startupi

The director of Havas Media Lab and founder of Bubblegeneration, Umair Haque, recently published an interesting article on the Harvard Business Review blog. He argues that the key question is not whether governments should accept the dictates of the market (which has been discussed internationally). Rather, for him, the question we should ask is whether organizations and markets are making decisions that help improve people’s lives, communities, and societies in the long term. Read more…

It’s the age of relationship, the economy of relationship, social capital, meritocracy, reputation, Whuffies, intangible value, Gross National Happiness. Notice how all this has an effect on the day to day lives of people, professionals, brands and products.

There are various ways to create value, deliver value, perceive value, and exchange value. Even when it comes to investment or profit, it’s not all about money.

Thus it’s a good time for the seminar Crie Futuros Novos Bancos e Moedas (Create Futures: New Banks and Currencies), an initiative of the iberoamerican movement Crie Futuros. It takes place in São Paulo Tuesday and Wednesday, with various speakers and themes, and a live webcast. Read more…

Taking into account the economy or how the market will be in the future is an inexact science. For exactly this reason it is mere futurology to say that the crisis will pass in 2009 and everything will return to how it was before

The technology market has a few historical factors that lead me to believe that despite the crisis 2009 will be a good year. Some of the largest businesses around today have experienced growth in difficult times. For example: Google, Microsoft and Apple. Some people include Facebook and Digg in this list. They are businesses that succeed in difficult times and with little competition to win a place in the sun.

What happens is technology continues following Moore’s law and everything changes from one year to the next. And if you wait too long, everything is different and this great idea is no longer worth anything.

Of course, I would be one to want the market to be good or even great in 2009. The better it is, the better for this blog! Obviously the better for the market, too. I believe the market will continue to offer opportunities.

Anyone who launches a startup generally meets some challenges. What bigger challenge than to prevail in an adverse environment?

When is the best time to launch a startup? Now! In truth there is never a perfect time, so the best time is always now. What I mean to say is that good ideas, well implemented, have a good chance of surviving even in rough economic times like we have today.

Ideas often have require a timing that if missed kills their value. Waiting for a crisis to pass and then bringing out your idea can be fatal for business. Putting it out there now is better. When the crisis has passed and you are still there, there will certainly be people interested in your business.

An article in the last edition of the magazine Exame had the title “The crisis returns to Silicon Valley,” predicting hard times for startups in general. It said venture capital is drying up and hard times have returned. It compared the scene to the first internet bubble bursting.

I don’t agree. I think today we don’t live in the same kind of euphoria that we had at the turn of the century. Business strategies are more realistic. Investors have been “innoculated.” Last time, any idea got tons of funding. Today it is the best ideas that are getting the attention. That is, it’s a different time that we saw a decade ago.

If the scenario is not so favorable to investment, it is certainly favorable to building an idea. If investors are more cautious because of the economic crisis, when it passes they will certainly want to grow their capital. Right now those who have the engine running are going to have a better chance than those who still need to pull their project together. Remember: now is the time!