What is a startup, who is a startup, spheres and tips for opening a Startup, stages of development of a startup. Everything is told in simple terms.

Greetings, dear readers. Over the past few years, many have heard the word startup. Some immediately turned to the search engine and went to the Wikipedia article, where the corresponding definition was published, while others had enough context in which they heard this term.

In fact, both the former and the latter have the correct idea of ​​what a startup is. However, if, suddenly, the meaning of this word is still completely unclear to you, then let's analyze it in detail.

In essence, StartUp is the opening of a new business, which its initiator considers potentially successful. However, such a business may not be, but at the same time it will not cease to be a startup, albeit a failure. But, without which a startup cannot be considered a startup, it is without a short period of achieving its goals.

To make it clear, you need to give specific examples. The most famous and successful startup is Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg had an idea that he brought to life in a few months. Another example is BeatsAudio headphones. They appeared in the wake of the high popularity of rap, in which the beat consists mainly of low-frequency sounds. The corresponding idea quickly attracted the attention of investors, and soon Beats Electronics received huge injections into their business. The money received was immediately put into action (in particular, in marketing), and now almost everyone knows about the Bits.

At the same time, companies such as Gazprom or General Electromotive are not start-ups, as they have been developing for a very long time. And besides, their founders had some capital at the start, while most startups raise money from investors.
In short, Start-Up is a business that becomes famous soon after launch and attracts investments just as quickly.

Startup areas

Having dealt with the question: what is a startup, we can consider the areas in which opening a business can be considered the launch of a start-up.
It is widely believed that StartUp is something from the IT field. It has developed due to the fact that it is various world-famous services that are often called Startups (Evernote, Pinterest, yes the same). However, this is absolutely not the case. A startup can be a business in almost any area, the main thing is that it quickly finds investors.
A startup idea might be in the area of:

It practically does not matter what exactly the company will do, the main thing is that it quickly receives money from investors. In this case, its owner can be considered a startup.

The main stages of startup development

Startup development can be divided into 5 stages.

1. The first is the sowing (eng. Pre-Seed), which is characterized by market research, the search for ideas and methods for their implementation, the creation of a business plan, etc. Investors are also sought at this stage
2. If investments have been found, then a start is made (Eng. Startup). At this stage, the created product must demonstrate its viability in the market.
3. If the product has successfully passed the second stage, then growth (Growth) begins. This stage lasts until the entire niche that the startup focuses on is captured.
4. The fourth stage is expansion. After going through all the previous stages, the company should already have enough money to implement new ideas that have already appeared in the process of project implementation.
5. The fifth stage is exit. When the project reaches notable heights, investors sell their shares to large players in the respective market (for example, it was the case with Instagram or WhatsApp - they were sold to Facebook).

Although the fifth stage may remain unrealized, if it is clearly seen that the company is able to bring profit for a very long time and stably.

Who is a startup

Having dealt with what Startup is, you can consider the question of what a startup is. Simply put: this is a person who has a potentially successful idea and strives to implement it. He does not have to be enterprising (a businessman), because if the idea is really worthwhile, then hired managers will subsequently be able to deal with business issues.
However, many startups create projects on their own and manage them up to a certain point.
There is a vivid image of a startup in the mass consciousness. His portrait is usually drawn as follows: a young, ambitious and purposeful person who works not for financial profit, but for the realization of an idea that he has, self-realization, or just for fun.
These are presented by the media and cinema of successful startups. However, of course, a person launching such a business is not at all obliged to correspond to this portrait.

Many startups close after a few months. Therefore, when thinking about launching it, it is necessary to soberly assess the situation and understand whether the idea is really as good as it seems.

If so, then she needs to devote all her time. This is a business, and he will need to give himself up. Therefore, most likely, it will not work out when you come home tired after a hard work to do your project. No, something will come out, but it will be a completely different level, and after some time, someone who has more time will simply steal the idea and implement it more successfully.

Those who are interested in the question: how to create a startup should know that when creating such a company, one should first of all think not about money, but about the benefits that it will bring to people. At the same time, even when it starts to become popular, you should not immediately squeeze the maximum out of it. Let the product be provided for free or cheap at first, but more people will learn about it. In the meantime, the profit does not go, you can focus on finding investors.

