How to found a startup and not break your own life. How to create your own startup, promote and develop it? Lecture on how to start your startup

It is unlikely that any of the modern people at least once did not think about starting their own business, but not everyone succeeds. Why, with the same investment of effort, material resources and time, some people's business develops, while others subside literally immediately. Perhaps the question is how to find an idea for a startup. And ideas are usually all around us, you just have to look around and observe a little.

The goal is to make quality and not like others

And you need to watch the discontent among the masses, the criticism of the offered goods and services, the suggestions and reasoning of people on the topic "If only I could ...". This is often the answer to the question of how to come up with an idea for a startup. It will be enough to do everything possible to satisfy the desires of the "critics". To do well, qualitatively, so that people seek help and are happy to pay for the services provided.

Freedom to be creative!

Interesting ideas for a startup are a prerequisite for the implementation of the project. To offer the client a completely new product, service, an unusual solution to the problem - this is the essence of such an undertaking.

Creativity and innovation are the main differences between a startup and ordinary entrepreneurship. These can be already existing technologies that have proven themselves in terms of making a profit, to which any fundamentally new approach has been applied. Opening a casual tailoring shop, for example, may not attract much attention, but opening a pet tailoring shop where you can get advice from an experienced designer will certainly make you talk about yourself and attract visitors.

New or well-forgotten old

They can be used both for creating a new target audience and for positioning on the other, new side of a product that is already familiar to everyone. Yes, a startup and an existing stable business are fundamentally different things. But any start-up business with innovative ideas is already a startup.

Having decided on the search for ideas, you can think about other criteria that will help you make a successful start.

Team spirit

First of all, you need to find a good team. It is better not to develop ideas alone, but to try to attract like-minded people who are ready to promote the project for the sake of implementing ideas, and not just because of earnings. All concepts, strategies are better born in disputes. It is easier to work in a team if everyone performs the role assigned to him well and on time, realizing the responsibility for the success of the entire team.

Who really needs it

It is important to pay attention to which the new project will be implemented, especially if any ideas are borrowed from someone else's experience.

It is clear that ideas for a startup in a small town may differ from those that were implemented in a metropolis. It is unlikely that in a town with a population of 30 thousand, the opening of a photo gallery or a “Self-improvement school for those who are over ...” will enjoy long-term popularity, since the rhythm of life and the interests of people may differ somewhat from the views of residents, for example, the capital. On the other hand, the opening of some “Amateur Art House” may be in demand, where people in their free time from work or classes would develop their creative abilities, which is often so lacking in small towns. Profit in this business can be received both from payment for the classes, and from participation in various corporate parties, concerts, competitions.

To organize a successful business, the main thing is to choose the right ideas for a startup, take into account the needs of the target audience and your capabilities.

Consider differences in turnover

Before you open, you need to understand that due to the small number of customers, the payback period for your business can be much longer than in big cities, and the turnover will not be so large. But this is a chance not to work "for an uncle", but to earn money and build your own life, while doing what you really like.

Such ideas for a startup without investments will be useful to anyone

If you want to start a business without money from scratch, then first of all you need to determine the areas in which this is possible:

• provision of various kinds of services;
• sale of goods of different groups;
• information;
• partnership business;
• own production.

Services, useful products and necessary information - win-win

1. Services. In the case when you know how to do something well or even better than others, you provide your services to the relevant market and earn your first money, and then expand your business by attracting new employees or start another one with the money you earn.

In almost 90% of cases, money can be successfully started only on services! Everything here is quite logical and simple. You earn by using your knowledge and skills.

2. Sell goods, acting as an intermediary. You can choose this direction only if you really know how to sell well, if you know where to buy as cheaply as possible, if you know how to find a client at a higher price. You keep the difference from the sale, and with this money earned in this way, you can already afford, if necessary, to buy goods and expand.

3. If you have useful and unique knowledge that can really be useful to many (quite ideal if you have already been contacted for your knowledge and you are sure that they will be in demand). You need to actively claim your knowledge and sell it to others.

4. Become a partner with your employer. You have been working in the company for a long time, you have proven yourself well and have knowledge or skills that can give this company significant growth and development, allow you to save money on something, etc.

