Web Mission 08, why?
April 21, 2008
Ryan Carson has criticized Web Mission o8, arguing that:
I believe the intention for Web Mission was great - networking and exposure for UK web start-ups. That’s fab, but here’s the problem - this project is declaring to the whole world, loud and clear, “We don’t have what it takes over here.”
I’ve attended a number of UK startup style events and meetings yet I rarely come across professionals. This is tragic. Professional accountants have a wealth of knowledge and understanding about funding new ventures so why are they not in the thick of it, helping entrepreneurs find appropriate funding? Part of the answer lays in the fact that startups represent risk with which professionals feel uncomfortable. Instead of being there at the right time, professionals are often brought in when things are not going according to plan. That’s too late.
If professionals were in at the beginning, then the lunacy of housing the team at the Clift would have been avoided. It’s a fantastic location (I’ve stayed there) but is it necessary? What message does it send cash strapped startups to be putting them in a hotel where the table charge for a bottle of vodka is $375? Right now, the trip looks more like a glorified beano. I sincerely hope they come away with more than an expensive hangover.
UPDATE: The startup people have been wheeled off to Oracle. Here’s what one person thinks of the show so far. It’s not pretty:
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4 Responses to “Web Mission 08, why?”
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Hi Dennis, is it not more likely that professionals dont attend start up events because, as you say, the startups are cash strapped?
I’m sure this ties in with your assertion that accountants charge by the hour rather than by the value they deliver. If a partner has a chargeout rate of £300 per hour then he will sacrifice a number of chargeable hours to attend the event and most likely find that most startups wont be able or prepared to pay the rate anyway.
I’m not saying it’s right but I suspect that is closer to the truth.
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@John: I didn’t want to say it but glad you have. It’s hardly surprising that the profession is losing out on new business. In my day, I could always find a way to win in these situations. Maybe others are less imaginative. Nurturing a startup can be incredibly rewarding, both professionally and financially.
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Thanks for the link. I should probably point out that I’m not here for Webmission and that the ‘glorified beano’ I blogged about was also nothing to do with Webmission. It was a SXSW reunion BBQ, pre Web 2.0. There were a few Webmissioners there, but they came from a brunch at the home of the CEO of Craig’s List.
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