Instead of total

In today's world, for quite a few people, a successful startup is the shortest way to take the leap to where the big money and perhaps some fame await. For others, it, in turn, can simply become a source of good almost passive income. It all depends on the quality of the idea, its features and, of course, implementation. Dare!

Sincerely, Stein David.

• The key to a startup is...
• Startup funding
• Stages of startup development

How often do you hear the word startup? Recently, it has become very popular (so much so that it is already perceived by some as a curse) and is used by some to refer to almost any business, and by others only as a description of Internet projects. In this article we will give an answer to the question - "?" and we will try to reveal the concept of a startup as widely as possible, tell about the history of the term startup, financing startups and other stages of its formation and development.

The article is more aimed at people who heard the ringing but do not know where it is. Those who are already interested in what it is and have studied a sufficient amount of information regarding this topic (read a lot startup books), is unlikely to find anything new here.

What is a startup? The classic definition of a startup

A startup is a newly created company (perhaps not even a legal entity yet) that is at the development stage and builds its business either on the basis of new innovative ideas or on the basis of newly emerging technologies. Most often, the characteristic features of a startup are a lack of finances and a fragile, almost “guerrilla” position of the company in the market. And due to the fact that in the US startups are most often created by students, such companies are often called “garage companies”.

It should be noted that a startup refers to any area of ​​the market, and not just to the IT-sphere. The most modern meaning and concept of a startup is one or another venture project.

The history of startups

The term "startup" first appeared in the United States in 1939. Then, near the city of San Francisco, in the Santa Clara Valley (California), almost all enterprises and firms involved in developments in the field of high technologies were concentrated. In those days, Stanford University students David Packard and William Hewlett, creating their small project here, called this business a startup (from the English start-up - start, run). Over time, this startup grew into such a huge and successful company as Hewlett-Packard.

Today, startups mistakenly characterize all Internet projects (sites) that differ from the rest by some kind of “zest”. This opinion arose as a result of observing the most successful, both foreign and domestic startups of the World Wide Web. Such as:

Social networks Facebook, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki.ru. However, if based on the classic concept of a startup (where the main characteristics are the presence of an original idea and a free niche that is not occupied by anyone), then only the first one (Facebook) can be considered as such. The other two sites are successful copies that are successful only in Runet.

The largest online encyclopedia is Wikipedia. The number of articles on this resource cannot be counted, as their number is growing daily.

YouTube is the largest database of videos.

Flickr is one of the most popular photo sharing services.

Twitter is a short messaging platform created by Jack Dorsey.

Each of the above startups is a website on the Internet. This is how we (in Russia) got the opinion that a startup is a social network, an Internet service or some unusual site, because most people, when giving examples of successful startups, refer to them.

An English-speaking person invests much more in the concept of "startup" and includes in it the definition of a company that meets a number of specific conditions. In other words: many people in Russia mistakenly call the result of development or a “raw product” a startup. It is correct to call a startup a company that carries out this development and releases this product (provides services).

Other classic examples of successful startups are Microsoft (founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen), Apple Computer inc. (founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak) and Google (founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin).

The key to a startup is...

One of the main reasons for the creation, successful development and continued existence of startups is considered sluggishness and slowness large corporations that successfully use existing products, and are almost not involved in the development and creation of new ones. Therefore, startups, due to their mobility in terms of implementing new ideas, compete with large corporations.

The main resource for creating a new startup is a good innovative idea. Actually, many are chasing fresh and unusual ideas, and often acquiring them do not spare large sums. The idea itself, which does not have any material embodiment, but exists only on paper or in words (startup plan), can cost a lot. Another factor in the success of this idea is its relevance (the degree of necessity for the consumer), because the idea may be unusual and new, but there will be minimal benefit from it.

The youth of startups also contributes to the success of startups (the average age of a startup, according to statistics, is twenty-five years), their passion for the idea and deed, and, of course, hard work (since they only need success, they work according to the principle: either everything - or nothing, or pan or disappeared).

A good team is essential for a startup. Of course, you can start a business alone, but it is quite difficult. And the question here is not only and not so much in money (there are investors for this), as in developing a strategy, in managing and entering all kinds of markets. As you know, one head is good, but two is better. It is important that one startup effectively complements another, that is, it has the necessary qualities and skills that a partner does not have. Ideal partnership: one plans well - the second establishes connections, one develops a product - the second implements it, etc.

And of course, money plays an important role in the development of a startup. Where without them?!

Startup funding

Any investor knows that it is the "dark horses" that promise the greatest profits. Therefore, financing of startups in Russia has long been put on stream. Today, so-called business angels and venture funds are investing in startups. Venture entrepreneurs manage the shares of mutual funds, which they invest in young, but very promising undertakings. Business angels are private investors who independently determine the object of investment and invest their hard-earned money in it. To these two startup wallets, you can conditionally add friends and relatives. And no matter how strange it may seem to someone, it is this category that ranks second in Russia in terms of investments in startups, and third at the world level.

If everything is simple and clear with relatives and friends, then where to find a business angel or how to attract the attention of venture funds remains a mystery for many novice startups.

Business angels are individuals who invest in a business, as a rule, at the stage of the formation of an idea. This is the main component of investment angels. Basically, they do not interfere in the affairs of the company and do not insist on an urgent return on investment. Their goal is to make a profit in the long term, because investing in start-up companies is not the main source of their income.

Venture funds, unlike business angels, invest in startups the funds of their investors (money from insurance companies, pension funds, individuals) and finance projects with a high or medium risk, but at the same time with a good profit potential.

Venture funds as business angels can sometimes invest in projects at an early stage (when there is only a business plan), but more often they prefer companies that have recently entered the market and do not have the funds for a full-fledged start.

Where to look for an investor for a startup

One of the most productive methods of finding investors for your project is "Networking" - participation in industry forums and conferences, in start-up competitions and venture investment events, in which a large number of companies wishing to receive financing, as well as potential investors, take part.

« Such conferences and events provide an excellent opportunity to get expertise and analysis of the project from market leaders, as they say first-hand. Hundreds or even thousands of people will see the presentation of the project, startups will receive feedback, find partners, someone may even become their first client or tester. Everyone will get a chance to "shoot" with the business”, - says Elena Masolova, Member of the Board of Groupon in Russia.

To attract an investor for a start-up company, posting ads on relevant forums and websites can help. There are also startup exchanges and organizations that fund startups. We advise you to read the article " How to attract investments?».

Stages of startup development

Startup stage - Pre-startup: the time period lasting from the moment the idea is born to the product entering the market.

• Startup stage - Pre-seed: the stage when there is already an idea and a clear understanding of what exactly buyers need, but there is still no clear idea of ​​​​how best to implement this idea technically and how it should be promoted so that it brings money, or is, but only in the most general way.
• Startup stage - Seed: the seed stage, at the stage of which the market is studied, a start-up plan is drawn up, terms of reference are drawn up and carried out, a prototype is created and tested, the search for the first investors and preparations for the launch of the project are underway.

Prototype: creating terms of reference and designing interfaces.

• A working prototype: building a product or project with the most basic features.
• Alpha version of a product or project: the product (project) is already ready, but has not yet been tested. In the process of testing and testing, some minor adjustments are made to the interface, which were not taken into account when developing and creating the terms of reference. Negotiations with the first clients begin.
• A closed beta version of a product or project: the product (project) already has a look close to what the startups intended it to be, the project (product) has a small number of users invited by the founders of the startup in order to test the service and report shortcomings and possible improvements.
• Public beta version of a product or project: moderately active involvement of users who have realized the need for the services offered by the project, or the most curious users who are constantly in search of something new. Often a public beta happens by distributing a limited number of invitations. Contracts are also concluded with the first clients.

Launching a product (project) into production or use:

Startup stage: the decisive stage for any project is the early and late startup stage - the launch stage and the initial period of its work.

• Growth stage: a startup occupies a stable position in the market and is confidently moving towards conquering a niche that was outlined at the stage of writing a business plan;
• Expansion Stage: The startup has already achieved or is close to fulfilling its business plan in its primary target market, and is starting to expand its boundaries by conquering other markets. The company can expand its business either alone or through the purchase of other enterprises.

Exit stage: An exit primarily refers to the exit from the business (partially or completely) of business angels and venture investors who previously participated in the financing of a startup. The exit can occur through the sale of the company to strategic investors, through the placement of the company's shares on the stock exchange (IPO) and through private placement (sale of the company's shares to private equity funds). Venture capital funds finance promising start-ups, which, as a rule, always show rapid growth at the initial stage of growth, and by the exit stage, startup growth slows down compared to previous stages, although the business itself becomes more stable. Also, one of the options for “exit” for both startups and investors may be the termination of business and the bankruptcy of the enterprise.

It is not necessary that every successful startup goes through all of the above stages, it happens that it simply “jumps” some of them, but in my opinion, a more detailed description is much better than a simplified one, as it gives a better understanding of how a startup develops. company.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The word "startup" is now used exclusively in relation to web-based Internet projects. Whatever the new social network, it is sure to be called a startup. They made a web service - also a startup.

Startup(from English start-up) - this is a young small company that, as a rule, has limited resources and has just begun its activities. In most cases, this is a young company, whose activities are not related to the Internet and webduality, but to any innovative technology (on the Internet, nanotechnology, medicine, and whatever). Such companies used to be called high-tech startups, now just startups.

A startup is not a website, not a project, not a web service, not a technology. This is a company. Calling a web project a startup is just as incorrect as calling a company a website.

What is a startup

Startup(English startup, startup company) - a new firm (enterprise, company) in the initial period of its development. It is created to implement a promising idea (ideas), in order to get a good profit. As a rule, small (2-5 people). Startupper(English startuper) - the creator and employee of a startup.

The history of startups

The concept of "startup" is closely related to Silicon Valley. We can say that the successful functioning of Silicon Valley began with the creation of a startup: in 1939, Stanford University graduates William Hewlett and David Packard founded the first startup, which later turned into such a successful giant as Hewlett-Packard.

Others are classic! – examples of successful startups – Microsoft (1975), Apple Computer Inc.(1976) and Google (1998).

The founders of Microsoft are Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

The founders of Apple are Steve Jobs (Steven Paul Jobs), Steve Wozniak (Stephen Gary Wozniak) and Ron Wain who joined them.

The founders of Google are Larry Page (Lawrence Edward Page) and Sergey Brin (Sergey Brin).

One of the main reasons for the creation and existence of startups is the sluggishness of large companies. Large companies successfully exploit already existing products (which have become brands), but with the creation of new ones, they, as a rule, are “stressed”. In terms of creating and implementing new ideas, startups - thanks to their mobility - successfully compete with large corporations.

What does it take to make a startup successful?

For a startup to become successful, at least three components are necessary:

an idea (or better, a brilliant idea, and not just one!);

people (or better - brilliant people with brilliant ideas!);

investors (venture capitalists, business angels).

But even a successful combination of these components does not guarantee victory: according to statistics, out of ten startups, only one achieves success ...

What else contributes to success successful startups?

Youth (according to statistics, the average age of a startup is 24 years), the passion of startups for their idea and their work, the selfless work of startups (because they only need success, they work according to the principle: either pan - or gone, or all - or nothing ).

Startup Crash Test("Startup Crash Test", SCT, SKT) is a non-commercial event for technology projects (startups), held to test them for the strength of business models, the relevance of the software platform and the applicability of marketing strategies.

SCT appeared over a year ago in Kyiv and is currently one of the most successful events for startups, attracting an audience of 300 people at a time. The first SCT in St. Petersburg took place on February 6, which was also reported on TechCrunch.

The aim of SKT is to bring together a wide range of specialists from the field of angel financing and venture capital, as well as technical experts and experienced entrepreneurs. Participants of the "Crash Test" have the opportunity to receive constructive criticism and practical advice, find the missing specialists in the project team, partners and like-minded people, get a mention in the press and the blogosphere. Additionally, SCT should become a platform for the selection of local angel and venture investors, thereby acting as a platform for informal communication for the investment and entrepreneurial community.

Startups presented within the SKT receive live feedback on their ideas and developments, practical recommendations, and potential deals. The Crash Test audience gets a new platform for communication, gaining experience, sharing opinions and impressions.

