Learning from

Alastair Macmichael

27th October 2016

Digital Startups

This isn’t:

airbnbUberFacebookPinterestSnapchat Whatsappetc. etc.

What this is, what this isn’t

This is:

Thought provokingProvide real life examples.

What this is, what this isn’t

Going back to the beginning

Where have I come from.

The ups and downs

The present

Brief storyMaking it personal

Startup Shhmmartup

http://www.startupcommons.org/startup-development-phases.html

IDEATINGPotential scale ..How would it create valueVague teamNo structure or skills

CONCEPTINGDefining vision, mission with intialstrategyCore co-founders teamMay be additional skills

COMMITTINGShared vision and attitude. Develop initial offering

VALIDATINGIterating, testing demonstrate value/purpose. Start to attract attention/additional resources etc

SCALINGFocus on growth, users/customers, market traction. Attract additional funding, recruiting

ESTABLISHING Continued growth.Depending on vision/mission continue and maintain culture

• Scratch an itch• Spot a gap

• Passion over process• Speed over accuracy• Co-creation over

negotiation• Is it a big deal to fail?

Do we want to embrace the

Startup Culture?

What’s stopping you?

Challenges and thoughts

• Current culture inside charity• Established procedures that

are followed just because • Risk averse• Skills at the right level

• …AND as you grow

What’s stopping you?

Challenges and thoughts

• Education of trustees• Acceptance that some digital

projects are high risk• Start small and work fast

• Tools (legacy)• Ambition

• Founded in March 2014 • 2 Founders • September - team of 4• November 2014 raised

€300k funding• December 2015 – 11

people• Today – 40 people

France (HQ), UK, Australia• €2M round of funding

Quick history

Their Challenges

• Culture • Recruitment

• Communication• Tools • Growth

• Adapting• Pivoting

• Data

Culture

• Closely aligned to vision • Sport lovers• Interactive• Young• Get stuff done

Tools

• Pretty much all SaaS

Communication

• Use company wide tools• Weekly standup (1min each)

• Product groups

Recruitment

• Harder as they scale• Fit with culture

• Wider skillset requirement = less like minded people

• Always challenging the use, only 2 years old

• Look for SaaS • Data is becoming more

and more important/valuable

• Open API’s that they can develop and integrate systems.

• Low cost

Their tools (current)

Learning / thoughts

• Culture• Comms• Tools• Process• Data/Security

• Cyber

Information kindly provided by

Quentin AubergerUK Director

Thoughts

• Do we have the culture and vision that we really want?

• Could we embrace a ‘Fail Friendly Environment’?

• How do we, as Charities, question our internal systems?

• How do we look for efficiencies in Business Process Automation?

• Can we trial new systems and how?• As growth continues how do you arrange the

departments? (think Spotify)• How do we get the most out of everybody in

everything we do?• We are all native innovators.

Questions

Further resources

Inspirational cartoons fromwww.gapingvoid.com

Spotify Engineering Culturehttps://labs.spotify.com/2014/03/27/spotify-engineering-culture-part-1/

Delivering with Digital - Eduserv(in pack)

Alastair Macmichaelalastair.macmichael@eduserv.org.uk

27th October 2016

Thank you

Visit the CharityComms website to

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27 October 2016

London

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