Building Something out of Nothing

@edolopezCo-founder @icalialabs

A story on starting a company without 99% of knowledge and resources.

First of all...

Who am I?

● Technical background on the software industry.● Co-founder & CEO @icalialabs.● Co-founder & Advisor @codeandomexico.● Creator of the Socialware program.● Professor of CS at PrepaTEC CSC.● Worked at IBM, Infosys (India), startups, etc.

A product development and design firm focused on Web and Mobile consumer products.

Before...

* 2+ years operating.* 15+ team members.* 30+ built products.* 50% of current portfolio are US clients.

...a story on starting a company without 99% of knowledge and resources:

● How to literally start? Why are we starting this?● How to achieve objectives and vision constantly?● How to build culture and share it between team

members?● How to do sales in a proper way?● How to retain clients?● How to expand internationally? Why do we want that?● How to grow without investment?● How to maintain quality + good time2market +

affordable prices for our clients?

Being a first-time entrepreneur without money and without a huge network available is a struggle.

8 lessons learned from a true story and a struggle

1. Starting with almost nothing is hard but helps

to build long-term companies.

Reality

“The common rule of thumb is that of 10 start-ups, only three or four fail completely. Another three or four return the original investment, and one or two

produce substantial returns.”

The Wall Street Journay. The Venture Capital Secret: 3 Out of 4 Start-Ups Failhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443720204578004980476429190.html

● Starting with almost nothing means: No funding, no grants, no credits.

● You need to validate how and why you are adding value in this world.

● The way to sustain a company relies on value rather than funding.

● There’s no backup, so you will be trying to close new deals, partnerships, and growing based on real demands from the market.

● Remember: Sacrifice.

2. Focus of the founders is a key factor.

● Not all people founding a company are able to grow it.

● Be close to the team, guide with the example.

● You are everything but the boss. ● Focus in only one project. Putting efforts in

multiple projects doesn’t work.

3. Do the things right and with passion; people will

talk about you.

● Our first clients were people trusting us: Old jobs, friends, friends of friends.

● Word of mouth could be your biggest distribution channel.

● The more activities in your field you are involved outside your daily work, the more passion it is recognized.

4. There are certain things you can’t exclude

at all.

3 things

1. Accounting.2. Legal.3. Finances.

Recognize the value of their services. Recognize the value of operate legally.

5. Be humble and find a refugee.

Your Family

Advisors & Mentors

6. Shape your mission, achieve your vision.

● Attitude is one of the main reasons you can advance. For instance, US clients.

● Getting into new frontiers and achieving objectives is more about attitude than anything.

● You need to seek the opportunities.

7. The first 10 employees determine the culture of

the company.

Culture & Hiring

● The biggest asset in a technology (services) company is the people.

● Continuous Recruitment is a must: you need to find the best people always.

● Have a behavioral and core values interview. ● Periodically assessments & interviews, both

technical and cultural. ● It is better to have a strict procedure for

hiring rather than firing people. ● Retention relies on the culture you have.

A team, a family

8. Don’t forget about yourself.

Conclusion

You need to build a company once or be part of a small and risky project to really understand the path of

entrepreneurship.

Thanks :]Questions?

@edolopez - edolopez@icalialabs.comCo-founder @icalialabs