Participation and attendance of the event is free of charge, subject to receipt of confirmation of participation from the organizers.

Traditionally, the SCT consists of two parts:

Panel discussion - in which invited speakers discuss a topic that is pre-planned and relevant for startups.

Presentations - 2-4 bright and promising startups, carefully selected by the organizers, speak for 10-15 minutes, followed by a 15-20 minute discussion.

Periodically, within the framework of the SKT, the following are also carried out:

Flash Pitch - up to 5 people can make a 90-120 second pitch of their project, one of which, according to the results of the audience's vote, becomes the winner and is guaranteed to get the opportunity to speak at one of the subsequent SKT.

Keynote - a report or presentation given by a special guest of SKT.

St. Petersburg has always been the intellectual and technological capital of Russia. The overall goal of the SCT organizers is to set up communications between startups and investors and create an ecosystem of technological entrepreneurship in St. Petersburg that reveals the true potential of the city.

Startup (startup) on the Internet

Now you can often hear such a word as "startup". Meanwhile, not everyone understands the true meaning of this term, some people think that a startup is the launch of a website or something related to the Internet. However, these notions are not entirely correct. In general, the English word startup (originally start up) literally translates as “start”. startup company (startup company or just start-up) is a new company that is just starting its activity. Startup - a company has a promising idea and is aimed at making big profits. Typically, a startup consists of two to five people and, as a rule, these are quite young people (about 25-28 years old). As you can see, startup can be not only on the Internet. Nevertheless, the term startup is very often used specifically for IT companies and Internet companies, therefore, in fact, such combinations of words as “startup Internet”, “ internet startups". To be absolutely precise, a separate project built on venture investments within an existing company can be called a startup, but then we will talk about startups - new companies.

Every year, tens of thousands of various projects start in Russia. Some of them, of course, having existed for several years, fail and close, while others continue to work. Probably, few people interested in business have not heard the well-known phrase that "90% of small businesses close within 5 years after they are founded." The phrase is frightening, but nevertheless not entirely fair. The Kauffman Foundation has conducted quite serious studies that suggest that the situation is almost the opposite. In our opinion, these are two extreme points of view, the reality lies somewhere in the middle. Thus, startup, if it is properly prepared and realistic, has a fairly good chance of surviving and developing in a competitive environment.

What does it take to make a startup successful? First, it needs a good and realistic idea. We put special emphasis on the word "realistic". Many people who light up the idea of ​​creating their own business, startup, often have, in their opinion, just a "fantastic" idea. The trouble is that many ideas are divorced from reality, and it can be, if not impossible, just as fantastically difficult to bring them to life. Secondly, a startup can be successful only if there are competent and hardworking specialists. And, thirdly, startup needs funding. We are engaged in just the latter, but not only this. Our firm assists companies in organizational matters and controls the work process. Our area of ​​interest is Internet startups.

Internet startups These are special startups. First of all, they are given specificity by a special environment - the Internet. To make a startup successful, you need to be familiar with this environment and understand how to monetize the project. If you want to get money from investors, you need to know not just well, but perfectly how to profit from your project. Internet startups are also distinguished by the fact that in many cases they do not need such expenses as in ordinary business, first of all, the professionalism and creativity of employees play a huge role. Nevertheless, despite the specificity of the Internet, the laws of business success here operate in much the same way as elsewhere. Internet startups can count on success if they are new, original and, perhaps most importantly, the right people. Originality does not necessarily mean that something completely new is being invented. The old idea can also be implemented in a new way (Google is an example). That is, Internet startups must have some kind of zest, a "chip", their own special competitive advantage. We support small, medium and large Internet startups. In order to receive our funding and support, it is not necessary to have a dozen geniuses on your staff (but if there are, then it is worth naming them, especially if they are famous people). A good promising idea, resources are enough to achieve the goal and financial attractiveness of the project. If we think that your project suits us, then we will start financing it and supporting you in other ways.

Ideas for startups: the "freshest" ideas from all over the world - 3 keys to success + TOP-5 ideas from around the world + 3 startup ideas from Russian developers.

Why startup ideas are gaining more and more popularity in the business sphere and bring the owners whole capital?

First of all, because they offer absolutely new, innovative solutions to people's pressing problems.

Therefore, it is quite logical that in search of inspiration for creating your own startup, you should not rush “deep into history”.

Follow the trends, fashion trends, what is really in demand now.

This article can help you with this, which has brought together the main business trends and forecasts regarding future discoveries in the entrepreneurial “art” market.

What is a startup?

Before talking about startup ideas, it is worth defining what is generally meant.

Most have only a general idea of ​​startups. Therefore, someone believes that this is how they call new resources on the Internet, others - that this is a business created by young people with no experience.

There is some truth in this. However, the concept itself is broader.

Startup- This is a business idea that is based solely on the use of innovative technologies or the introduction of completely new products.

That is, the composition of the team and the format of the company does not matter (often startups begin to develop without being officially registered).

The main thing is for the team to help solve some problem of humanity by offering something unique.

Also, the distinctive features of a startup are:

• limited money to start;
• starting work from scratch;
• most often, partners in a startup were previously connected by some kind of relationship (worked together, studied).

And although the world learns about such companies even at its first steps, when the market position is not yet strong, only those companies that have already manufactured a product can be called startups.

An operating time or a “raw” project is only the basis for creation, but not the startup itself.

What is the key to the success of a startup idea?

If we analyze the ideas behind the startup that have been especially successful, we can identify several common features.

Conventionally, they can be called "secrets of success."

Factors that determine the success of a startup idea:

What exactly do you think about the idea that became a startup?

Do you think that it can bring a lot of money?

Or do you really “burn” and are sure that this business will be useful to people and become innovative?

Only in the second case, the startup really has a chance of success.

If you do not have a sincere interest, you can quickly "burn out."

Moreover, startups rarely bring instant profit.

A lot depends on the team.

Obviously, a team of like-minded people working on the same wavelength can do more than one person.

Don't try to put everything on your own shoulders.

You should not calculate how many people will have to share the profit, but take care of the perfect quality of every detail.

Youth is a plus.

Let this statement sound like a discredit.

But the fact remains that investors are more focused on investing in the young and ambitious.

Let people with experience go about their business - run large organizations and share knowledge with others.

For those who no longer consider themselves a "young man", but are on fire, let's clarify: success in business has no age restrictions.

Doubt? Look at this picture:

TOP-5: global startup ideas

As a rule, startups are concentrated in the field of IT technologies. We decided to create a selection of ideas that ordinary people created and brought to life.

Such a step is intended to inspire you to implement your own ideas, even if you do not have special education or many years of work experience.

1. Green idea: special shampoo

"Nephentes" looks like an enema or something.

In fact, this startup idea can significantly affect the preservation of the environment.

Few people think, but ordinary plastic bottles from under the "" is a product that is harmful to the environment. The period of decomposition of one bottle can be hundreds of years!

And remember how much you use them during your life?

According to the idea of ​​this startup, manufacturers make products in huge containers, pouring the right portions into buyers' Nephentes bottles.

It is curious that the design does not even involve the use of a cover! The neck is simply bent and inserted into the compartment.

Another plus: you can finally use the product at 100%, including what usually remains at the bottom.

2. Indian startup idea

If you think that in India they can only dance and make films, then you will be surprised - not so few ideas for startups have been created in this country.

Interestingly, there is even a kind of analogue of the American Silicon Valley.

In addition, in India they are really interested in the issue of a huge amount of garbage on the streets. Innovative ideas appear regularly.

For example, an edible spoon is a great alternative to plastic utensils. After a meal, it can be eaten as a dessert or, of course, just thrown away.

Obviously, such a “material” as flour decomposes as quickly as possible and is absolutely harmless to nature.

The creators also assure that the product can be safely eaten by vegetarians. And in the future, even the development of a gluten-free version is planned.

3. An idea for junk food lovers

Which of us is not familiar with such a misfortune: you carefully take chips or something else greasy, and your fingers get dirty so that you have to go wash them.

And you need to be extremely careful not to hook or stain anything!

A startup has appeared in Italy, the idea of ​​​​which is to create fingertips. They are very thin, but at the same time the latex tightly fits the fingers.

