Entrepreneurs need tailored, always accessible guidelines and feedback. Instant Startup offers the whole package
Ondrej Pekarek wanted to start his own business for many years, but never had the right idea. Instant Startup, where Ondrej works now, helps with that and other common startups killers. It gives entrepreneurs a proven optimal way to startup success, tailored to their needs and circumstances.
Why is it important to start Instant Startup?
Lots of jobs will disappear in the near future. With much time freed up, people will need something to do to keep them busy. People need to have a purpose in life and work to fulfill it. Therefore, it is crucial to come up with new opportunities and allow people to create opportunities for themselves. Instant Startup will give people the freedom to actually create their own jobs and give jobs to others. It’ll give people better chances to start their companies and succeed.
What is special about Instant Startup?
Instant Startup is based on machine learning. It will include all the common startup killers that cause majority of startups to fail. And it will change the optimal way based on the data generated by users going through the system, constantly evolving. System will analyze the steps made by the startups, and adjust the framework if some steps are more likely to lead to success. And when someone fails because of taking certain sequence of steps, the system will register it. So that the next person starting will know that this is certainly not the way to do it.
It is tailor-made. It will consider geography, background, industry, and customize the journey for you.
What are you going to do next semester?
There’s a lot of work ahead. We will need to have the project further specified. We have to develop the startup guideline, program it and develop user interface. Morover, budgets, pricing and marketing have to be put in place. In the beginning, it will not have the extra features just yet. We will refer users to our partners that can offer these features. This way, we can start running users through the software immediately and gather the data.
What is your background?
I studied financial management in Czech Republic. Then I moved to Norway and got a BBA at Høyskolen i Buskerud and Masters in International Management at Høyskolen BI. I worked in sales, logistics, and now I work as a startup adviser. I work mostly with business models, economy and logistics.
Working as a startup adviser, I see our potential customers every day. I know the problems those people struggle with. They wonder how they can make their ideas happen, which steps to take, how to do marketing and other things.
This was the reason why I chose to work at Instant Startup when we had the voting after the first semester.
Why are you passionate about this project?
I felt the pain of our potential customers for at least 10 years myself. I was the first customer of Instant Startup: thinking and telling people that I would have loved to have my own business. But I didn’t have the idea, and I didn’t know how to get it. I imagined that ideas “grow on the trees”, and one day some would just fall right in front of my nose. It never happened. Until I joined Moonwalk, and found out I could start without having an idea, without spending all my money, without quitting my job.
I studied business, so I knew how to do what comes after innovation. It was the innovation part that I was missing. Instant Startup delivers that — how to make innovation happen. I’m working on it, and I’m also the first customer of it. That’s why I am so passionate about it.
I know that if Instant Startup can solve my problems, it can solve problems of many others that struggle with the same problems as I had in the past.
What happens if Instant Startup doesn’t get launched?
If we don’t do it, somebody else will. I’ve met people that said: “This is exactly what I thought of doing myself!”
A lot of people don’t start because they find reasons not to start. They say that they don’t have money, time, idea, or any knowledge. Most people don’t start companies, because they feel it’s really risky. I know — I was one of these people. When you have big bills and commitments, starting a company is a risky decision to make.
And when they start, a lot of them do the same mistakes repeatedly, losing their money and failing.
There is a lot of general information about startups on the Internet, but people don’t know which sources to trust. Entrepreneurs need always accessible tailored guidelines and feedback on their actions along the way. Growth incubators cannot deliver that. Instant Startup will provide the whole package.
How did Moonwalk experience help you?
In a big way.
There are two parts to it: it’s competence development and personal development.
I didn’t have any experience with innovation, I didn’t know exactly how to innovate. I was using common sense. That was one of the reasons why my boss was supportive of me starting in Moonwalk. Since I advise startups, it was important for me to improve myself in the innovation part in addition to the business part. And that’s what I learned.
There was a lot of time pressure, and a lot of discussions. People were challenging each other a lot. Everything was friendly, but there were a lot of heated arguments — and it is a good thing. It was important to realize that it’s for the best. It was important to realize how to communicate with people, even when you don’t agree with them. There were a lot of people with different backgrounds, different personalities and different working styles. Finding out how to deal with people efficiently, yet with respect and sensitivity, so that everybody can be used in the most right way, was a very valuable lesson to learn.
What would you tell someone who haven’t started in a Moonwalk Program?
If you want to learn how to start a business in a quickest way, without having the idea, much spare time or money, this is the perfect place to start. It doesn’t only teach you how to start your business, it gives you the power to create something together with others and solve big challenges. And together with a right group of people, you can actually make it happen.
Do you believe that Instant Startup can reinvent education? Do you want to become an owner in a portfolio of proven startups, including Instant Startup? They are now open for crowdfunding — to pilot run their concept in-market with a minimum viable team and with minimal viable investments. Read more here: https://launchpad.moonwalk.me/campaigns/moonwalk-learning-100-days-startup-pilots
