Tolis Aivalis, www.about.me/aivalis
Star-ups always ask me the same thing: I have a great idea, I need money! So how do you get ready to raise funds and try to pitch your startup in front of qualified investors? Let’s see:
You have an idea.
1. Google about it. Find out who else did/does a similar thing, learn from them (competition)
2. Think of how your idea, as a business, could be different: i.e. a better product, affordable revenue model, innovative distribution or marketing (value proposition)
3. Find a great team to help you set-up, grow, scale your idea into a business (your team/co-founders)
4. Think of when and how you will make money (revenue model)
5. Create a go to market (marketing) strategy of how you will reach visitors, how to make them users, how to convert them to customers (go to market)
6. Create your first working product or prototype: i.e. a usable working web site or app or whatever (your product)
7. Apply your go to market (marketing) strategy see if it works, if it does generate first small scale visitors, users (this is your proof of concept & traction)
8. See if you can already convert some of your users into paying customers by applying your business model (making money yeee)
Well done you have an actual business by now 🙂