Got this invitation last week from MDeC.
Congratulations! You are a step closer
to receiving your RM150,000 Technopreneur Pre- Seed Fund..
Dear Pre-Seed Applicants,
As part of MDeC’s effort to help you prepare for the presentation to the panel of Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC), we have developed FirstStepUp™ as a short but intensive program to improve the quality of pitches to the TEC.
About the Program
The objective of FirstStepUp™ is to prepare applicants to present an effective proposal to TEC members. The session is deemed vital based on the feedback received from the TEC members that:
a) Many ideas presented were not viable, did not have sustainable business models, were not innovative with lack of Intellectual Property value, had market research that was poorly done and lacked marketing strategies; and
b) Even when there are reasonable ideas the Technopreneurs were let down by an inadequate and weak pitch made before the TEC.
Benefits to You
Through this FirstStepUp™ you will be taught about the essential elements required for technical evaluation and will have the opportunity to practice your pitch with the Trainers. Comments and advice for improvements will be shared by the Trainers.
Important conditions for participation
1. This session is open for participation to both Primary and Secondary applicant
2. There are only 30 seats available for this session and reservation is on first-come-first serve basis.
3. This is a 2-day program from 9am – 6pm. Please ensure that you could attend for both days and commit yourself to fully participate before you register for this program.
4. No last minute withdrawals from the Program are allowed. However, if you really need to do so please let us know in advance so that we could enrol others in the wait list. Remember, MDeC pays significantly to offer you this training for FREE. As part of ensuring effective spending, full attendance is a MUST for us.
5. In the event that you have real emergency on the day of the training and could not attend or is going to be late, please notify us immediately.
6. We start on time, so please be on time!
7. Please bring your jacket, in case it gets snowy in the room.
I have not read about the previous batches getting this seminar but I am going nonetheless!
*Dates are not shown
Resubmitted the application for batch 20 with the advised changes from our advisor. Thanks for that!
Hopefully, we can get an interview.
In the mean time, the war has not yet won. Next step:
- Get LOI from our vendor
- Get LOI from our supplier
And then, if we were called to the pre seed's interview, we get a stronger chance of being approved.
Just submitted another proposal to get funding. This time we are asking from private investors from a local company, whom are a potential client too!
We are just hoping for a chance to present to them and if they show some interest, then we are talking! Seriously, for us, an LOI would be a good start. Then we would leverage on that LOI for our provider. That will help put us on the right track.
Life = risk. If you haven't failed before, you haven't lived!
Hit a snag on our Pre Seed application. Our advisor bounced back with some comments on our application form and we need to fix it quick. Final day of submission is on 8th Sept 2009!
One question: What is the difference between Proof of Concept and Prototype?
Googling doesn't help as there are a lot of opinions out there but here goes:
Proof of Concept
The evidence that a product, technology or an information system is viable and capable of solving an organization's particular problem. A proof of concept is often developed for new products that have not yet come to market.
Prototype
1. An original type, form, or instance serving as a basis or standard for later stages.
2. An original, full-scale, and usually working model of a new product or new version of an existing product.
3. An early, typical example.
Awfully close isn't it? But what is clear to me:
Proof of concept - to show that it CAN BE done and it is a viable solution
Prototype - ALREADY KNOW it can be done, this is the first crude model with a lot of placeholders/temporary finishings
What do you think?
Taken from http://melindayeoh.com/
1.Dream big
2.Do what you love to do
3.Commit to excellence- be the top 10% in your biz
4.Develop unique ability
5.Accept responsibility
6.Develop a clear sense of direction
7.Refuse to consider possibility of failure
8.Solutions oriented
9.Develop workaholic mentality-work very hard at the beginning of your biz
10.Get around the right positive people
11.Be prepared to go from peak to peak
12.Develop resilience and bounce back-how long does it take for you to get back to normal?
13.Focus questions- ask yourself brutal questions
14.Become unshakable optimist-think/talk abt your goals all the time. Look 4 the good in evry situation
15.Dedicate yourself to serving others
16.Develop reputation for speed & dependability-which activity contributes the most to your biz?
17.Be very honest with yourself- what’s the situation honestly? Don’t self disillusion
18.Concentrate single-minded-ly one at a time
19.Be decisive
20.Backed everything you do with courage & persistence
21.Self-disipline – take time to plan, then decide & ACTION!
I shall print this and stick it in my room
28th Aug 2009
Shum and I submitted our application form at MMU's incubator (now named TeCC).
The submission date was from 24nd August to 9th September and when we submitted, there's already 2 submissions ahead of us.
Our project will be a mobile VAS (value added service) and we put in a lot of effort fleshing out the details and such.
Hope we can get in!
For those who need more info on the pre seed grant, go here: http://www.technopreneurdevelopment.net.my/cms/AllProduct.asp?CatID=122