Thanks to this, consumers can safely feast on goodies, and then simply throw away the “nozzles”.

It is assumed that these devices will not be sold on their own, but complete with chips, nuts or similar food, for which they were invented.

4. Startup: "folding" napkins

But the idea of ​​this startup is already designed for higher cuisine - that is, for restaurants. It appeared as a reaction to the fact that ordinary napkin holders are already becoming obsolete.

But napkins pressed into a small round “washer” are another matter. To use such a thing, visitors must dip the "pill" into an antiseptic solution.

And then the fabric unfolds, acquires a pleasant smell, and even becomes a “killing tool” for harmful microbes on your hands.

You should not immediately estimate the increased costs for the owners: these towels are not disposable. So the idea of ​​a startup will not harm either the wallet or the environment.

5. Startup idea with social value

Often, startups are still designed to solve global problems, and not just improve the already comfortable life of consumers.

For example, in Denmark, a special supermarket was created - "WeFood". Its concept is that they sell goods here that cannot be put on the shelves of "decent" ones.

Mislabeling, torn packaging, an approaching expiration date or even a delay in general - all this is usually a reason to write off, return or even dispose of goods.

Meanwhile, even in Denmark there are many people who have to save on everything.

The idea of ​​the supermarket has not only helped low-income people to eat more nutritious food. There was also a 25% reduction in wasted food across the country!

Here is such a useful and, oddly enough, profitable startup.

And what about Russia: 3 domestic ideas for startups

Although the words “economic decline conditions” have already become classic texts for the realities of Russian entrepreneurship, everything is not so bad in the field of start-ups.

The “buy-sell” orientation is gradually giving way to an innovative approach.

Original solutions still do not have such strong state support as in other countries.

However, their number is increasing, and investors are ready to invest their money. This is especially evident in the variety of ideas for a startup in 2016.

1) A startup you've definitely heard of

Have you seen the original photo processing on Instagram, which turns an ordinary frame into an artistic canvas? Most likely, you already know what we are talking about.

For the rest, let's clarify - the Prisma application is a service that allows you to process users' photos in an original way.

For many, it will come as a surprise that it was Russian programmers who developed Prism. Moreover, its creator is a former employee of the well-known mail.ru.

The peculiarity of the program is that it does not just impose some filters on top of the card.

Through the use of neural network algorithms (of which you may have heard a lot too), Prism analyzes the frame and then creates it from scratch. But already in the form of a picture.

The fact that almost everyone knows about this application now is already an indicator of success. It remains to be added that the Facebook administration banned the use of the program on its network only because it considered it competitive.

2) Idea for a startup on cards

It is believed that various accumulative and discount cards are gradually becoming a thing of the past. At least because no one wants to carry around dozens of options without knowing which one they need.

The developers of the startup "Cardberry" came up with the idea to create a device that can accommodate all kinds of cards.

We will not go into technical details. The bottom line is that any user cards are, as it were, entered into the memory of this electronic device.

Every time a person needs a certain card, he enters a special application and selects it.

"Cardberry" adapts to the choice and becomes a full-fledged replacement for the desired card.

For your attention, we offer a cool video

about the 10 most successful startups in the world:

3) Startup idea for a comfortable life

Perhaps you are not familiar with the SVET company yet, but you have every chance to hear about them.

As the name implies, the team offers lighting equipment. What is the innovativeness of this idea for a startup?

The fact is that the bulbs of this company are designed to simulate ordinary natural lighting.

Moreover, the device settings can be adjusted (for example, in accordance with the time of day or night).

This startup idea is not only original and adds more comfort to everyday life. But it also has a beneficial effect on human health.

The minus of the idea, perhaps, is only one: at the moment one device is estimated at $70. The amount is too significant for the Russians. However, the startup is in demand abroad.

collected above startup ideas only emphasize: anyone can create a business based on an innovative idea. The field of startups is not limited to the field of IT technologies.

The main thing is that you bring something new and useful to the world.

And if the idea is worthwhile, and the implementation is diligent, it can make you rich, no matter how trite it may sound.

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"Startup" is a company that does not always understand three things: what is a product, who are its customers and how to make money. Dave McClure, co-founder of 500Startups.

