Angel Consultants and Global Bootstrapping
Often I am asked what an “Angel Consultant” is, since this is the term commonly used to describe my (as well as others) role in the company. Angel Investors is a coined term in the start-up world; however, Angel Consultants is less prevalent. The one thing that Angel Consultants and Angel Investors share in common is the desire for the company to succeed in the long term as each is invested in their own way. Whereas investors put their money on the line, consultants, such as me, forsake a steady stream of income and benefits for worthless pieces of paper dubbed ‘equity’ similar to a lottery ticket.
People who like the idea of working without pay at a startup without revenue, funding, or even a fully formed business plan in exchange for what basically amounts to a lottery ticket.” It’s the chance to work for a small, high-growth tech company that could either go bankrupt or turn into the next Google.
(http://patentbaristas.com/archives/000278.php)
Bootstrapping in Collanos takes on many shapes and forms, however, its end product is not only measured in the form of input vs. output. Indeed maintaining a low cash run rate is the most explicit goal but by grouping a team of committed people, additional factors contribute to the likelihood of the start-up to mature to a sustainable company.
As I make my final stretch getting back to San Francisco, following my first trip to Collanos HQ in Zurich, Switzerland, I cannot help but reflect on the unique circumstances of this truly global start-up. We are currently a spread out team of multi-national Collanos members with first-rate outsourcing teams in Bulgaria and Ukraine (including a designer in Indonesia). Our European investors all contribute more than just cash to keep us pushing forward. Call it ‘smart money’, these investors, each independently, contribute their time, contacts and a sundry of services that allow us to keep our run rate low, morale high and future outlook very promising.
On my trip to Zurich I was fortunate to take shelter at our CEO’s countryside home with the gracious hospitality of his family. Bootstrapping 101? Yes and No. Clearly the cost savings of a two week stay in Switzerland are significant but this was not the reason I was residing in the boss’ home. Staying in his home was a reflection on the cultural diversity and team commitment inherent in Collanos. How often do you hear of an American company hosting members in each others’ homes? Not often, if ever. For my European colleagues it comes so naturally. Even to me, with my Israeli roots – where there typically is no clear separation between work colleagues and personal relationships, this was a very pleasant surprise. The intensity of the gung-ho start up mode and the 18-hour work days allow us to leverage the remote time zone differences, progress in ‘internet’ speed and complement each others’ skills wherever needed.
Don’t get me wrong, Swiss-American work cultures clash quite often. I saw this first hand and very likely will see more of it as we evolve. However, the sincere desire to build trust amongst the core team via strong personal relationships, lays the foundation to keep the team intact and not let differences (and there are quite a few) distract us from pursuing our common goal.