Below you find some short stories about our company. During the "creation" of our company we came across some challenges, some funny things and also some learnings.
When we talked about it, we realized that you may be interested in it and some events we simply wanted to celebrate together with you. This is how the idea of a "company diary" was born... Since "go live" of your platform we are posting only the more important things here and sharing the rest directly on the platform.
Go out of the comfort zone of a nicely paid job and risk all our savings to build a startup and work even longer hours… are we crazy?!?
Read more about what is driving us, our experiences & stories about our startup in our "Company Diary”.
With this first (longer) diary entry we would like to give you the background and maybe you become a regular reader of our “Company Diary”.
Who are the two-crazy people behind StartupSpider?
Who I am? I am a creative person with almost 20 years’ experience in the financial industry.
If I would have lived in the 15th century I probably would have been on an explorer ship or at least this is what I would have tried (wished).
What is the role you would have chosen, if you could? Your drivers?
Who are the two-crazy people behind StartupSpider?
Who I am?
I am a curious, passionate person with over 25 years’ experience of Software Engineering and Project Management in various industries. I am fascinated by people who follow their vision and principles regardless of the resistance, derision or even violence they experience.
Which behavior fascinates you? What are your principles?
Have you ever tried to explain an innovative business idea in 3 minutes? I would call this “mission impossible” or at least challenging!
However, if you are able to condense your business idea into something “digestible” it means that you are forced to think through your business idea thoroughly. That’s key for any startup!
The probably most difficult undertaking during the creation of a new company is to find the name of the company!
How comes that this is so difficult? Everybody has a view, there is no right/wrong (no “hard factors”) and on top there are external dependencies (availability of the name & domain or similarities)
Brainstorming, contemplating, discussing, checking domain availability… and does the name reflect the business idea?
We even try technics like “portmanteau”-approach? (A word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms as smog from smoke and fog or Instagram from instant and telegram).
Find a company name needs a long breath.
Again, we involved our friends and families and made systematic use of Crowd intelligence.
Based on the result we decided to go with “StartupSpider” which we really like and hope you do as well!
We need to get the company set up soon as time is running and we want to submit our request to the EU Commission in time.
As a risk mitigation we wanted to work with somebody who offers “company set up services”. However, we completely underestimated how long it takes.
Now getting a "bit" under time pressure to get our company created. Time is running and if we want to submit our request to the EU Commission in time we need to hurry up.
Once again life learned me to plan for the worst. Our post office lost my registered mail. The letter with the documents required to create our company.
I came across an amazing APP and I wanted to share this with you!
(No, I am not getting money for this statement. I just wanted to share it!)
Do you like the pictures / comics we are using in our company diary?
If yes, you need to test Clip2Comic APP! All of them are done with Clip2Comic and the APP is so easy to use.
StartupSpider GmbH is a Swiss startup, set up and published in the companies' register on the 22nd Jan 2019. StartupSpider releases a platform which connects existing Crowdfunding platforms via portal technology, creating a combined overview towards investors. This increases efficiency, transparency and reduces market fragmentation.
The prototype is in testing with the first Crowdfunding platforms.
What is it that makes a conversation interesting - "fruitful"?
Thanks to my former employer I had the chance to get much more insides...
...but just realizing now that this is even more important as a young startup.
The early phase includes so much administrative work... boring!
But you need to get it done. There are people who like this kind of work. But as a startup you don’t have money for this luxury to hire such people. It remains with you.
Have you ever met Mr. Murphy (murphy's law)? During all the years when I worked for big companies I always appreciated the support desk, I really did. However, my appreciation even increased since my work in our startup.
Work hard, follow your direction and have fun at work.
Try it out and let me know if you experience the same…
The last couple of months we had to build the basis for the implementation of Version 1.0 of our platform.
Allow me to give you a short summary of what we did and what we achieved...
Outsourcing or working with e.g. an IT partner is like...
....a long-distance relationship – it can work very well...
You are part of our StartupSpider-Crowd - we need your help!
StartupSpider is nominated for the “TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award”, organized by Venturelab.
We need your vote!
So many of our friends and family members are closely monitoring how we are doing and most even supporting us actively... Review features, helping us with expert knowledge and even supporting us with their network...
This is amazing!
Thank you!
Work life-balance? Let me be a bit provocative…
Does it mean if you are working, you are not living? And living is only possible as long as you do not have to work?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to say that everybody should work 7x24hours. But whatever you do, do it with 100%.
Creating a startup is a big step. It is not just investing my personal savings from many years of working, it is also the money of my co-founder which is at risk.
I continuously ask myself “Are we on the right track”...?
As a startup I must reflect continuously – validate & listen – adjust – reflect again….
We got invited to a Startup training organized by Venturelab and sponsored by InnoSwiss.
Last week the first day took place and I must admit this is one of the best trainings in my whole life. We are learning a lot about getting prepared for investor pitch and startup a business (starting up a business is not done with company registration, but is a long phase including such elements like IP, contracts, different funding rounds etc.). But it is not just the learnings, also the spirit and the culture in the room which makes this training something special.
As a Startup you are continuously under pressure… finding investors/money, have the right team and get the product to the next phase… and don’t forget the customers.
Mainly if you manage the first phase with your own money, the pressure is huge.
People who have worked together with me in the past, know how impatient / demanding I am. (which is probably quite normal for project managers and founders), which does not make it easier. So, how to manage this on a day-by-day basis
A year ago, we started our adventure “StartupSpider”. We will open Beta-Version of StartupSpider for registration in the upcoming weeks (we will inform you).
It was a tough year, with a lot of ups and downs (the normal Startup-craziness). Without the support of our families & StartupSpider-community / friends – you – it would not have been possible.
Thank you very much!
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a lot of rest and relaxation between Christmas and New Year.
We are very proud and happy to announce that our first release cycle of the beta version is completed and we are now ready for your user registration.
FINANZ’20 has accepted & selected us as a Startup and we will be present with a booth!
Even we were fully convinced since the beginnning, that a Startup-Community is a key success factor for a startup, we are realizing just now the full potential..
In Switzerland a company is obligated to have for its employees an accident insurance in place (law: UVG, 832.20). To find a provider which addresses the need of a startup is not easy. Read more about our experiences…
StartupSpider and daura
co-operating by putting together their individual strength for further advance of the digitalisation of the Startup and SME Ecosystem
COVID-19 is impacting the whole world - also the startup- and SME-sector (which impacts also many people and families - their livelihood).
You need two mirrors...
1) The one for "today" (which gives you the very hard and unadorned feedback...)
2) The one showing "the future" (which shows you how it will look like - the vision...)
Treading the path over a long period of time is not always easy.
Only those who keep their eyes on their goal can draw strength to continue on the path...