- excellent profit with minimal investment

Residents of small towns and especially the private sector almost always have, even if small, their own farm (chickens, ducks, cattle) and plots for growing vegetables and fruits. What's not a startup? Anyone can simply sell, for example, apples on the market, but not everyone can do it so that they buy it from him, and even advise friends. You can earn in this direction all year round, but even if the investments are minimal, you will need to work hard. But everyone knows that free cheese is only in a mousetrap.

How to find suitable startup ideas?

Having decided that your own business is exactly what you need, you should not immediately rush into the maelstrom of business. It often happens that even people who are confident in their idea and have good experience in their own production simply abandoned what they started and began to implement a cardinally opposite idea that had been started earlier. And what is most surprising - they all turned out perfectly! Successful people do not skimp on giving advice to beginners. We have tried to collect the best of them.

1. In order to understand what people need, you need to find and clearly identify the problem, and even better, if you or your loved ones have a problem. You need to make sure that the problem really exists and it is not far-fetched, and also that it is really needed and ready to pay for its solution. It can be, for example, a developing group for children or some kind of interest group.
2. Copy and improve what already exists. See what you can bring to an already finished idea that has paid for itself many times, but just do it in your own and unique way.
3. Communicate with smart people, participate in forums, seminars. Develop, and ideas for a startup will be born in your head! This is one of the key conditions. Those who are trying to calculate profit and create the most profitable business idea, of course, can also achieve their goal, but this is no longer a startup, but a business (we discussed the differences above). Do not focus on income and they will find you.
4. Think of old ideas that are already forgotten, but at one time brought income. Perhaps it is you who will find options for applying this knowledge at this time.
5. Do what you like, what you are good at. Often a hobby turns into a profitable business, and the question of how to come up with an idea for a startup will be solved on its own. Cases where a hobby code also brings quite tangible profits are not so rare. Just remember, you need to appreciate your work, especially when it comes to needlework.

Real-life examples of successful ideas that have paid off

The young man was well versed in plumbing. Friends contacted him many times. He realized that it was possible to make money on this, and began to provide plumbing services. Notice, absolutely without investing money, he just did his job very well and with high quality, received more and more orders and began to earn decent money. Now he opened a plumbing store and has a pretty decent turnover.

Sandwriting is a real-time Internet service. It allows you to order an unusual gift - an inscription on the sand, which can be made on any beach in the world specified by the customer.

"Super Pot" - the idea is very simple to implement, its essence is to cook a dish at home, then you post a photo of your creation on the site, set a price, indicate a place where this creation can be tried, and wait for brave and hungry customers who ready for culinary experiments.

"I didn't like him anyway." The essence of the project is that a trading platform is provided. But trade here will not be ordinary goods, but gifts made by former lovers. In addition, this site also acts as a psychological office, since here you can talk out and tell about what a bad person this former was.

Such ideas for a startup without a budget and special investments were not initially considered as a way to earn money. Only after a while, and in most cases unexpectedly for their innovators, did they begin to make a profit. Perhaps this is the main secret of startup success.

The best startup ideas are waiting for their time in the head of every person. Reading about the success of others, we often think about what we could have done better ... Why didn't we? Dare!!! Everything is in your hands, but just do not forget to use our tips.

Any ideas require preliminary preparation. If this is a start from scratch, the question arises - where to get the money for the business. Perhaps the idea will be based on traditional solutions, it is somewhat simpler in terms of the ability to take into account all the risks. There is someone else's experience, the path is paved, and the probability of success and quick profits is high. If the decision is made to organize your startup, then here, as in a roller coaster. Ups and downs are inevitable, although the end result and benefits may exceed all expectations.

And so that your path is not so unexpected, and the turns are not so steep, first we will figure out what a startup company is.

What is a startup

The term gets its name from a small "start up" company that managed to become one of the brands we know, Hewlett-Packard, or HP. This term gained great popularity during the creation of the first large Internet companies. Vivid examples of successful startups are Youtube video hosting, the electronic encyclopedia - Wikipedia, social networks, as well as some IT corporations.

In addition to major market players, there are many other projects that have only recently begun their development. Some have started on crowdfunding platforms, the most famous of which is kickstarter. There are even incredible examples when, for fun, a person placed an offer to raise money to buy pizza and received thousands of dollars. Under such market conditions, really worthwhile projects are simply doomed to success. The main thing is the implementation plan, the ability to visualize the idea and show its value to the investor. As a rule, they are the ones who draw promising projects, ordinary users can support your idea only with very good promotion (reddit for help).

At the heart of a start-up company that has just established itself on the path of business, there is always a new idea or technology. Initial costs go to the development, testing, implementation and marketing of innovations. And it doesn't have to be just money. If a company is formed by enthusiasts (or one innovator-inventor), then it is more likely that we will talk about intellectual investments, human resources.

An extremely important point - do not forget about marketing, even after the start. You always need to promote an idea, a vivid example is the iPhone. We advise you to watch the first presentations of the smartphone, the basics of marketing for information solutions remain the same.

If the idea or new technology turns out to be viable, profitable, then such a startup can be sold profitably. Or leave it as a brand, a new, profitable and promising project. Here are the main features of a startup:

1. Always an innovative or underestimated idea.
2. Investors. They are needed at the beginning of the path, when there is still no concrete material result. That is, money is invested in the idea.
3. The number of transactions and reputational successes are not significant enough to predict future activity with confidence.
4. There is a development plan, ambition and calculations.
5. Enthusiasm.
6. As a rule, non-standard organization and methods of managing the processes of the company's activities are used.

What are the types of startups

Startups can be divided according to several criteria. For example, depending on the characteristics of the product and the sales market, the following classification of startups is distinguished:

• Copies of other successful projects. This includes numerous domestic projects, which are copies of foreign startups. The most popular are social networks: Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki, etc.
• Entrance to an already occupied niche. As a rule, the introduction of a product can be realized at the expense of a price advantage and more favorable marketing conditions.
• A dark horse. For the most part, innovative projects, the prospects of which are difficult to predict due to the lack of alternatives. On the one hand, this is a big risk for the creators of the project, and on the other hand, it is an opportunity to get high profits in case of success.

Another classification of startups is the degree of knowledge intensity. Depending on it, traditional startups and projects based on high-tech technologies are distinguished. The former are formed on the basis of easy-to-implement ideas, while the latter use advanced features that require appropriate funding.

Where to get money for the project

Your project must be placed on the relevant sites and startup exchanges. Such Internet platforms serve as a link between a potential investor and a startup. During lectures and trainings in coworking clubs, there is also an opportunity to present your ideas. There is always a diverse business community here. Among which there can be found both assistants in the implementation of the idea, the necessary specialists and professionals, and investors for the project.

One of the most popular means of funding startups is crowdfunding. The choice of the optimal site and the correct construction of a campaign to attract investments is a key feature of the development of the project at the initial stage. To achieve the greatest efficiency and enter the crowdfunding platform, you need to correctly draw up a project plan, in which the following points must be taken into account:

• Target.
• Audience. Determine who will be interested in your ideas, who will be interested in financing your project. A good option is to do research on independent forums.
• General estimate. Before entering the crowdfunding site, determine how much funding the project will require. Usually they use this formula: Total amount - the amount for the implementation of the project + related + administrative expenses + the amount that may be required to solve unforeseen tasks.
• Media planning. After launching the project, create a database along with Internet resources that will contribute to the development and promotion of the project.
• Prototype. If your startup is a technological solution, then it is desirable to have a mockup of the final product. Investors will be more willing to agree with you if you show them preliminary results and, on their basis, ask for money for the final goal.
• Promo clip. A video review will interest sponsors and will attract more investment. It can be specific about how the prototype works and the end goals of your project.
• Reward. A very important point when raising funds on the crowdfunding platform. In order for sponsors to support your project, they must benefit from it. Optimally - the finished product.

To receive dividends from crowdfunding, promotion and work on the site must be given full time. Get ready to work overtime.

Stages of startup development

Everyone who organizes their startup goes through several stages:

Sowing. The preliminary stage at which ways to implement the idea are sought. Market analysis is carried out, a business plan is drawn up. Also at this stage, the creation of a product layout, tests, surveys and searches for sources of funding. In fact, this is the main stage at which most of the unsuccessful and improperly organized startups are eliminated.

launch. This stage comes after the sponsor is found. Now the project can be launched on the general market. At this stage, a direct fight with competitors begins, so it is necessary to demonstrate business acumen and use creative thinking.

Development. An intermediate stage in which there is a gradual, pragmatic growth of the project. It's time to break even and start making money with your sponsor.