Few people fully understand such a newfangled term as a startup, so in this article we decided to tell you.

Startup is a company that has just been created and, as a rule, has not yet even been registered as a legal entity. It is usually built on innovative ideas or the latest technologies. The main distinguishing feature of a startup is the lack of funding. In the USA, or usually students are involved, so there a synonym for a startup is a garage company. Many people think that a startup occurs only in the IT field, but in fact, it can arise in any field. This is how you can briefly answer the question of what a startup is in simple words.

The history of startups

"Do everything on time, be persistent, do not give up trying for 10 years, and in the end it will seem that success came to you overnight." Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter.

For a better understanding of the phenomenon, it is worth looking into history. What is a startup? The term appeared back in 1939 in California (USA), where at that time there was a boom in the emergence of new high-tech companies. In English, start-up means to start. That's what the two Stanford University students William Hewlett and David Packard called their company. It is not difficult to guess that the world famous company Hewlett-Packard grew out of this startup.

Today to the question What is a startup?” almost everyone will answer - a new project on the Internet. And all because its rapid development contributed to the emergence of new companies in the online mode. Although initially it was not so.

The most famous startups today are:

Social networks Odnoklassniki, VKontakte, Facebook, although in fact only the latter is really a startup, and the first two are copies of it.
Internet Encyclopedia Wikipedia.
YouTube video database.
Flickr photo storage service.
Twitter messaging platform.

I would also like to note some discrepancy between the concepts in our country and in the homeland of startups. This is how we call any new project. In America, this is what they call an already formed company that meets a number of criteria and is already releasing some kind of innovative product or service. That's all the subtleties of what a startup is in simple words.

What is the most important thing in a startup?

"If you can't feed your team two pizzas, you've got too much of a team." Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon

The main advantage of a startup is that it is ready to introduce new developments into life right now. The corporations that this could help are too slow and clumsy to react quickly to changes in the market.

For a new business, a new, fresh one, which is in high demand in the market, is important. Sometimes investors are ready to pay for the idea itself, without its implementation. Most often, they are interested in young startups (under 25 years old), as they are usually completely passionate about their idea and are ready to give everything for the sake of its implementation to the fullest. Therefore, another important success factor is a good team. And, of course, the main problem of the new business is the necessary funding.

How startup funding works

Today, the market has assessed the possibilities of startups, so venture funds, as well as business angels, are engaged in the search for funding and the selection of suitable ideas. In the case of funds, their employees are involved in the distribution of funds invested in mutual funds. Business angels are looking for opportunities to invest their own funds. It is on them that startups should count in the first place.

They do not interfere in the formation and development of the company, but are ready to invest in it already at the inception stage. Unless, of course, the idea seems promising to them. It is on profit in the future that the calculation is made. Venture funds usually consider already operating companies, when one can already trace some kind of pattern in development.

Search for an investor for a startup

Most often, the search for an investor for a startup is carried out at special forums, exhibitions, conferences, where potential investors come with a specific desire to invest their money. In addition, at such events you can get project expertise, present it to a huge audience, and even find your first clients.

Remember the Internet too. Publication of information on relevant sites and forums can also pay off.

Stages of startup development

1. Pre-startup lasts from the emergence of an idea to the release of the first sample on the market. It is divided into the Pre-seed period, when there is an idea, but there is no understanding of how to promote the product to the market, and seed, when the market is studied and conducted search for an investor.

2. Prototyping– interface and technical specifications. First, a prototype with the main functions is created, then an alpha version, which is released for testing. After adjustments, a closed beta version is released, which is tested in a wider, but closed circle of people. After the following adjustments, a limited public beta is released to early customers.

3. Mass product launch which goes through two stages. Startup - launch and the first period of work. This stage begins with growth - covering a niche in the market and fixing on it. And it ends with an expansion - an increase in the volume or number of niches.

The second stage is the exit from the business of investors, when they, having received their profit, sell their share to strategic investors or startup ideologists.

This is an approximate scheme for the development of a startup. It is not necessary that everyone goes through all these stages. Each company develops in its own way. But in general, this is all that can be said about what is a startup in simple words.