CompCon 2015: What is Entrepreneurship?

What is Entrepreneurship?

Who is this guy?

Why Entrepreneurship?

– Can be super gross in AUS – Super difficult

+ Super important

Today: What is a startup? How do they work? Is it for you? What next?

Founding a startup vs

Joining a startup

Content mostly borrowed from How to Start a Startup, lectures 1 to 3.

These slides at javanwood.com

What is a startup?

Nothing V

Startup V

Established Company

Startup: Intense Hard work Know the customer

Ideas

Idea = Business model

Good idea: Seems terrible Actually amazing

Market first, Choose carefully

Bonus: Mission oriented

Need an idea? 1 Don’t go looking 2 Learn things that matter 3 Find interesting problems

No downside to waiting for an idea.

Think you’ve got an idea? Why now? Is it easy to communicate?

No-one knows exactly how good an idea really is.

Try it out.

Products

Great company |

Great product |

Great idea

Start small, simple.

Growth?

Proof first, scale later. Do things that don’t scale. Know your business.

Execution

Execution creates value.

Resources, time is limited. Focus, focus, focus. Build in the right direction.

Team

Teams make companies.

Super important to get the team right.

Smart, competent, driven, determined, risk tolerant, good communicators, good to be around.

Know them for years. Find them at uni, interesting companies.

Startup vs No Startup

The best reason to start a startup is you can’t not do it.

Join a startup for a challenge, potential financial upside, larger impact, bulk experience.

Silicon Valley vs

Brisbane

Silicon Valley: Everything tech and entrepreneurial.

Brisbane: Lifestyle city.

AUS vs CA

UQ or QUT vs Stanford

Where to from here?

Do it!

Startup weekends, meetups. Womens SW: 9-11 Oct. Check out River City Labs. Apply at iLab.

Check out How to Start a Startup, Paul Graham’s essays.

These slides at javanwood.com