Extension. This stage occurs immediately after achieving the goals that were originally laid down in the business plan. At this stage, the project becomes recognizable, its position in the market is no longer threatened. Now you can develop the project in new markets, look for new outlets and audience.

Final stage or exit. This stage is characterized by reaching the peak of the project development, when sponsors give up their share in this business, selling it to larger players. In rare cases, investors retain a stake in the project and later use it as a source of passive income.

Startups based on American and European models

Domestic startups differ from foreign analogue projects. There are not so many innovative ideas, but “successful copies” are the most popular, a striking example is the social network Vkontakte, copied from another social network - Facebook.

As you know, the main center of IT business is located in the USA, in the state of California. European clusters began to form around large technology companies such as Nokia and Skype. A large number of investors contributed to the fact that London has become the largest European IT capital. Over time, Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich and Berlin joined him. Features of startups made according to the European model, and their difference from the USA:

• For European funds, distribution between several centers of concentration is typical. The 100 mile rule states that investors are willing to invest in companies that are within 100 miles of their office.
• heterogeneous environment. Europe has 8 language groups and more than thirty jurisdictions. The states have only one language and one mentality, which makes it easier to adapt the project to the audience.
• Conservative attitude towards bankruptcy. If the company failed the project, then investors are unlikely to cooperate with it. In the States, the opposite is true, companies give a second chance.
• The average age of entrepreneurs in Europe ranges from 30 years. In the United States, the rule is: the sooner the better, so the first startups are developed while still a student.
• Pragmatic approach. Europeans tend to test the business plan, earn income and only after that attract investments for the project. In the United States, they initially strive to make a large project a reality, and only then attract monetization and traffic.

Many novice startupers try to create their startup according to some general scheme, a general rule. There is no single rule, as well as a single way to create a startup, and cannot be. Each successful and unsuccessful startup had and will have its own nuances of creation and development, its own mistakes. Everyone should create their own startup in their own way. But there are some general steps and rules in creating startups.

Introduction.

Currently, the interest of businessmen and investors in startups continues to grow. Everyone counts on success, despite the fact that, as statistics show, only no more than 10% of all start-up startups get decent development.

Today, a huge number of people are worn with new technologies. At least they consider them new, highly demanded and promising. Some are trying to create their own startup to implement their idea, but do not know how to approach it.

How to self-assess the prospects. In this article I will try to give some advice on how to start building your startup, how to start implementing your idea.

Create your own startup - where to start.

Many believe that the creation of a startup begins with the idea of ​​a new product, new technology, new service. It seems to me that the creation of a startup begins much earlier. Only a person who is prepared, competent, educated can create his own startup. This is how the entire world experience of creating startups shows.

And in this way, a startup is significantly different from Opening your own small shop or bike rental (examples are completely arbitrary) can be done by almost everyone. This does not require special literacy. An illiterate person will not be able to create his own startup.

So my first and perhaps most important tip is:

Become an expert in your chosen field.

Just a competent specialist. Most modern startups are built in the field of high technologies, in special areas - electronics, medicine, programming, biology. They just don't come there with their ideas from the street. In order to become a specialist, it is necessary, first of all, to get an education.

And then work in specialized companies and learn from leading experts, building up the knowledge base necessary in the future. And do not forget to generate new ideas in the chosen direction.

This is how you can become a specialist, enter the market with your ideas, attract investors, build your own startup. Investing in yourself, in your education is the most profitable type of investment.

Gather a team of like-minded people around you.

A lot of startups were started by young people from their student years. Today it is very difficult to create your own startup alone. Most of today's successful startups are created by groups of like-minded people. Therefore, when thinking about a startup, you should focus primarily on people, and not on a product, technology or money.

Gathering a team of like-minded people is not easy. And it is best to do this as a student or at the enterprise where you work. Well, with a team, you can generate ideas and implement them much more successfully.

Communicate and discuss ideas with professionals of different specialties.

It's great if the future startupper is a specialist in various fields, for example, in electronics, programming, medicine, biology, economics, etc. But this, of course, is a utopia. Such ingenious diverse specialists simply do not exist. But it is at the junction of various areas of science and technology that a lot of prospects for new ideas open up.

