Vision. Inspire. Think Globally.

I came late at Open Coffee yesterday, around 11.30, and stayed until 13. But I assisted in a very interesting conversation between Mihai Mafteianu and Ciprian Toloş about a project.

In his personal energic style, Mihai talked a little about how business is done with venture capitalists and how to get funding for a good idea from his experience with Seed Camp. The main idea, it doesn’t matter what the project’s about; it matters how you do it. And with who. And don’t dare to ask for less than 2 million dollars because less is peanuts.

His argumentation was very frank, very concrete, and inspiring. If you honestly promote your business and truly believe in it, go there and tell what your dream is. What’s your vision? What has to happen? Dare to be bold! How you’re going to make money is the second question that you have to have an answer to. If your dream is to have a walk with the subway in Bucureşti, then do so, no problem. So do the other 3 million people.

Oh, and even if others have the same idea, they won’t dare to go global. Because most people have pathetic little boxes in which they don’t dare to fit the big ideas. Why would a venture capital fund invest in a business when it’s a start-to go to the competition that’s already somewhere in the world? Because they can get more significant money from buying 20% of your business. Of course, if you have a good business application, you can test it in Romania, but that’s a children’s playground.

To a great extent, I agree with what Mihai said. But let us remember that when Mihai presented TwiMarket at Net Start Up Summer Edition (Cristi, could we have a fall edition also? ), Vlad Stan told him: just because he doesn’t see the competition, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

I think the most important thing is like in copywriting: write hot, edit cold. You have to know when to write, and you have to know when to edit. You don’t kill your idea and then make a business plan. You first have to believe in your idea and have a vision about how it could be implemented, how it can be presented, and to who.

But another thing I realized by talking to Mihnea Raşcă (I promised a follow-up) was: why would I give money for an executive MBA when I can go to Open Coffee for free?

Truly… why?

Networking? I have the most brilliant and active entrepreneurs on the web there. Each Thursday.

Feedback? I can be criticized for free.

Experience in business? I can get it there. Each Thursday, from about 20 of them.

Projects? Like playing business instead of doing business?

I am satisfied that the proportion of people paying for their MBA has increased. That means responsibility. I am so glad that the success rate of the graduates has risen. That means development. I am delighted that those who choose an MBA are more interested in learning something than just getting a diploma. That means education.

This doesn’t mean you have to get an MBA. How many diplomas do you need before starting to act by believing in your dreams? On the back of Andrei Roşca‘s business card, there was a principle:

“We have a strategy.

It’s called doing things.”

Herb Kelleher

Marcus Victor Grant

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