Mentors: how does it work?

    In anticipation of the third Moscow Startup Weekend, we decided to answer numerous questions from the community about how the mentoring system works and what it gives to the projects. In order not to be unfounded, we asked five simple questions to five projects working with mentors (two of which have already attracted angelic investments).

    Read, understand, ask questions, register your ideas and projects for the Moscow Startup Weekend , which will be held from December 3 to 5, 2010, and also (if you live in the Volga region, in the Urals, in Siberia) at Startup Weekend in Kazan , which dinner will begin next Friday, November 19th.
    1. With what idea did you come to the weekend?
    2. What idea came out of the weekend?
    3. Why did you decide to work with this expert? How did the work go at the very beginning? When did you realize that you are ready for a long-term relationship?
    4. How is the work going now: with what frequency, in what format?
    5. How exactly did your mentor help you? What is its use?

    Microcredit on the Internet (working title), Perm. Current agreements of intent are signed with Maria Shevtsova, Eugene Agronik and Mikhail Tsygankov.
    1. The system of evaluation and automated issuance of microloans on the Internet.
    2. Nothing has changed in the root idea. Added details, questions for study and optimization points. We were able to more clearly assess the risks and costs.
    3. These experts gave the most practical advice and helped the project pass the stress test by lynching. The basic idea survived and even received a financial justification.
    4. Work is carried out by correspondence, and we also call up once a week on Skype and arrange mini-conferences. At the same time, we use basecamp and we celebrate there in about a day or two.
    5. Already helped with the preparation and verification of financial models. We calculated and reduced financial costs, reworked the original model of the project and moved to the minimum-risk segment. Soon, the first partnership agreements, attracted through mentors, will be considered and signed.

    F-3.me Photographer Search Project. Moscow city. The mentor and investor is Mikhail Trufanov.
    1. Make a service where anyone can find a photographer for any purpose.
    2. The idea, in principle, has not changed, but key points have been highlighted and the monetization model has become more clearly defined.
    3. Mutual interest in the project is what brings us together :)
    4. At the moment, work is being done both by correspondence and in person.
    5. The mentor helped to adjust the business plan, and allocates the resources necessary for its implementation. (he is also an investor). We do not disclose the financial aspects of the project.

    Geome (Fifteen on the weekend). Moscow city. Mentor - Askar Tuganbaev.
    1. Online spots on maps of real cities.
    2. Fifteen in real cities, the coordinates of the players are determined using GPS.
    3. Since the presentation of our idea (and since it was born on the brainstorm in the first SW, this was the second day of work), Sergey Biryukov, Deputy Askar, joined our team as an expert. Sergey shared with us experience in the field of social games, as we were two to five in this matter, practical knowledge, knowledge of the specifics of the direction were very useful to us.
    4. We work very simply. We agree on what needs to be done in the next step of the work. We do it. :) We meet, discuss the results, plus share ideas on the project.
    5. We are IT specialists, to raise a commercial project from scratch, to think through all aspects is a fairly new task for us, you do not know what to grab. The main thing that helps the mentor is to decide on the next step. Plus - BP work, calculations, adjustments in the number of finances / people / users, marketing strategy, development strategy, etc. And there are a lot of different little things, if you don’t know which, you can very quickly ditch the project.
    And a little extra. lines.
    IMHO, the main task of the mentor is precisely not to let him get bogged down in trifles, to set the course of work. Starting work on our project, we enter a completely new territory for us. Territory with its own laws and regulations. But the line with two of these rules are written somewhere.
    Of course, not every project needs mentors. Of course, there are teams that are so great that they have both a finished product and experienced diverse people in the team. But hell! Not all of them. And there are people - like my brother and I - who have only an idea and a frantic desire to change this world for the better and do something great. And our mentor helped us take the first step towards this. He helped to believe in himself, showed that some things are easier than they seem. It is impossible to describe in paragraphs "1, 2, 3" that amazing feeling that arises when people believe in your team in your project. It really, really helps those who are just starting out.

    Glavbot, Moscow. Mentor - Dmitry Altukhov.
    1. Make a web game with real robots
    2. Make a platform for web games with real robots.
    3. He decided to work with us, said he would help enter the US market.
    4. Now we are working on the project itself, the correspondence with the mentors has stopped - they are waiting for the demo version.
    5. We rarely interact with Altukhov; his contribution (at least the one I know about) was mostly motivational. Natalia Chanysheva helped a lot !!! She pulled us out at RIW2010, plus helping us find investors. We also plan to formalize official relations with her, as with a mentor.

    The “B152” project is the best way to draw up documentation on the protection of personal data. Moscow city. The mentor and investor is Oleg Mikhalsky.
    1. The initial idea: a project that helps businesses compile documentation on the protection of personal data, thereby fulfilling most of the requirements of Law 152 of the Federal Law “On Personal Data”.
    2. The idea has not changed after the Weekend, but additional positioning has appeared.
    3. The expert has extensive experience in the information security market, and this is just our market. In addition, he is well versed in developing a business from scratch, which is very important for us. The decision on a long-term relationship was made a few weeks after the weekend.
    4. At the moment, face-face meetings are held with Oleg once a week or two, communication by phone and soap occurs almost every day.
    5. The expert gave the necessary connections and helped us with the initial investment. It also constantly gives practical advice on implementing the idea.
    In addition, Oleg and I reached an agreement on angel investments for the creation of the site and the purchase of domains (already attracted), website promotion, legal support for the project. Terms will be clarified in the coming days.
    A little later, we are ready to publish a detailed case, as soon as the project passes successfully 1-2 stages after launch.

    There are also negative reviews about working with mentors - we take them into account. :)

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