Therefore, the communication of specialists from different areas is very useful, promising and more than once gave birth to a lot of new products.

Create your startup to solve personal problems.

This refers to problems that prevent people from living comfortably. Look closely at what prevents you from living, working or relaxing, and fix what you lack for this. It often happens that many people face certain problems and difficulties. Pay attention to problems that you can't find solutions for. Perhaps there are ideas for startups there.

I'll give you an example. A real misfortune forced a professor from Tel Aviv University to create his own startup, and then the ReWalk company. He had an accident and was unable to walk after it. The man rode in a wheelchair for two years, after which he invented the exoskeleton. Today, ReWalk products are sold in the US, Europe and Israel, helping injured people walk again.

Learn to take responsibility.

Thinking about a startup, you need to understand that at the first stages, almost everything connected with it will have to be done by yourself. As they say, you have to work with both your head and hands. To promote ideas, look for an investor, create samples and even clean the premises. No kind uncle will come and do the work for you.

You may have to work for days with short breaks. No wonder many startups say that the slogan "Die but do" was the most important thing in their lives.

Stages of creation and development of a startup.

As I wrote above, there is no single way to create and develop a startup. But there are certain stages that, as a rule, most successful startups go through. There are usually five or six such stages (depending on the details) and they cover the entire period of the startup's existence - from finding and testing an idea to turning a startup into a large company. Let's dwell on them briefly.

First stage -"sowing" (Seed).

In my opinion, the main stage at which most of the unsuccessful and improperly organized and unclaimed startups are eliminated. At this stage, almost the formation of a startup takes place.

Stage "sowing" can be divided into several sub-stages. Some authors distinguish them into separate stages, which is not entirely true, because. but they are executed in parallel at the same time.

1) Presowing ( Pre — seed ). Search and formation of a clear idea among the founders of a startup, elaboration of the market need for the product of this idea, elaboration of technical ways to implement the idea. The result of this sub-stage should be a market research, a business plan and a generated terms of reference for the product.

2) Create a mockup or sample product . A mockup or prototype of the product is being created. It is tested and refined, the price of the product is adjusted. The market is being checked, demand is being studied. The search for investors begins.

3) Refinement of the layout or sample of the product. The layout is being finalized. Or a new sample is created that is fully consistent with the proposed idea. The sample has a fully functional status and can be presented to both investors and consumers.

4) Search for an investor. The search for an investor or sources of further financing ends. The main indicator of the success of a new idea is the willingness of investors to invest in its development. Contracts are signed with investors.

At this stage, the "sowing" ends. And for many (most) startups that have not found an investor, their activities cease and the project fades. Well, the startups that successfully passed this stage and found an investor go further.

The second stage is the launchstartup stage).

After the product is tested and an investor is found, you can start producing it and enter the market. The competition begins. It is at this stage that both the startup and the product are most at risk. The product must show its advantage over existing ones and be liked by the consumer. If the consumer remains indifferent to the product, the startup story may end there.

The third stage is "growth" (Growth stage).

After the idea and its product have survived in the competition, the product has found its consumer and is in demand, it is necessary to increase its output. You should pass the break-even point as soon as possible, start making a profit, start paying back the funds invested in the project.

The fourth stage - "Expansion" (Expansion stage).

The goals set by the startup developers have been achieved. The product is in demand and successfully sold, the brand becomes recognizable. A stable high income allows you to conquer new markets and develop the company.

Fifth stage - "exit" (exit stage).

At this stage, developers and investors decide what to do next. There are many further paths. For example, continue to develop your company, capturing new markets. Or sell it completely to larger companies.

Often, investors who have financed a project sell their shares to other companies, while making a good profit.

I gave all the stages of startup development. But it is not necessary for a successful startup to go through all the stages of its development. Very often, a good startup is bought by large market players at an early stage, and then they themselves promote the product.

Conclusion.

New markets and new products are constantly emerging. It is even difficult for the average consumer to keep track of them. For example, mobile communications or computer technology. A person does not have time to purchase a new model, and after a year it is already outdated.

Mass products from large companies today create many opportunities to express themselves in various directions.

And for observant, competent, enterprising people, they allow you to create your own startup.

As practice shows, one of the difficult stages in the “Venture Accelerator” is the step with creating an idea for a startup. Indeed, what else to think of when it seems that everything has already been invented before you? However, the process of coming up with new business ideas is a skill that needs to be trained. In the new video of our “Knowledge Base”, we tell you how to learn to see and generate cool ideas for your startups.

First, let's figure out why you need a startup idea?

Complete a training course

Choose a line of business

Start a Startup and Become an Entrepreneur

This requires a startup idea that will grow into a business in the future that will benefit your customers and profit you as the founder.

What is a “startup idea”?

A startup idea is an idea that can be used to build a new company or a new line of business within an existing company.

Who comes up with the idea?

The idea is usually thought up by the founder or founders, you cannot trust this important work to people who will no longer be involved in the project. Based on your talents and interests. Stick to what you enjoy doing.

When do you need to come up with an idea and start your own business?

The ideal time comes exactly when you have the desire to do business and, at the same time, there are resources in the form of time, energy and knowledge. If you are watching this video, then it's time to come up with an idea and start bringing it to life. Creating a startup is a series of successful and unsuccessful attempts at implementation. So the sooner you start your business, the more likely you are to succeed.

For example:

There are many such stories. The next story could be yours.

How to come up with an idea?

1. Imperfections around.

when you live your normal life, you face certain problems. For example, they came to the grocery store, and there is a huge line. You face similar problems every day. Try to notice them and try to find a solution. For example, a solution to a queue problem could be a home delivery service.

One more example. Once upon a time, high-mounted outlets and a short smartphone charging cord led to the emergence of a simple, yet convenient device for charging mobile phones.

Communicate more with different people. Pay attention when you cannot find a ready-made solution for something.

2. Talent or hobby.

if you have some talent or hobby, it can be turned into a business. Think about what you are good at. What can you teach others? Or how can you improve the process of doing what you love?

For example, Ainur Abdulnasyrov was fond of learning English from childhood and used various methodologies in teaching. When he entered the university, he began to teach English. Then he hired teachers and opened a language school called the Native Speakers Club. He sold it and founded LinguaLeo.com, which now has more than 19 million users. Those. A man turned his hobby into a business. This is the best way to generate an idea, as you will be doing what you love, doing it for free, but making good money at the same time.

3. Something fundamentally new.

How many ideas do you need to come up with?

In order to start, one idea is enough, to the implementation of which you should direct your efforts. If it is not possible to implement it in the allotted time, then you can return to the search for new ideas.

It must be remembered that there are no bad ideas. Success depends on the desire and diligence of the one who invented it. Also, don't think that your idea is not unique. There are few unique ideas, many ideas were tried to be implemented many years ago, and only today they are becoming mass, like, for example, electric scooters.

There are various implementation options. Any startup idea you have can turn into a successful company.

The last thing you want to do after an 8 hour day is work on your startup. But if you don't do this, if you don't open your own, you'll end up in an endless loop of working for someone else. And you will be forced to adapt to corporate rules, climb the career ladder and rush to the office every morning by 9:00.

How to wake up at 5 am

I decided to get up at 5 am and work on my startup before the juice-sucking work day at the office begins. I decided to be an early riser, but found that my morning zombie brain cleverly deceives me and overcomes all obstacles, just to get some more sleep. In those happy days, when I managed to get out of bed, I just sat and stared at one point.

Performance blogs make things seem easy, they constantly bombard you with examples of the amazing feats that mythical people accomplish in the morning: 8 Things Every Person Should Do Before 8 AM, 7 Things Early Birds Do Differently, Why You Wake Up Early »... Reading about the achievements of these superheroes, who manage to save the world a couple of times before 8 in the morning, you feel guilty for overslept again. Are they people at all?

For example, Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter and Square, gets up at 5:30, meditates, runs 9.5 km, and then works about 8 hours on Twitter and Square.

The truth is, waking up at 5am is hell. Morning you are the enemy of your undertakings. This is your second person, who sneakily turns off the alarm before important morning meetings and constantly presses the “Snooze” button on it so that you miss the train. You cannot trust the morning demon, but you can overcome it by changing the usual pattern of getting up in the morning.

Find an alarm clock that's smarter than you

I don’t know where this tradition came from - jumping up to the deafening ringing of an alarm clock, but for some reason we are quite satisfied with this daily shock therapy. Instead of being voluntarily attacked by a wildly blaring alarm clock every morning, find one that wakes you up gradually and gently. Slow awakening allows your body to accept the fact that you are waking up. And when your brain really wakes up, you will no longer have an obsessive desire to crack the hated squeaker.

