. >> >>>> I did the Demopit last year and it was an awesome experience and I >> >>>> think its a fantastic model to borrow from. >> >> >>>> We have somewhere between 10 and 20 companies present that are >> >>>> looking >> >>>> for money. We assemble an audience exclusively of Angels and VCs. >> >>>> This >> >>>> is obviously the key for it working but if the combined >> >>>> professional >> >>>> network of silicon beach can't bring together a reasonable >> >>>> audience, >> >>>> then we truly are screwed. >> >> >>>> Each company gets 5 minutes to present and give their pitch. >> >>>> Following >> >>>> the pitches, everyone drops back to a demo area where the investors >> >>>> can float around, ask questions and make connections. >> >> >>>> Even if nobody gets a dime, the startups get to practice their >> >>>> pitching, make connections and build some relationships that >> >>>> perhaps >> >>>> might bear fruit at another time. The investment community becomes >> >>>> that much more accessible and visible, which I think is key. It >> >>>> could >> >>>> be done extremely cheaply especially if the space can be donated >> >>>> (perhaps by someone like one of the technology parks?) and wouldn't >> >>>> take a great deal of organising. >> >> >>>> On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 4:36 PM, Deniss <deniss.su...@gmail.com> >> >>>> wrote: >> >> >>>>> Hi, >> >> >>>>> I was looking for events in Sydney where I could meet >> >>>>> potential partners or investors for a startup and it looks like I >> >>>>> couldn't find much. I've read about Startup Camp II, but couldn't >> >>>>> find >> >>>>> any information about the next one. Same with WebJam. >> >>>>> Onhttp://www.startup-australia.orgtherearelinks to techstars >> >>>>> and Y >> >>>>> Combinator what is good, but that's not AUS. >> >>>>> The big question for me as a newcomer is how startups raise money >> >>>>> here >> >>>>> in Sydney? What resources are available? >> >> >>>>> Thanks very much, >> >>>>> Deniss > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach Australia mailing list. No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself: http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia/browse_thread/thread/99938a0fbc691eeb To post to this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
