|
By New York International
Prior to each TEP , W2NYC and International Week , we talk to each participating startup and explain the program , but more importantly we ask about their objectives for coming to New York City . Over the last five years two things have significantly changed : |
At the same time , it has become almost impossible to cut through the noise and know what is relevant and provides value . Noise filters have evolved into to noise cancellation , making personal contacts and qualified introductions more important . A trend that is likely to continue . In that sense , New York City might become the biggest gated community for even the best startups and ideas . |
||
Dublin city , the capital of Ireland , has been proving itself to be quite the location for emerging startups and technologies that can stand up and compete on a global scale . In recent years the city has become home to more than 1,200 startup companies who are producing world class products and services across multiple sectors including FinTech , Lifesciences , IoT , and AdTech . The growth of startup companies and technology in Ireland demonstrates how Dublin is making its mark as a key ecosystem for early stage businesses ; helped by an abundance of talented graduates and a strong entrepreneurial spirit among the people of Ireland . Not only is Dublin the location of some excellent home-grown enterprises , but multinational giants such as Google and Facebook — among many others — have made the city their European base .
A large portion of Ireland ’ s home grown companies and global multinationals are
|
based in the buzzing Docklands area of Dublin which has appropriately been nicknamed “ Silicon Docks .” The presence of early stage and large international companies has transformed the area from a once relatively industrial part of town to one of its main cultural hotspots with plenty of trendy cafes and bars — a testament to the effect startups can have on the cities they call home .
Exports are key for many Irish companies who are supported internationally by Enterprise Ireland , the government organization responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets . The United States is a key market for a large proportion of these companies , with record export figures to the US reported in 2015 .
With rapid development that doesn ’ t appear set to slow down anytime soon , a growing number of co-working spaces , and a pool of ready talent , Dublin is holding its own as a global startup capital .
|
1 . From “ great to know ” to “ must k no w ”. In the beginning , companies came without clear businesses models , refined pitches , or even a strategy to do business here . So we initiated a “ Rapid Strategy Check ,” for the companies . The check revealed a shift in company strategy . For the first three years we saw the focus on fundraising — pitching investors and presenting ideas . For the past two years though , things have changed . All companies are successful locally and have initial funding ; US expansion has become part of almost every business plan . Traction here is mandatory for their continued success .
2 . From “ open support ” to “ gated communities without a gate .” The tech ecosystems have matured : the number of funds have increased and coverage by specialized web sites has made it much easier to navigate the ecosystem .
|
US expansion has become part of almost every business plan . Looking back , the startups coming to NYC have become really good and at the same time it has never been so hard to get New York ’ s attention . Now what ? We are inviting the TEP , W2NYC and International Week friends , partners and contributors to a more formal , purpose-driven network of friends with the idea to invest and collaborate for the benefit of young companies , cities , and citizens as a whole . Inquire to become a part .
Read more about this network on NYIntl . net
|
|
By Milos Spiridonovic
My first negotiation took one week to close . The market opportunity : MLaaS ( manual labor as a service ). The client : parental units . The deal : $ 2 / week for dish washing . The underlying incentive : a Friday ritual that would involve a full sprint off of elementary school premises to get a slice of pizza for lunch . This took intensive planning ( studying teacher habits , devising distractions ) and relied heavily on timing , coordination , and performance . I found that by cleverly arranging similar types of dishes , I was able to increase my efficiency three-fold . However , the market moved . The soda / pizza combo skyrocketed to $ 2.50 . I had to expand my offering . Release 2.0 included trash duty . This time , I would not be caught off guard by another economic shock and managed to re-negotiate $ 3 / week . Yes , I was EBITDA positive ! Then , the world got bigger , and Jay-Z released Rocawear … I had to pivot . Things
|
Milos Spiridonovic |
were different now .
School / work / sport / social balancing amounted to increasingly complex responsibilities . Solving the enigma ( who am I ? what makes me unique ?) grew in importance as I struggled to find a place in this world . Analyze , theorize , adopt , fail , adjust , repeat . The world kept getting bigger . Travel and experience demystified , yet
|
simultaneously complicated the “ big picture .” When the desire to solve all worldly problems faded , I learned to focus , prioritize , and became more effective .
My father ’ s advice ( ignored until I was about 24 ) proved invaluable . “ Focus on three things at a time . Otherwise , none will be done well .” I found myself adopting many of my parents ’ habits — structure , patience , perseverance , purpose . To my relief , the world started to get simpler ; the progress was clearer ; identity was stable ; value was explicable . We were now engaging in very interesting debates .
Old vs . new . I push them to new technologies , they pull me into history . They pensively experimented while I dubiously read into the past . Anyone with a family member on social media will attest — simply adopting the new , does not imply appropriate use . Their past experience ( failures ) delayed quick adoption — causing frustration in delivering benefits I assumed were basic . Learning to communicate in their style and understanding their thought pro-
|
cess helped — but is not short of patient and persistent effort .
This ( true ) story was intended to foreshadow the current state of affairs between startups and corporations . My advice to the startup is : maintain a visionary , ambitious , and challenging stance — but take the time to ( truly ) understand history and continue to develop your communication with corporations . My advice to the corporations : Waiting for “ winners ” to emerge will be costly . Open communication will be fundamental in crossing the bridge between these worlds .
Milos Spiridonovic is a CFA at Deutsche Bank AG and Head of Startups @ Berlin .
“ NYC Innovation Tour ” Lunch Session 10 / 12 @ 12:00 pm Deutsche Bank
|
|||
8 |