{"id":29608,"date":"2017-09-06T13:27:50","date_gmt":"2017-09-06T09:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ict.io\/by-the-way-do-you-really-know-what-a-start-up-is\/"},"modified":"2017-09-06T13:27:50","modified_gmt":"2017-09-06T09:27:50","slug":"by-the-way-do-you-really-know-what-a-start-up-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/by-the-way-do-you-really-know-what-a-start-up-is\/","title":{"rendered":"By the way, do you really know what a start-up is?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Not a day goes by that we don&#8217;t hear the term &#8220;startup&#8221; on TV, in the newspapers, in companies, or on social networks. However, it is often misused. The term &#8220;startup&#8221; is a combination of &#8220;start&#8221; and &#8220;up&#8221;. We can conclude that a startup is a company that is starting its activities and that can potentially have a strong growth.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, let&#8217;s quote Eric Ries, the author of &#8220;Lean Startup&#8221;, to complete our understanding of the term startup. He defines a startup as:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;A human institution designed to create a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty.<br \/>\nBeing a startup means being in a temporary state of experimentation, as the company is still looking for the right business model to start the &#8220;up&#8221; phase.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In the end, the startup can either find the right business model and reach an advanced level of stability, or die along the way for lack of revenue.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26267 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/laptop-on-desk-from-above_4460x4460-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"887\" height=\"591\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/laptop-on-desk-from-above_4460x4460-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/laptop-on-desk-from-above_4460x4460-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/laptop-on-desk-from-above_4460x4460-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/laptop-on-desk-from-above_4460x4460-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/laptop-on-desk-from-above_4460x4460-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 887px) 100vw, 887px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Key terminologies of the startup culture<\/h2>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n  <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Accelerator\/Incubator:<\/span><br \/>\n<\/strong> Tailor-made service for startups that need a boost in terms of strategic mentors, office space and sometimes funding to help them grow.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Angel Investor:<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> An individual who provides capital to a startup in exchange for a stake in the company. Angels investors generally intervene during the first phase of development of startups where the risk is the highest. Moreover, they focus on helping startups rather than on the potential profits they can get from them.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Boot strapping:<\/strong> <\/span>Using personal wealth and the finances of loved ones to fund the operations of your startup.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Burn Rate<\/strong> <\/span>Burn Rate: the Burn Rate allows to know how fast a startup burns cash to continue operations.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Business Model :<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> The business model specifies the positioning of the company, the objectives of the activity, the means and resources at its disposal to achieve them.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26268 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/business-plan-2061633_1920-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"831\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/business-plan-2061633_1920-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/business-plan-2061633_1920-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/business-plan-2061633_1920-1030x773.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/business-plan-2061633_1920-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/business-plan-2061633_1920-610x458.jpg 610w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/business-plan-2061633_1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 831px) 100vw, 831px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Deck<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> (Pitch Deck): A PowerPoint presentation usually of 10 slides that covers all aspects of your business in a concise and convincing way.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Exit Strategy <\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span>How do you plan to sell your business? Who will be the buyers and why?<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Freemium <\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span>This business strategy consists in giving the basic product for free and trying to sell the premium features to the user community by converting them into buyers.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>FMA = First Mover Advantage <\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span>The advantage of being the first entrant in a given market. However, it is important to know that being the &#8220;First Mover&#8221; involves strategic risks with regard to the competition.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Growth Hacking<\/strong> <\/span>A term coined by Sean Ellis to describe a marketing technique that focuses on the rapid pursuit of scalable growth through non-traditional, low-cost tactics such as the use of social media.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26269 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/board-2449726_1920-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"822\" height=\"548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/board-2449726_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/board-2449726_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/board-2449726_1920-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/board-2449726_1920-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/board-2449726_1920-610x407.jpg 610w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/board-2449726_1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 822px) 100vw, 822px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Lean Startup<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> The main mission of a lean startup strategy is to prove the business concept as quickly and cheaply as possible.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Leverage <\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span>Leverage: use something &#8211; technology, strategic partnerships, human resources, etc. &#8211; to leverage your business. &#8211; to your advantage.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Market Penetration<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> Market penetration is a key element in the strategic planning of a startup&#8217;s development. This is the rate that measures the market coverage of a service or product.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Monetize<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> How does the startup plan to generate revenue?<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>MVP (Minimum Viable Product)<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> the basic version for the launch of a product. The MVP is required to obtain a &#8220;proof of concept&#8221;. Often used in the creation of new software that will be beta tested and later upgraded with additional features.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26270 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/creative-869200_1920-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Pivot<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> change in strategic direction as a result of new data collected.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Proof of Concept<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> Proof of Concept: demonstration of the feasibility of a concept or idea on which a startup is based.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>&#8220;ROI (Return on Investment)&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> what the investor can expect to get for what he puts in by investing in startups. Economic logic dictates that every company or investor is looking for a positive and increasing ROI.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>SaaS (Software as a Service<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span>): the sale of subscriptions to use the software marketed by the startup.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Scalable<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> A business concept that can grow exponentially through massive buy-in from a large community of users.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Seed<\/strong> <\/span>Seed is the first official round of funding for a startup.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Series<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> refers to the specific funding cycle of a startup.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Sweat Equity<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> : shares in the startup are provided in exchange for the work done. It&#8217;s a good recruiting tool for startup founders looking to attract passionate talent.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>Value Proposition<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> The unique value proposition that distinguishes one startup from another.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n  <strong>VC\/Venture Capitalist<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span> Venture Capital is the funding that investors provide to startups that have long-term growth potential.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26273 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/calculator-385506_1920-300x177.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"858\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/calculator-385506_1920-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/calculator-385506_1920-768x452.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/calculator-385506_1920-1030x607.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/calculator-385506_1920-600x353.jpg 600w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/calculator-385506_1920-610x359.jpg 610w, https:\/\/ict.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/calculator-385506_1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>The startup culture in Mauritius<\/h2>\n<p>There is a need to educate and popularize the terminologies of the startup culture among young entrepreneurs who represent the next generation. Fortunately, we can observe the establishment of a &#8220;startup culture&#8221; in Mauritius with the growth of blogs, websites and other information platforms that promote the development of critical thinking. Moreover, the multiplication of networking events by and for entrepreneurs clearly indicates that there is a desire to come together, to help each other and to share strategic information for the good of the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Not a day goes by that we don&#8217;t hear the term &#8220;startup&#8221; on TV, in the newspapers, in companies, or on social networks. However, it is often misused. The term &#8220;startup&#8221; is a combination of &#8220;start&#8221; and &#8220;up&#8221;. We can conclude that a startup is a company that is starting its activities and that can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":26428,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[476],"tags":[477],"class_list":["post-29608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unclassified","tag-featured-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}