Can We Call Them “Finish-Ups” Instead?

Can We Call Them “Finish-Ups” Instead?

Peter Cauton

At this time last year, I was looking around our Southeast Asian neighbors with startup-scene envy. Why wasn’t our startup scene as vibrant?

What a difference a year makes.

In just one year, we’ve seen a couple of Startup Weekends, the rise of Twitmusic, the launch of Kickstart and Ideaspace, a booming economy, Streetfood Tycoon, co-lab amenities – all of which were made more all the more prominent by a rabid social media environment fueled by internet-savvy Pinoys.

I think everyone will agree though – this is just the tip of the iceberg.

I am excited at the thought. Giddy, even. We have so much potential as a people, and I really, really think startups will ultimately be how we can lift this nation up.

Hence kindly allow me this sobering reminder, then:

Startups require an incredible amount effort and perseverance to pull off.    

With the increased number of people trying to start up, I also see a number of people taking this for granted, acting as if it can be done with minimal effort, minimum quality, and very often, minimal research.

Perhaps the term “startup” has something to do with it.

After all, it’s relatively easy just to start a “startup.” As the cliché goes, though: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s how you finish which will be crucial, where the wheat is separated from the chaff.

You know, we have a chance to do some amazing things. If there is any time in the history of the world, we have got to go for it now.

But like everything in life, there is a price, right? We KNOW that already. For us to mean it when we say stuff like “let’s put the Philippines on the map,” we need to bleed for it.

You want to fulfill your dreams? Startups are ANYTHING but a shortcut.

You want to take a leap and start? There’ll be an awful amount of bumps and bruises along the way.

Over 92% of startups fail. (very interesting link) If you don’t do the hustling necessary to finish, 8% becomes zero. You’d have NO chance. None. Zip.

So…c’mon everyone!

Let’s own up to the challenge. Let’s pay the price. Let’s refuse to build pwede na firms, but rather invest in the effort necessary to build great firms. Let’s put the Philippines on the map by giving her our all.

She deserves it, after all.

BizKitchen Launches Its Newest Startup: Mobile Academy!

BizKitchen Launches Its Newest Startup: Mobile Academy!

Peter Cauton

BizKitchen is proud to launch its newest firm: Mobile Academy!

Founders Macky Cruz, Howard Go, myself, and my STORM co-conspirator Paolo dela Fuente built Mobile Academy with one thing in mind: to give creative-minded and ambitious people tools in building the next great mobile app.

We see no absolutely no reason why the next Angry Birds or Instagram couldn’t come from the Philippines!

I want to take you a bit through how this company was made, in the hope of somehow providing some insight.

The need: We saw a pretty clear need in the market: there was a dearth of good mobile developers, in particular iOS developers. Not surprisingly, there was also a dearth of iOS training providers.

Idea Development: The need was clear, but we wanted to be something much more than a run-of-the-mill training provider. First, we decided we wanted to get the absolute best faculty we could have. The best of the best. Ultimately, this was going to be the difference maker, so we needed to roll our sleeves and recruit like the Pied Piper. Second, we noted a number of modern learning theories we wanted to incorporate in the curriculum. In particular, we wanted to incorporate theories centering on learning by doing and learning through community. Third, we wanted to help not only the programmer, but the non-programmer as well.

Idea Refinement: Our recruitment efforts were rewarded. We ended up with 6 great, great iOS faculty members with varied backgrounds: startup owners of successful mobile development firms, a couple of CTO’s of larger companies, successful indie app creators. Most importantly, these guys can teach. We were calling them “iOS Avengers” at one point. What a blessing.

Working closely with the iOS Avengers, we developed the curriculum carefully. Designed with lesser lectures and much more exercises, the curriculum slowly took form. We incorporated a “demo day” at the end of the course, where participants would get to present their “app-thesis.” We incorporated a mentorship program. It took awhile with very passionate founders and faculty, but soon, we had a rough curriculum – our minimum viable product.

Idea Testing: Would the curriculum work? Woud the non-programmers mix well with the programmers? How many days would it REALLY take to deliver the material? One way to find out. We released our MVP to a limited number of people. We spread the word with some of our friends in the mobile development industry – we were going to do a pilot! In just a couple of days, we filled the 12 slots with participants. Our Batch Zero. Starting July, we held classes every Saturday in STORM’s conference room. We were very conscious of surveying the each participant at the end of every session.

Funding: At first, we went around trying to raise money from different sources. If you could imagine, fixing up a nice-looking Apple training facility would require a significant sum. However, investors wanted a grand portion of the equity, and as entrepreneurs, we just couldn’t agree to the terms being handed out. So we did some creative financial planning and got the number down to a more palatable amount. Then the founders just plopped the sum.  Mobile Academy is a totally bootstrapped startup.

Iteration: We tweaked and iterated the curriculum after gathering data from every session. We are still tweaking and iterating the curriculum. We will always tweak and iterate for the better. It has come to a point though where we feel quite comfortable with what we have for a soft launch.

Like all startups, Mobile Academy will need a lot of care, time, and feedback. I’d appreciate any help and/or feedback regarding this new baby. Just email me at peter@juangreatleap.com if you got some. Also, if you like the concept and think its a good idea, please do give us your support by liking MA on Facebook  and following us on Twitter.

Thank you so much.

So…Are you interested in making the next great mobile app? Whether you are an experienced programmer or a total newbie, Mobile Academy is the game-changer for your career! Apply now!  Classes will start on September!

You HAVE To Get On The Internets

You HAVE To Get On The Internets

Peter Cauton
Jump in!

I’ve always worked in the technology sector. My first startup was a technology startup.

Ironically though, it was only last November that I started blogging on WordPress. It was only a few months ago that I got into Twitter. It was only this year that I became pretty active in Facebook. I’m now dabbling with MailChimp, thinking about Path, and waiting for the iPhone 5 to get into Instagram and Pinterest, as my Blackberry camera just sucks.

I’ve always read at how powerful social media was. I’ve always agreed. But I never truly understood. Til now.

If you are on the fence on going all out with social media. I hope this post pushes you to one side: dive in!

The only regret I’ve had with going all out in social media is not diving sooner.

What dawned on me was how it wasn’t about the technology. It was really, always, always about connecting with people. After a few months of hammering out posts, I was amazed by some of the people whom I ended up connecting with: people all over the world, long lost friends whose work was aligned with mine, executives of big firms, startup founders of all ages and backgrounds.

Social media has democratized networking, and it is amazing!

The other great thing I found out? Despite all the Carabuenas and Sottos which occupy the headlines, the world is filled with GOOD people. People who want to help. People who go an extra mile to thank me for a post. Sincere people. Brilliant people. Some of whom I work with now on some truly exciting projects.

Best thing about it? It’s all freaking free! (well, a couple of dollars for my WordPress account)

Got a startup? Get into social media immediately and craft a strategy. This is one thing that STORM has GOT to improve on (but Stream Engine has done pretty well) Whatever the problem is: recruitment, customer service, product development, seeing how people think about an idea, marketing, sales – social media ALWAYS can be used to great effect.

Corporate lifer? Get into social media immediately. Think about it. What’s the first thing people do when they get your resume? They Google you. They look at ALL your social media accounts. If for example, you were in sales and you have a blog where you passionately talk about your craft. You also use social media in your selling. All things being equal, wouldn’t these factors give you a leg up over the competition? Your resume is found not only in Linkedin: nowadays your entire social media presence IS your resume. 

So let your voice be heard and dive in.

Besides, check this article out.

The Insane Difficulty of Finding Your Purpose In The Cubicle

The Insane Difficulty of Finding Your Purpose In The Cubicle

Peter Cauton

I am of the belief that EACH of us has a unique, special purpose on this earth. None of us were accidents. I believe that God designed each of us with a particular role to fulfill.

And until we find this specific purpose, we will be feeling that something is missing. We have to search purposively. Settling is extremely wasteful.

Fortunately, we have access to a lot of clues.

We can find clues in the gifts we were given. We can find clues in our innermost desires. We can find clues in the things we do where time ceases to be a factor.

This is why I personally find the entrepreneurship process such a religious experience. Done right, it starts where your heart is. Done right, it starts with introspection – what is my passion? In this process, you ultimately find yourself  grappling with the question – who am I?

It then becomes a grand quest: of trying things out, of making mistakes, of not only finding out who you are but developing and creating who you are.

I think this is very difficult to do working for another firm. Not impossible, of course, as I know extremely fulfilled individuals working in corporations. Difficult though. Why? Because more often than not, rules and structure hamper you from truly spreading your wings.

Or more simply put, it’s tough to live out your dream when you’re riding on someone else’s.

I remember as an HR practitioner preaching “alignment” of company values with individual values. You know what?They can never be perfectly aligned. Your goals are bound to be different from that of a 100,000-man multinational present in 20 countries.

If you follow your passion as an entrepreneur though, I think you are MUCH MORE LIKELY to find your calling.

Did God carve out your DNA with an interest in fashion AND also of dreams of helping your countrymen solve poverty? I highly doubt it if you could scratch your existential itch anytime soon going from one multinational firm to another. Or, you could do what Noreen Bautista did when she founded Jacinto and Lirio.

I have a passion for helping people, writing, and creative ideas. I thought I’d be able to scratch my own existential itch as I went from company to company in a ten-year career in human resources. It was only through the experience of founding my own startup, STORM, that I saw a glimmer of what my purpose was: to help people start their own startups. I highly doubt if I had been able to find this career if I stuck it out as a corporate HR practitioner.

Stop settling. Stop hating Mondays. Stop doing nothing about it.

Leap, and chances are, you’ll land where your heart is.

Leap, But Don’t Forget To Live

Leap, But Don’t Forget To Live

Peter Cauton

The entrepreneurial life can be exhilarating.

Receiving your first payment, landing a first client, landing a first BIG client – these experiences can rarely be matched by anything the corporate world can offer. Then this whole new social network/internet/mobile landscape just takes that experience and injects it with WWE-level steroids.

There is so much to do. People to connect with. Ideas to pursue. Strategies to try. Clients to land.

It can be addictive.

Almost everything addictive is dangerous.

Startups – NOT an exception.

The past 12 months have been such a whirlwind as far as my entrepreneurial career is concerned. There has been a plethora of Blessings. Apart from STORM, which has been growing even more, I co-founded 3 more firms. I started this blog. I meet 3-4 new passionate entrepreneurs every Saturday morning, engaging them in lively conversation. In the evening I work on blogposts and connect to people online. It is exhilarating. It is addictive.

It is dangerous.

Last night, my wife finally told me how she was feeling. How she’s been feeling very happy and excited at how I’ve grown in my career, but a bit worried about how we’ve also started to grow apart a bit.

I felt like Bruce Willis at the end of Sixth Sense, when he realized everything through flashbacks.

What an idiot I was. I was doing something I swore I’d never do –  I had been taking my wife for granted. I’d really rather work as a sewer cleaner and be with her than be the world’s greatest entrepreneur and not be by her side – so my actions were getting misaligned with what I truly deemed essential.

It then slowly dawned on me – I was so focused on this one part of my life that I started taking the other parts for granted: time with the rest of my family, connecting with my parents, my efforts to get back to running, writing more songs as a music minister, spending more time with God through prayer. That last one was a zinger. I had been so appreciative of the gifts, when I should’ve been much more appreciative of the Giver.

Balance. I was losing it for awhile. Instead of running startups, they were starting to run me.

I will do better.

BOOK REVIEW: The $100 Startup – It’s Awesome

Peter Cauton

Can you really make a business out of your passion? 

Can you do it by spending the least amount of money?

Author Chris Guillebeau interviewed hundreds of “micropreneurs” who are making a very comfortable living pursuing their passions in order to find out the answer to these two questions.

According to his book, The $100 Startup, the answer is a resounding “YES!”

I think this is a great, great resource for people who aren’t so much interested in the “I WANT TO CREATE THE NEXT FACEBOOK!” startup, but those who simply wish to make a comfortable living by creating a business around their passions.

The book is replete with examples from entrepreneurs from all walks of life, along with their stories on how they made successful, satisfying, entrepreneurial leaps without requiring large investments or specialized expertise.

After reading very “technical” startup books like Lean Startup and the Entrepreneur’s Guide To Customer Development, this was a joy to read, with Guillebeau using mostly memorable stories to explain concepts. There were also A TON of practical tips and suggestions for the entrepreneur on how to grow her startup. What I remember in particular were his suggestions on how to effectively launch a product, comparing the process with how a big-budget movie is released. (by the time a big movie comes out – we’re always giddy with excitement)

This book is for you if: 1) you are thinking of making the leap and have a plan 2) you are thinking of making the leap and you can’t decide on a plan, 3) You are a relatively new startup owner (1-3 years) 4) you are desperately tired of the corporate rat-race.

I think this is a good “First startup book” for someone who is thinking of taking the leap.

For veteran start-up owners, you can probably skip this, although there are a number of interesting ideas you can probably incorporate.

Posting this on the same day as the last post because they are quite related.

Happy reading!

No Money? No Experience? No Problem!

No Money? No Experience? No Problem!

Peter Cauton

After she graduated with her degree in Psychology in 2010, we hired Ofelia Linchangco in STORM to do HR analysis and consulting. What was pretty evident from the get-go was that she loved design-related work. She would always volunteer to do design work for STORM’s marketing materials and would tinker with the website design. While she would do good work with her HR-related responsibilities, her design work would always elicit oohs and ahs from everyone in the workplace. It was plain to see what her passion was.

A year and a half later, she resigned. Planning her leap, she read a lot of books and did a ton of research. Then, using the remnants of her last pay (around P8000.00), she put up a design studio, Rocket Concepts.

Nowadays, she is doing very well and always seems so…happy-busy. She works with contractors to keep up with the work demand.  She is earning a very comfortable paycheck as her own boss. She is pursuing a passion.

Let’s recount. P8000.00 capital. No experience. No formal design education. Just a year’s experience in the workplace.  She made it work.

You can, too. 

Around a month ago in Starbucks Masinag, Estelle Osorio narrated to me how she and partner Ulysses Cruz took a leap, used a mere P20,000.00 in capital, and founded BizWhiz, a startup focused on business training.

2 years after, Biz Whiz is arranging profitable course after profitable course. They are now hiring. They are getting bigger and more profitable.

Let’s recount again. Estelle has no MBA, she graduated with a degree in Political Science. No outside money. She’s in her mid-20’s. She made it work.

You can, too.  

In an example close to home, early this year I founded Stream Engine Studios with Gino Caparas. The initial concept was to create a digital marketing firm. Then it morphed into an online explainer video production house. We put up around P30,000.00 as initial capital. Then I managed to convince Gino to take a leap from his comfy corporate job.

There were some hairy moments, but ultimately, not a year into operations, we have recouped our initial investment many times over. We have hired more people to help us out. We can now do this sort of work.

Let’s recount. No MBA’s. No formal training in design or animation. No big outside money. Gino’s just making it work.

You can, too. 

I can go on and on.

Karen Yao was a pre-school teacher-turned HR practitioner who parlayed her expertise into a successful freelance consulting career and ultimately, into startup Congruent Partnerships. No big capital investment.

Sophia Lucero was a computer science graduate who had a knack for front-end work. Since she graduated in 2006, she has never been a regular employee for any corporation. Instead, she pursues her passion as her very own startup: doing freelance web design, UI Consulting, writing, and even pursuing her personal advocacies, such as co-founding the Philippine Web Designers Organization.

August 29 speaker Howard Go resigned from his lucrative Telco job in 2010 to pursue a passion – designing games. His startup, Mochibits, has come up with hit app after hit app. No big capital investment.

No money. No experience. No fear.

YOU CAN, TOO!

(Let’s hear of even MORE examples from you guys! I enjoin you to bless and encourage others by posting your own bootstrap experience! Perhaps your story is the very example which can convince one other person of doing her own leap. Don’t be shy and tell your story by hitting the comments below! Let’s inspire a movement!) 

Once More, With Feeling! Ayala Foundation Presents: Juan Great Leap! Transforming Your Idea Into Startup Success Rescheduled to August 29, 2012

Once More, With Feeling! Ayala Foundation Presents: Juan Great Leap! Transforming Your Idea Into Startup Success Rescheduled to August 29, 2012

Peter Cauton

Due to the monsoon rains, we are moving the August 8 event, Ayala Foundation Presents: Juan Great Leap! Transforming Your Idea Into Startup Success to Wednesday, August 29, 2012, 630pm,  at the Ayala-TBI office at the UP-Ayala Technohub in Diliman, QC. 

We will keep the reservations of the 250 who signed up beforehand.

The seminar is already fully booked, but if you’re willing to go on the waitlist just in case people drop their slots, you can do so by filling the form here.

See you on the 29th! Hopefully, we don’t get rained out this time 🙂

On My Unexpected August 8 Night, an Inspirational Urvan, Edward Cullen, and Startups for Juan

Peter Cauton

I thought I’d be spending tonight hosting, chatting with entrepreneurs, and eating pizza at the Ayala-sponsored Juan Great Leap event at the UP Technohub. Instead, I found myself volunteering to help feed people in makeshift centers near Marikina River with some of my friends from my community.

As you would expect, the conditions were brutal. The first site we went to was a converted Church. The pews were arranged in squares, where each family would stay – a good number of them with their dogs. As a father of young children, my heart immediately went out to the small children and babies.

We then went to work.

I ended up with the porridge-distribution role. We had plastic cups ready, but it looked as if they’ve done this before – they lined up with their own containers. A few of them carried real cups and bowls, but most of them brought the makeshift-variety: empty yakisoba cups, or even used Mcdonald’s spaghetti-styros. While I poured the lugaw (it took 3-4 times with the ladel I had), I tried to engage in some small talk. Most of them smiled. Some kids wanted their cups full to the brim. Some made jokes with me. Some tried to help out.

We have a unique and resilient people. It’s easy to fall in love with them. 

If I had to evacuate my house, transfer my family to a crowded shelter, get all wet, and beg for food? I’d have thrown a hissy-fit, or go all Edward Cullen-emo and ask the heavens why?!.

The second site we went to, a converted basketball court, had harsher conditions. The people density was worse, and they were crammed in blue and yellow Pasig-City tents (which were not bad, it was just the density). Within minutes, the remainder of the food we brought was finished. (people, we have to continue to give and donate) There were some very heartening scenes though: a Manila Water truck pulling in to distribute free water, the most sincere thank-you’s you can ever imagine (highbrows who say giving people fish isn’t wise please find a rock and just go away), an individual Urvan coming in while we were leaving who brought even more food.

Manila Water truck arriving to offer free drinking water

That Urvan was especially inspirational for me. We came in a caravan of 5-6 cars. This was just one family, who probably said to  themselves: “Let’s go get some food, and then let’s go around and distribute it ourselves.” I found it amazing.

Even alone, you can make a difference. 

Upon arriving home and while taking probably the most guild-laden hot shower of my life, my thoughts were racing. 

What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? 

For starters, I couldn’t wait to write and share this story.

I can plead with you – the entrepreneur and the would-be-entrepreneur – to put JUAN in your motivation equation, to extend the concept of family to include, not merely your kin and friends, but Juan as well. The impoverished Juan who gets marginalized, neglected, and often taken advantage of.

Let’s endeavor to make our startups work, not merely to make money, but to create jobs. (and not those zombie-jobs too)

Let’s endeavor to make our startups work, not merely for our freedom, but to help facilitate freedom from poverty. It’s a big hairy, problem. And even from just writing that line, it feels a bit contrived (maybe because it sounds like something a politician would say). It’s certainly a problem worth sinking our collective entrepreneurial chops into.

I’m especially inviting (challenging!) the very best of you – the most talented, the most brilliant, the most capable – to make a true difference.

Juan dela Cruz is certainly worth it. 

Here’s an idea. Why don’t we sit down and talk about it? I was thinking a startup event, but one which solely focuses solely on social, nation-building, entrepreneurship. A Social Entrepreneurship Conference or Pitch Night perhaps? I have a lot of ideas on how to do it, but I want to share the experience of building on it and collaborate.

Interested?

Then COMMENT below. Comment if you’re in. Comment if you’d love to help me arrange it. Comment if you know a venue. Comment if you can bring food or drinks. Comment if you’d want to sponsor it. Comment even on why you think it won’t work.

Comment. Act. Move. Leap. Just do.

AUGUST 8 JUAN GREAT LEAP EVENT POSTPONED, LET’S ALL HELP OUT INSTEAD FIRST

AUGUST 8 JUAN GREAT LEAP EVENT POSTPONED, LET’S ALL HELP OUT INSTEAD FIRST

Peter Cauton

Due to the heavy rains and extreme weather conditions, the August 8 startup event, Ayala Foundation Presents: Juan Great Leap, is being postponed. We shall be moving it to a later date, so please keep posted. 

I think during these times, we should be shifting our focus a bit from startups towards patriotism and concern for our fellow countrymen who are severely affected by the flood.

The true entrepreneur ALWAYS has a bias towards action. Let’s harness this and do what we can.

Donate.

Volunteer.

Spread vital information.

Encourage.

Pray.

Let’s make great leaps for our countrymen.