An brief overview a gave to San Jose State University students in Feb 2013.

1. Entrepreneurship:
Basics &
How to Start
Akhsar Kharebov
Feb 2013 @ SJSU

2. WARNING:
Don't try to write this
presentation down.
It's online!

3. Breakdown
Part 1: A word on Entrepreneurship...
Part 2: How to get started?
Part 3: Q & A
Part 4: Round Table over food

4. Definition of sorts...
entre·pre·neurship n. The process by which an
entrepreneur identifies solutions to what others see
as problems. This process significantly reduces the
economic cost of the problem, thus creating the
value for the stakeholders.

5. Idiomatic
Finding a diamond in the rough
Cooking a stone soup
Setting up the dominos effect

6. Functional
Solving a real problem
Getting people to use your solution
Happens in organizations of all sizes

7. Statistically
Lot of small failures
Few stupendous successes
Generates all the wealth

8. Three Skills
Vision: Predict where the ball is going
Execution: Guts to leave the herd
Flexibility: Manage constant change

9. Picking An Idea
Lacks a solution on the market
Overlaps skills needed to execute
Depends on team you can secure

10. Building a Team:
In the real world or at least Silicon Valley:
Availability beats talent
Always pursue A+ talent
Team fit. Drive. Ability to grow

11. Building Products
Iterate: Build quickly, release often
Customer: Lead and listen
Focus: Ventures die of indigestion

12. Operating a StartUp:
First low hanging fruit ... but dont stop there
Grow market share, minimize margins aggressively
It's a marathon and execution is king

13. Putting it all together
slide from Lex Sisney presentations at organizationalphysics.com/

14. To get involved. Start Early.
Get your foot in the door any
way possible.

15. Do something.
The best way to get involved
in the industry is to start
working in it.

16. Getting In:
1. You can start your own start-up. (Very High
Risk/Reward)
2. Target. Research. Approach very early start-ups
for any job they have - they hire on availability. (High
Risk/Medium Reward)

17. Easier Way
3. MOST IMPORTANT: Acquire some useful
combination skills
- Engineering
- Sales / Marketing (later stage)
(Low Risk/High Reward)
(Hint: Do 1 and/or 2 on as a side gig, to get to 3)

18. Learn Applicable Skills
● Learning is easier than ever.
● Tools, Tutorials, Videos, Books and Courses are
online and often free. (Appendix I)
● Applicable? ...See next slide

19. Creative Learning
Your aim should be to create
something with your new skills.
Doesn't have to be perfect or big.
Just make something.
Simplicity is brilliance. You can
even build something for your
family or friends.

20. Things To Do
Places to see, Events to Participate In

21. Seasonal Events
Events that might lead to a job in a startup:
Start-Up or Demo Nights
Competitions
Hackathons
Meet people!! Connections are key.
StartUpDigest is a good source for listings

22. Programs and Spaces
Many Incubators & Accelerators
○ seed support and job boards
Even more Co-Working & Hackerspaces
○ network and learn
*See Appendix B

23. Local Events
Start-up oriented groups at meetup.com
○ 106Miles
○ SV Health
○ SV NewTech
○ search for "startup", "venture", "founder"
Company events
○ launches or demos announced on website,
facebook & twitter of the company and their
investors (ex: news.ycombinator.com )

24. Internships or jobs:
● looks at newly founded or funded start-ups at:
○ techcrunch.com, venturebeat.com
● and the websites of funds that invest in them
○ sequoiacap.com, dfj.com, ventures.io

25. Internships or jobs:
(hint: alumni are most useful here)
(hint 2: be respectful)
(hint 3: keep friends)
Info that just didn't fit:
*See Appendix C - Picking a StartUp

26. General advice
● Reject Negativity
● Always Strive for Improvement
● Be passionate!
● Challenge your self.
● Have a balance.

27. Questions....
Comments, Questions, Concerns
or Requests
Reach Out:
hello@akhsar.com

28. Appendix A
Start learning now. Places to start. :
Hands on with coding:
Codecademy.com
Coursera.com
Udemy.com
Elequent JavaScript
Open Course Lectures Online: - MIT, Stanford, UCB
Basic Tutorials:
DontFeartheInternet
Net Tuts

29. Appendix B
● Many Incubators & Accelerators: f6s.com
ycombinator AngelPad not local:
500.co LemnosLabs TechStars
RockHealth DogPatchLabs Amplify.la
ChurnLabs RocketSpace StartUpAmerica
● Many Communal & Hacker Spaces
TechShop (SJ/PA/SF) BioCurious(Sunn)
PariSoma (SF) TechMediaCenter
HackerDojo(MV) NestGVS
*I can help with tours

30. Appendix C: What start-up is right
for you:
● Earlier stage companies are risky, but easier to
enter and to advance in
● Culture. Values. Team. And how you feel working
there.
● Company needs vs. Innate capabilities and
existing skills
*first time, can't be too picky