
Every company was once a single person with an idea - innovationanarc
https://innovationanarchy.com/heres-why-im-hopeful/#.Wj8HZd-nF3g
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pwaai
Every company was once a single person with an idea, as were every company
that never came to be. While it's humbling to think that these large companies
used to be just in the brains of a few individuals, it's so easy to not look
at the graveyard filled with individuals with the same idea but the stars
didn't align. When you focus where the light shines, you forget how dark the
room is.

~~~
simonebrunozzi
Success bias. Exactly what I thought :)

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ukulele
This is a nice motivational piece.

That said, I would have liked to see some acknowledgement that the original
idea is rarely the one that generates value. The "single person with an idea"
by itself places too much emphasis on the value of the idea versus the dogged
persistence and willingness to throw that idea out the window as needed.

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fuzzfactor
>the original idea is rarely the one that generates value

Roger. The individual with dogged persistence is where the value comes from.
More so from persistence of potentially rewarding ideas rather than pursuing
fickle sources of capital.

Nicely motivational and it looks like an advertisement to attract midwestern
entrepreneurs, too bad this particular group is not about to even consider an
individual or even a small team unless they have already attracted
overwhelming interest beforehand:

"iSelect identifies and invests in promising early-stage, private companies
with more than just an idea. Our companies have already raised at least
$250,000 through the “friends and family” round or received significant non-
dilutive financing through grants or other sources. The entrepreneurs we work
with are moving beyond concept to commercialization, but require more capital
for further development."

Then again they are not about to show interest unless the "single person with
an idea" has already attracted interest from even more elusive capitalists
whom they can ride the coattails of:

"iSelect does not lead transactions. We only co-invest alongside sophisticated
investors such as venture funds, reputable angel groups or family offices with
domain experience. Prospective companies must already have, or be in
discussions with, a sophisticated lead investor willing to set the price and
terms of the round."

Looks like they have the perfect formula to exclude individuals like Jobs,
Zuckerberg, Ford, or especially Edison unless the individual has already
gotten the momentum to devote more effort to fundraising than actual
development of their winning ideas.

Typical.

~~~
innovationanarc
Yes, it should all be so easy.

I manage iSelect. I too have to get money from others. Those investors have a
certain risk profile. iSelect works to find companies that fit their needs. We
close a gap with iSelect, not all gaps. We have funded many companies that
otherwise would not have been funded. Those companies are growing.

The gap between an idea and funding creates other challenges. Success comes
from execution and listening to customers, not an idea. It is not just about
funding.

I have spent a long part of my career working on the early stage gap.
Succeeding and failing. In time I will close that gap. If others wish to help,
please join the effort.

Thanks for your comments.

~~~
fuzzfactor
Good to see you here.

I did get the idea from this article exactly that you would like to have the
option to invest in promising individuals to enable one of their cherished
ideas to bloom from an almost blank page.

That's what made me look at your website, and was disappointed that the firm
as a whole can not realistically do that any more so than the average VC's.
You've got to have similar guidelines that avoid the extra risk that would
entail if you want to swim with the sharks without running out of air.

I expect you realize better than most that these limitations have kept your
group from getting in closer to the ground floor on some of the very companies
that you have successfully capitalized.

I guess to me I expect superior execution ability and customer satisfaction
technique to be part of a winning idea.

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NiklasMort
"When I started Reynholm Industries, I had just two things in my possession: a
dream and six million pounds."

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paulsutter
Usually it takes more than one person to come up with a good company.

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platz
And sometimes, but not always, a financial safety net or a boatload of
funding.

~~~
wiradikusuma
It doesn't hurt to have a few friends or relatives higher up.

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oliv__
OK, I came here actually wanting to read the article.

First thing that happens is a chatbot pops up wanting god knows what with an
annoying notification sound. I find its quasi-transparent X close button and
click it, only to have a huge popup show up literally a second later, asking
me to fill in my email for god knows what other reason.

I left the site. Fuck this.

~~~
innovationanarc
Sorry about that. I think it is now fixed.

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alexasmyths
Most companies were started because someone needed something fairly mundane
done.

Even most inspirational companies were started more or less along these lines.

Extremely few companies were started with a highly aspirational 'world
changing' premise. Even the most aspirational brands we recognized, early on -
they had no idea they would be as big as it they are.

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disnsj
...Or a Delaware corporation as a vehicle to avoid taxes ;)

