Entrepreneurship in Action presented in the IEEE GOLD Cyprus LEARN STARTUP EVENT

1. IEEE GOLD CY ‐ LEARN STARTUP
26/11/2012
Stavriana A. Kofteros
CEO

2. Profile Mission ‐ Services
Strategic Business Management Advisory
Facilitate the 
 Business Planning
creation of  Mentoring
 Coaching
innovative  Marketing / Sales Support
startups  Networking
 Funding Access, Funds Sourcing
 Ad hoc Technical Support
 Accommodation [Furnished Office, lab leasing,
access to broadband internet, telephone, office
equipment, meeting rooms facilities…]
 Back Office Support [Secretarial and Reception
Services]
 Legal, Accounting / Taxation expertise
 Project Management

3. SAFE. www.bio‐merge.com
www.armes‐tech.com
www.viscientific.com
www.diogenes‐incubator.com

4. CHECKLIST
Business Incubators, Young / Women Lack of Capital (Seed, Venture
Entrepreneurship Support Entrepreneurship Support Capital)
Lack of start‐up / spin‐off
Offices, Accelerators Programs
creation programs
Low Academic
Innovative Start‐ups, Micro‐funding (LOANS!): Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial Innovation JEREMIE, PROGRESS Lack of patenting/spinoff
Programs , CyEC procedures and funding
Research Centers, Extremely low research /
Research Universities, innovation funds (0.45% )
world‐class results
Public – first Choice
Changing Culture to Start‐up Cyprus
Open Coffee Cyprus, Cypriot Enterprise Link, Hack Cyprus, …etc

5. Public Sector

6. Make Your Future

7. Do you speak Startup?
Serious Fun. Seriously!

8.  Innovation Planet
 We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll
want to lick them
 Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a
follower
 Talent in Team
 They have to be really smart. But the real issue for me
is, Are they going to fall in love with Apple?
 Perseverance
 We went to Hewlett‐Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we
don’t need you. You haven’t got through college yet
Steve Jobs
Chairman, Apple

9. Passion of CEO is the single differentiator
between doing ok and doing well

12.  Team up. Get co‐founders.
 Evangelize idea.
 Get a great BoA, Mentors.
 Public speaking training.
 Pitch. Pitch. Pitch.
 Network. Network. Network .

13.  TALK.TO.THE.CUSTOMER.
 Write /Revise BP.
 Do Not Self ‐ Fulfill (your) prophecies.
 There is always competition.
 Build the product fast.
 Test it.
 Fail Fast. Re‐build. Retest.
 Get Traction.
Lean Startup Methodology

15.  Co founders fight
 They cant build their initial spec
 No one will fund their idea
 Too few people buy/use the product
Most startups fail
from lack of customers
not from failure of product development
Steve Blank

16. Don’t fall in love with the technology.
Fall in love with the customer

17. http://www.cycrete‐mentor.eu/lms/
… http://steveblank.com/books‐for‐startups/

18. http://www.cycrete‐mentor.eu www.opencoffeecyprus.org
www.diogenes‐incubator.com
http://startupdigest.com/cyprus

19. BE
THE
CHANGE.
BE
CRAZY.

20. Thank you
skofteros@diogenes.com.cy