CurriQ

by xpjune on May 8, 2012
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Start-up Guide

This course is to share know-how I've got during making CurriQ. (Before making CurriQ, I've experienced a failure once.) I hope this course may help who are interested in online start-up management.
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  1. Step 1 Online research
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    Though information gathering is not the main job of entrepreneur, you should not be behind the new trend at least. In these days you may catch-up hot news easily with twitter.

    I recommend you to follow these twitter accounts:
    @techcrunch @mashable, @rww, @radar, @GuyKawasaki

    Ted talk also give us insights: http://www.ted.com/

    How to Google http://curriq.com/course/102
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  2. Step 2 Evaluate your entrepreneurship and personality
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    Why not to do a start-up: http://goo.gl/FbNZ

    14 Ways To Be A Great Startup CEO http://goo.gl/BZIUq

    I strongly recommend you to read all these books:
    - Getting real http://gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php
    - Reality check http://goo.gl/CbN58
    - Rework http://goo.gl/P1Qyj
    - Lean startup http://goo.gl/L6IRB
    - Founders at work http://goo.gl/De7Gn

    If you are not familiar with coding, visit code academy:
    http://www.codecademy.com/
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  3. Step 3 Meet 30 developers
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    Meet more than 30 developers. Each developers had better be engaged in different areas. Each developer may have different experience, skills and working habits. If you meet more than 30 developers, you'll be able to meet and find out suitable developers later. You can be familiar with developer's culture also.

    You don't have to have your own business item now. It's even better to meet developers without business item. (You may find the item during meeting many smart people.)

    Men or women with their own business item usually have a strong sense of purpose. They have great passion to take tough challenges such as doing start-up. But sometimes their passion make them impatient and stubborn. These kind of stubbornness may make other people (especially developers) little bit uncomfortable.

    You already have your own business item? It'll be changed very much. You think you and your item is too great to be changed? Oh, hell, no!! Be confident but don't be childish!

    Find developers networks and communities. If you are student, visit programming circles. There are many online communities also. for example,

    GTUG http://www.gtugs.org/
    Python Developers Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2249498416/
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  4. Step 4 Meet 10 designers
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    Meet more than 10 designers. The reason why you should meet more than 10 designers are similar to meet more than 30 developers. Search online communities, visit UI/UX conferences. The design is as important as the developing. Even though product or service has great functions but poor design, customers certainly do not use them!

    Designers network dribble: http://dribbble.com/

    Startups, this is how design works: http://startupsthisishowdesignworks.com//
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  5. Step 5 Have Clear and Great Vision
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    Usually startups do not have clear and vision or just have vague vision.

    You Must Read 'Grow' http://goo.gl/YZ7EU

    After reading it, you'll know why the vision is really important.

    You should have clear and great vision to achieve.

    Then find the right problem to solve.
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  6. Step 6 Creating business ideas and topic
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    The startup should do 'the Little Big Thing'! http://goo.gl/o61mt
    You should find the 'little, big and clear' problem to solve to achieve the 'vision'.
    http://business901.com/blog1/using-little-ideas-to-achieve-big-things/

    Creating Business Ideas, Finding Business Opportunities http://goo.gl/wMK7s

    How to make money online http://goo.gl/dIZ8T

    Springwise introduce brand-new services http://www.springwise.com/

    To draw a draft or sketch, Mock-up tool is more useful than presentation tool such as PowerPoint. Balsamiq mock-up is the most famous one. http://www.balsamiq.com/
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  7. Step 7 Build a startup team
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    Many investors say that they focus on the team more than business item.

    The hiring is most important thing! because start-up do not have enough time and resources to train workers. Great developer's performance is 10~100 times bigger than others. But their wage is 2~10 times much.

    Smart and Gets Things Done http://goo.gl/q7fMo

    Complementary Skills for Management Teams http://goo.gl/ELcBR

    The designers had better join software startup from the beginning.
    http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/01/why-designers-should-join-software-startups/

    Sometimes big company buy a small company just to hire. http://goo.gl/LuUs
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  8. Step 8 Learn agile software development
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    Have your item and team? Then you should start developing! But before start developing, why don't you learn about agile SW development? Even though you do not adopt agile practice in your project, you may get useful insight by learning agile methodology.

    Manifesto for Agile Software Development http://www.agilemanifesto.org/

    Practices of an Agile Developer http://goo.gl/Sc0Bo

    User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development http://goo.gl/Ld55Q

    Scrum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrum_(development)

    Scrum in 5 minutes http://goo.gl/AtOcH

    The chicken and pig fable http://goo.gl/TFpb

    Agile Software Development with Scrum http://goo.gl/nK5Nt
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  9. Step 9 Learn about trademark and patent
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    Filing trademark is very important!

    Filing patent is not bad. But if not necessary, you don't have to.

    Filing administration is quite complicated.

    I recommend you to ask attorney when you file trademark or patent.

    Basic Requirements of the patent http://goo.gl/kAaUr

    Elements of a Patent http://goo.gl/S1oXc
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  10. Step 10 Attract investment
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    How to Write a Business Plan http://goo.gl/OQbz5

    Writing a business plan http://www.sequoiacap.com/ideas

    How To Create An Early-Stage Pitch Deck For Investors http://goo.gl/3Seia

    How to Raise Start-Up Capital http://goo.gl/YYy8t
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