You can use an alarm clock that brews coffee at the appointed time and wakes you up with aroma. Or an alarm clock that glows softly, simulating sunrise. It seems to the body that the sun is rising, and it is easier to wake up.

Or try a smart alarm clock on a fitness band. It will wake you up with a vibration on your wrist during your REM sleep cycle, but it won't disturb your partner and they won't want to kill you for getting up early. By the way, a cat, a dog or a child, who at 5 in the morning can decide to walk on your face, also helps to wake up.

Personally, I use the Warmly app along with the default alarm clock on my smartphone. Warmly slowly wakes me up with 5 minutes of bird chirping, and finally I wake up to the vibrating sound of Yo-Yo Ma's cello. Outsmart the morning demon by starting with an alarm clock.

Set up a long distance relationship with an alarm clock

Developing good habits is not rocket science, it can be learned quickly. A simple strategy for acquiring good habits and breaking bad ones is to establish affordances.

In design, we create affordances when we want the user to take some action. In this way, the desired behavior is rewarded (it becomes easier for the user) and an obstacle is put in place for unwanted behavior (these actions are difficult to perform).

If you need to develop the habit of not turning off the alarm in the morning, create many obstacles to turning it off. Set a few alarms, download to your smartphone, which does not stop ringing until you solve the puzzle, put the phone in a jar and close it. I want to fall asleep in an embrace with a smartphone, and when I wake up, look at social networks. But if I decide to get up early, I'll have to put it away.

Force yourself to drink coffee

Those who survived the fight with the pillow, broke away from it, and even seemed to wake up, another problem awaits: you want to go back to sleep. You are still so young, there is a lot of time ahead, so why not get up early tomorrow? Oh, I hear that voice every day, tempting me to go back to bed. The morning me is a terrible type. So let's kick it.

You can prepare coffee the way you normally would. Get up, throw coffee into the coffee maker or put the kettle on to brew instant coffee. But be prepared for the fact that your morning monster will not let you reach the kitchen. His goal is to get you back to bed with all his might, and he will ignore your attempts to get to the invigorating drink.

Coffee needs to be integrated into your awakening process. The goal is to make the alarm switch the habit of drinking coffee. The alarm clock is ringing - you are drinking coffee. Experiment with automating the beverage preparation process.

Initially, I tried to start brewing coffee on the alarm clock. But I didn't get to the kitchen. Then I tried to make coffee at night and put it on the desktop. But I didn't get to the table. I eventually started putting a cup of coffee on my smartphone. That is, to turn off the alarm, I had to remove the cup. And when the coffee is already in your hand, not drinking it is completely weak-willed. Make 5am the start of your working day, drink coffee and build your startup.

By the way, here's another easy way to learn how to get up earlier: Twitter will help you. With help, schedule a tweet like this in the morning: “I want to get up at 5 am. If you see this tweet and reply to it within 5 minutes, I will send you 100 rubles.” Schedule a tweet at 5:15. You will have 15 minutes to get up and cancel it, otherwise you will have to pay off the nimble lucky ones.

Procrastinate to wake up

Still not awake? A little won't hurt anyone. And ignore all the self-taught productivity tips on the internet.

I spend an absurd amount of time looking at funny cats on Reddit, Imgur and 9GAG. Again and again I refresh the pages, hoping to see something new there. Although I know that nothing new has appeared there.

Looking at funny pictures before going to bed, you earn insomnia, looking at them in the morning helps you wake up.

If the first thing in the morning you will look at the screen of your smartphone or computer, it will really help to wake up. The blue glow of LED screens affects the melanopsin photopigment, which leads to the suppression of melatonin production, and as a result, we lose the feeling of drowsiness.

If you can't jump right into your startup in the morning, spend some time playing on your smartphone or computer until your morning demons subside.

How to create your startup

Break the project into several microprojects

And so I defeated myself and stood up. And I don't want to start the day by fixing a server bug. I'm dumb in the morning. And the difficult task is an additional incentive to climb back into the crib.

