1. 1. Why a startup

2. Make a dent in
Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
the universe
Build something that someone else thinks is important

3. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Be your own boss
Take control and responsibility for your living

4. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Get a hands-on MBA

5. 2. The Business idea

6. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
The original idea is an almost negligible part of a business
Ideas are cheap, execution is hard!
“I had the idea for eBay.
If only I had acted on it, I’d be a billionaire!”
-ReWork
Flickr:IvanClow

7. so you had the idea ...
... what now?

8. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
1) Do basic homework on competition
www.crunchbase.com

9. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
2) Find a core founders team ...
To build a prototype
With complementary skills
(more on team later)

10. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
3) Check timing
Timing is crucial
External factors (market, competition, ...)
A lot more crucial than you would think!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_(book)

11. and just get started

12. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
In the beginning
Maybe don’t quit your job right away,
spend lunch, evenings, weekends with the project
Being grad student is ideal, especially if project
related to your work

13. on copying ideas

14. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Should you copy ideas?
http://techcrunch.com/2007/05/14/web-2-in-germany-copy-paste-innovation-or-more/

15. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
“Copying” ideas is ok
copying products may be risky
Flickr:lazzarello

16. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
When copying products may work
Local restrictions to product
(banking, accounting, commerce)
Local user group (language!)
Timing
Huge technological advantage
User dynamics (Twitter vs. Jaiku, “nightclubs”)
Or some other key advantage...

17. How we did it

18. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
How we did it: idea for kooaba
I was a bit interested in QR codes originally (2004)
Let try some students object recognition on mobile
phones (2005)
Founded company with Herbert Bay in 2006

19. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
How we did it: idea for Polar Rose
Had some 3D face reconstruction results, wanted to see if that
could do face recognition
Started company by myself, built working system
First browser plugin & search idea born (chosen among many
options at the time)

20. Q&A

21. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Resources
Crunchbase www.crunchbase.com
Outliers (on timing as success factor) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_(book)