Startup and the City.
I’ll describe Thessaloniki’s #startup scene, through the eyes of… You.
Yeah, You. Hooked already?
Before beginning, allow me to put Thessaloniki on the map for you. First things first, we are talking Greece here. The Grexit/debt-drowned/easy-living/amazing-sunset/a-million-islands and great gyros place.
Thessaloniki, is the second-largest city in Greece, sporting 1 mill citizens, 1/10th being University Students, while our harbor and other amazingly boring/useful thingies are amongst the best.
So You are either a:
(a) university student
(b) aspiring entrepreneur
(c) academic/mentor
Before getting into detail I feel obligated to talk about the elephant in the room:
Being an entrepreneur and taking initiative, is frowned upon in Greece; reason being, most people believe an entrepreneur is the devil himself, exploiting people around him for the sake of revenue. It’s called lack of entrepreneurial culture.
So, you’re in your early 20s. What an era! Introducing yourself as a “startupper” instead of a “university student” is Legen — wait for it; and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant — Dary. Legendary.
You don’t need to be studying business, economics, etc. Your university has got all you need. Simply google for “Innovation Competition”, “young entrepreneurs” and “startup” alongside your University’s/city’s name.
Brainstorm.
Come up with a cool idea. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Simply do “this, just better”. Facebook <> MySpace: The same, just better.
Plan.
Create a business plan, down the road. Begin by working on the “Lean Canvas”. Google for tips, or even better: Attend a Start-up Weekend, or any similar program/competition held nearby.
Materialise.
That amazing idea of yours… Start giving it flesh and bones. Create a landing page, a semi-working prototype, and share it with everyone.
Disclaimer: nobody wants to “steal” your idea, yet; it’s an experiment.
You’ve made it!
You are a Startupper. Enjoy it while it lasts. Soon, one of two scenarios will unfold before you. You’ll either quit, for you will realise this is not the life you dream of living, or you’ll get incorporated.
Still reading? Great. Keep scrolling!
You can find everything described above, here. From university programs, to incubators, seminars and everything in between. You’re lucky my friend. Start. Yesterday.
You just got incorporated, or you’re about to be. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to discourage you mate, but I’ve been/am in your shoes. It’s hard. Harder than it needs to be IMO.
Office.
Forget Starbucks and red tube-slides. You need an office. That, and 15 hours per day. It’s not scary. Actually, it is some sort of a blessing. Come to think about it, you are given the opportunity to work on your dreams 24/7. That’s something millions of people thrive to achieve.
Oh, you’re not there just yet? Ok, let me help you with that.
You can win a couple of startup competitions to get the money you need to pay rent. You most likely have to invest 5 to 20 hundred $ of your own. You have to convince Friends, Fools, and Family to fund your project.
Get into an incubator. Don’t get an actual office.
Network
You only hate it because you are doing it wrong.
Just take a look at this article, and scroll down to the seventh Bullet: Networking.
Evolve
Just do it, never settle, and be one of those who do. There is a galaxy of opportunities out there, and I’m sure you’ll end up loving it. — puns intended.
You need to change and do more. Be ever-evolving and push you and your company to the limit. Embrace innovation and creativity, and let it take you places.
You DON’T get an office in Greece on Day 1. You just don’t. It’s far too expensive. The taxation and legal system are as kind as Voldemort.
You have to get into an incubator for the first few months. It can save you ~$500/month.
Networking and opportunities to evolve are here. Waiting. Knock on the door.
On a side note: you might want to get incorporated abroad; depends on the nature of your start-up.
In one word: Great. — there’s a catch, though.
Not many young Greeks really create something. You can find many brilliant young adults working on an idea, but the ones that can actually hand something to you, are far and few between.
Being a mentor to that demographic implies that there are hundreds of creative people that want to learn how to structure and pitch an idea, but very few that dare to just do it. That said:
Many have “taught entrepreneurship”.
Few have “created entrepreneurs”.
In Thessaloniki, you can find all sorts of mentors. Aged 20–70, academics or businessmen, living here or abroad. The “cost” to learn from them ranges from $0–500/month, but most of the time you can learn a lot for “free”. Without spending cash, that is. Few want to help you for the sake of helping.
Everyone wants to be part of win-win situations.
Learn how to create them.
Did you like what you Read? Thinking of closing the tab?
Why not hit the recommendation Heart ❤ and be Awesome instead?
I’m Chris Tsiolas, just started writing and your support would mean the world to me. Feel free to visit my blog, OverCreativeDose #ocd, or share this article with your friends.
Until we meet again,
Take care.
