How to explain to everyone that your ideas for an IT startup are very cool

How often do you share your startup ideas? To whom do you tell them and what do you emphasize? If you heard an idea in the space of options, do not rush to broadcast it to everyone around. Those who have ears, let them hear, but those who are observant, remember. Will the investor give money?

“I have a flow of ideas. How to communicate with yourself if it “broke through"?

It happens with everyone. If an idea begins to dilute habitual thoughts, do not rush to implement it – take a closer look. At first, its outlines are vague, but over time it is possible to discern all the details.

“The idea is fire! How not to burn out in your own genius?

Structure your thoughts, write a business plan. Analyze the market. Large magnetic boards and mind maps are suitable for drawing up plans and counting data. Of course, you can use whatman paper “the old fashioned way”.

 “Dream first, then count?”

To minimize the error in the calculations, express your ideas for a startup in all details. To do this, you need to write out as much information as possible on Business Requirements. That is, clearly describe “what you want”. As for the terms of reference, leave it to the developers.

Explain “what needs to be done”. The question “how to do it” is a technical side and developers should answer it.

Why you shouldn't hire anyone

If your idea is at the “start” stage, do not burden yourself with the technical side of the issue. It's like reading the Torah backwards. Everything has its time and order. What you need to know before looking for technicians:

• What problem does the product solve, and does your idea even have a problem?
• Can you find users who are not happy with the existence of this problem and consider it critical?
• How many users did you find? Are you sure that you will be able to promote your business successfully with such a set?

And as for the programmer – if he is a pro, he will solve all your difficult tasks. And if you still don't have it at hand yet, then don’t try to hire on the principle of more expensive – it means better.

Where to look for developers and designers: If you do not need an integrated approach, then oDesk or dribbble are suitable for finding “spot development” specialists.

A programmer is also an investor

How do you feel about the technicians you hire? Try not just to hire a developer, but to convince him to invest in you. But for this you do not need to show your TK of a humanist with an enthusiastic comment “I think that this is also possible!” Only if you don’t have a goal to make you laugh and show your ignorance about how the process of working on projects in IT takes place.

“This app will change the world – I feel”

No seriously. Your brilliant idea is of little interest to him. As well as what you counted on a billion profits. Everything works differently here. There are many such customers. Who climb into their own business and speak out of business. Therefore, if you are just adequate, then you will be noticed, and they will also really want to work with you.

How programmers check people like you “for adequacy”

An algorithm is something that has a given sequence. In this connection, no developer will ask you about a project idea without first asking a few questions about your past achievements and successes.

Therefore, the idea of ​​convincing a programmer to become an investor is not such a bad idea. They love numbers. Show numbers.

“And if I don’t have numbers, what should I show?”

Everyone has numbers, you just need to know where to look:

• Marketer? Show the developer your Facebook, but not all of it. It will be enough to post with your idea, which has gained 10,000 likes.
• Sales? Signed contracts for the purchase of your product will do. Yes. We know it doesn't exist yet. But you are sales, right? So… where are the contracts then?
• If these fashionable figures are not available to you, then at least tell us about the successful projects that you raised as a hired employee.

“I have an app for teaching preschoolers. And there were no development projects before that”

Most importantly, don't tell anyone about it. At least don't stress here. Ideas are rarely exciting, and your calculations in the light of lack of experience are likely to give a large error. But, of course, no one will count money for you. Therefore, learn to communicate with influential people and attract money investors.

“I have to make a presentation soon, how do I know that the project is ready for this?”

Visit a person whose opinion is very important to you, but whose criticism you can hardly tolerate. Take advantage of the comments and do not be offended for real. Training isn't just for athletes.

Startup ideas must be rigorously reviewed in order to identify all risks and weaknesses before money is invested and development begins. Test your presentations on those whose opinion is more important to you than your own.

The story of one idea: “About how my sister ruthlessly helped me to improve the project even before I started working on it”

The story was told at one of the project management conferences. No names at the request of the participants. As well as the profit figures for the project and its name.

My sister always knew how to pull the string on me, and I, like a balloon, easily succumbed to her reasoning, and she, without hesitation, dissolved my ideals in the blue of the sky. Transparent and not real ideals.

And now: her questions are tossing my idea like a helium balloon, the gusts of wind are clearly not ready to die down to a gentle whisper of a breeze. But when the sisterly winds subsided, my head cleared up. But today we were in for a storm. After all, my new application is on the agenda – children and the future of the human species, this time the central topic. I walk into the kitchen with a serious face to make her laugh. But she has already collected her wrinkles from Luba and gives recommendations. Like a doctor writing a prescription.

Listen to what they say, especially criticism

– Divide your target audience. Children under six years of age for whom you create content, and solvent adults. Each age has its own context. A unique selling proposition is useless for a child, but why not create it as attractive as possible for parents? After all, it is they who make the decision that affects income. What do you think, right now, having already answered your questions from the first paragraphs of this text – what would you download yourself? Your app or game about pink ponies? This is the sister and her questions. And I told her about my new project.

Choose words that will be understandable to the listener

– This will be an application about preschool knowledge, awareness, imagination, teachers, children and parents. In general, about life and how to make it better.

“And what makes you think that you will make someone’s life better?” What do you know about major projects that were conceived under the slogan “to do well for everyone”? Take Hitler for example. I drew the swastika incorrectly, and now there are many articles on the Internet that are not at all about that, and even if only the Internet could do it … And this, by the way, is a symbol of prosperity and good luck – the swastika. And it is not one, but many varieties. So, in theory, we were very lucky that he did not undertake to draw them all.

– But I'm not talking about that at all! – When important ideas are not understood by the closest people, it is unpleasant. Here and now. My sister is sitting opposite. Morning brings the sky with blue shadows, but I can’t convey a simple thought to a person whom I have known all my life. Has it happened to you?

Psychological aspects

If you are looking for an investor, do not forget that this is also a person. Before starting the presentation, try to understand what kind of person he is. If there is no way to find out anything about a potential investor, you will have to be a very attentive storyteller during the presentation of the project. Do not dive into yourself, watch the listeners. So you can correct some of the wording if they are not too clear. Learn to listen even if you are the speaker. No matter how great your idea is, what is the point of it if no one understands it?

Startup ideas: why cool projects don't generate income

You can't count or don't want to? Or maybe there is no motivation to study?

“If you generate interesting ideas, this does not mean that you will sell them,” my sister calmly explained with a serious look. “And it’s not even about management. First of all, there is a high probability that you will not be able to explain why all this is needed at all. Because you can’t even give me an approximate planned income right now. And with such a costly project, albeit a good one, you won’t even get state money. You don’t know how much you need, so who will know and give it to you without any guarantees?

“I understand that not everything brings income in reality that shines in the head,” I justified myself for some reason.

How to take action and stop stagnation

And this is already becoming a problem. Because I want to take action. But it seems to me that I am marking time, because I do not know where to start. After all, I have no experience in design and development, and even more so, management of projects of this magnitude. How to calculate and what figure is the starting point, you know?

When you start to consider a big idea up close, it turns out that it is difficult to focus on individual details, and therefore it is not possible to connect them together.

What to do if you think too globally and cannot convey the idea that excites you to others? When things don't get off the ground, stop doing it. Do something else, and then return to the project. Try using mind maps to organize your thoughts. Using programs such as Mind X or Free Mind is one of the effective methods of working with ideas from the "look from the outside" series.