Do you know why all these do not work? 88% of people do not achieve them, because it is unrealistic to raise the bar. “I want to defeat world hunger”, “I will pump up the press cubes” (although I have never been to the gym since school days). This is not the Miss Universe pageant, why splurge?

The Art of Manliness magazine explores how microhabits build into one big change. The goal is not to do a big piece of work in the morning for the benefit of a startup, but to at least start doing something. Once you start your engine, it will be easier for you to move on to more serious business.

If you want to get into the habit of flossing, start flossing just one tooth. Just one tooth is your goal for the day. Cleaned up - cross the case off the list. But here's the trick: once this micro-habit comes into play, it's going to be hard for you not to finish the job.

Break your project down into microsteps that you can take in the morning half asleep. Develop the application by adding one line of code per day. Write a blog post one paragraph at a time. Add one sketch per day to your portfolio. You're more likely to build yours by adding a little each day, rather than trying to set aside a full day for it. And as soon as you are close to opening a startup, you will not want to sleep in the morning.

Build a Lean Startup

It's hard to believe, but at first no one really understands how the project should turn out. Even the current monsters have spent a lot of time to find the ground under their feet. Airbnb survived by selling Obama O's and Cap'n McCain's cereal with political leaders painted on the packaging. Slack grew out of a failed Glitch game. Even YouTube started out as a video dating service called Tune in Hook Up.

Micro-startups go well with the Lean Startup approach (read about it in Eric Ries' book Starting a Business). A micro-startup is easier to launch and provides a short feedback loop, allowing you to stay in touch with your audience. Considering that 75% of startups fail, would you rather sit in the basement for 100 days inventing something that the audience might like, or constantly contact users to tailor the project to their needs?

Always assume that you are wrong. Test all your ideas and guesses with micro-experiments.

When I founded Krown.io , I explained the functionality of the service like this: "Annotation blogging platform". And after a while I realized that most people have no idea what "annotative" means. We tried Smart Blogging, Highlight Blogging, Feedback Blogging, and Contextual Blogging Platform. And here's the surprise: people still didn't understand what we meant. Then we added under the heading the phrase "Select text and add a comment to the selected piece" ...

Test your hypotheses.

Submit your work

We all have an irrational fear that as soon as we submit our project, trolls from all over the world will unite to shower us with dislikes. The truth is, they don't care. There are so many things happening in the world every day that you have to try to be noticed. This is not an easy task, you really need to stand out with something.

If you can't even get up early and create your own, then why do you already care if the public likes it? It's like worrying that you might become a Harvard professor if you study too hard. If you have been struggling with your masterpiece for a long time, then presenting it to the public will finally help you get up earlier and finish it.

Keep a daily project log on the blog

The blog will be useful in any case for the subsequent promotion of the project. If, even before launch, you start recording what happens with your startup on a daily basis, then here's how it will help:

1. While I'm writing this post, I'm talking about the progress of my project. How to improve interaction with the audience? Should I ditch the WordPress comment system and switch to Disqus? What tasks can I automate? And have I lost my mind by starting my own business?
2. Niche blogging takes time and it takes at least 1,000 short articles to start getting organic traffic from Google. Daily entries in the project log will form the basis of the blog.

I run a TechMob blog on my Krown platform, it's located in the techmob.krown.io subdomain, so every post promotes my blogging platform.

Get ready to run a marathon

Around 7 am you will have to switch to your main job - 5 days a week for 8 hours. Of course, I would like to devote all my time to a startup, but, unfortunately, people are in a biological trap: we need to eat, drink and sleep with other people. Damn you, Darwin!

Be prudent. Don't put your whole life at stake in a poker game. Bet part of the assets in a game that may change your life, but keep working in the casino itself. It takes time to develop a startup, and you need something to eat.

Based on the barbell theory from Nassim Taleb's Antifragility, you should allocate 20% of your resources to high-risk, high-return activities (startups, bungee jumping) and 80% to low-risk activities: school , daily work, family meals. Get the best experience from both worlds. Run a startup as a side activity, make sure your hypotheses are correct, and then jump into the unknown.

Get up early and build your startup

Find an activity that matches your goals. If you're going to spend 8 hours doing a job you hate, spend at least one hour doing something you love. It is very strange to do the same thing every day and expect some new result. Don't let "reality" take you in the wrong direction. Face the odds that will change your life. Get up early and build your startup!