Bulldozer@ Skolkovo #8: 84 дня до Нового года / 84 days before the New Year

прочесть данное сообщение на русском: http://bit.ly/VA1gcv  (PDF document)

I am constantly asked by Russian and foreign journalists: ”Is Skolkovo buy definition a construction project of the Skolkovo village?”  … And as constantly I reply: ”Well, making a new physical Skolkovo district is one part of our agenda, but by its DNA, Skolkovo is not a construction project. It is more about coaching new generation of entrepreneurs, destroying both mental and physical barriers blocking new companies to succeed. In this work it is very relevant supporting new leaders and leadership. Skolkovo is about developing people.”

Typically this commentary is followed with a big question mark in the eyes of the journalist. Firstly, what does this mean? Is this possible in Russia? Does this Finnish guy (finsky kon) understand anything about realities?

Well, I believe that I start to understand something about Russia. And very frankly, I am day after day even more convinced about what I just stated about the focus of our program. These very same themes were also strongly highlighted by the prime minister Mr Medvedev and several other respected speakers in Sochi Forum just week ago (here more about this).  I feel that I am not alone with my view.

In Finland (where I am originally from), there are two holy milestones in annual calendar. There are days before the mid-summer festival (typically in 20^th of June) and then there are days before Christimas (24^th of December).  In Russia it seems that life and everything ends at New Year when also the budget year ends. That is why I wanted to specific we are planning to spend our last days (specifically 84 days).

Firstly, commercialization of our start-ups is the key target of all our teams. Out of some 3200 companies, we selected (so far) 670 companies who are today Skolkovo residents. Many start-ups have a tendency (and old habit and learning even from the schools) to pro-long the product creation phase and try to make product “ready” before even thinking actions of commercialization.  Well, in 99% of the cases this tactic is not optimum. To make great products and service you have to be as close with customers and best talents than possible. Deep insights and feedback about customer needs are not typically stored at the chambers of R&D geeks!

Secondly, also at Skolkovo, we need tomove our own brain capacity / people /resources to work only at the very frontline supporting our start-ups. To be even more specific we are implementing an account manager model across our foundation – in all industry clusters. The idea is to get our calendars to be filled with dialogue and interaction with our current and potential new start-ups joining to Skolkovo.
By definition, Skolkovo was never established to be governmental money distributor for companies, but an adviser for new start-ups.  To be better on this, we need less byrocracy and more interaction and faster learning.

Thirdly, we, as Skolkovo Foundation are taking very visible actions to find even more great, innovative entrepreneurs across Russian Federation.  Russia is not same as Moscow.  At the same time we want to diversify our company portfolio for get good non-Russian, also small and median size, companies to start their R&D activities in Russian Federation.  Our opportunities, rules and programs are 100% same for Russian and non-Russian entrepreneurs starting their R&D activities at Skolkovo!

Fourthly, we will establish and launch platforms (I call those short-cuts), to get our companies test their wings (meaning innovations, products, leadership teams, investment stories) in international arena.  Only in coming 84 days, we are getting more than 160 Skolkovo companies to join to several such events to feel the heat and global competition. The purpose is to LEARN from others and get really CONNECTED with other entrepreneur societies.   At the same time we are preparing concrete guidelines and support functions to give our residents easiest and the most cost effective way to start their foreign sales offices in USA, Europe and Asia.

… And fifthly, we will work much more closely with all other voluntary base organizations (like associations and NGOs), as well as federal agencies to increasing focus and to delete overlapping activities.  I feel that this is all very, very relevant in establishment of entrepreneurship society in Russia. My personal dream is that we could get millions of Russians to feel connected to this society in coming years (universities, students, private investors, media, individual people, federal organizations, regions).

So to summarize: Target is clear. We are ready with New Russian Entrepreneurship Society when…

… mothers and fathers  in Russia advise their smartest kids to start own business,
instead of working in steady, big companies or government.

And yes, we are not yet there. But we working on it every day. So join and meet our participants in following events:          

25-26.10      Silicon Valley        www.riw-sv.com
29-31.10.     Wien                       www.pioneersfestival.com
31.10.-3.11. Moscow                 www.forinnovations.org
21-22.11.     Helsinki                 www.slush.fi                     

Please comment, disagree, argue, help, suggest regarding these topics thru this blog or directly to my email: bulldozer@sk.ru or twitter @pviljakainen

P.S. This is 5 minutes video intro for our cluster events (recorded yesterday) where all these issues are discussed with our entrepreneurs: