Startup 2.0: A Challenge to Dream

Charles Mok

Internet Society Hong Kong2009.03.03

For Entrepreneur Forum 2009Hong Kong Baptist University

About me 1988-93: DEC; 1993-94: Sun (US) 1994-2000: HKNet

ISP+ETS : 2nd largest ISP in HK Acquired by CCT Telecom and

later NTT Communications (Japan)in 1998/99

Halo Solutions: acq'd by CASH Piperix Media (present) Other Public services

Staying Alive Anything New?

Disruptive technology/business model? Survival: Flexibility + Principles

Creating Market vs. Finding Market Moving targets -> constant adjustments

Get a job vs. Starting up? Cash is king? People is your biggest asset? Create and retain customer value Social responsibility

IT Startup 2.0 @HK

Look beyond Hong Kong market: China and the world

Exploit the power and reach of the Internet and Web 2.0

Open everything

Some Sources of Support Small Enterprise Research Assistant Program

(SERAP): http://www.itf.gov.hk/eng/SERAP.asp Patent Application Grant:

http://www.itc.gov.hk/en/funding/pag.htm HKSTP Technology Incubation (Incu-Tech)

program: http://www.hkstp.org/HKSTPC/en_html/en_full1_1.jsp

Cyberport IncuTrain Centre: http://www.cyberport.hk/cyberport/en/home/facilities_n_services/incu/

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

Some of the best companies are started during the worst times: Apple, General Electric, IBM, Microsoft, McDonald's, Walt Disney, Electronic Arts etc.

Best innovations comeduring toughest economic times: IBM PCs, Apple's iPod, Campbell's condensed soup

Source: Scott Anthony, Innosight, 2009

Short Term vs. Long Term

Marketing Science: Cutting back on R&D in hard times is the wrong strategy. Studying 69 publicly traded companies over 30 years, researchers found that on average, shares in companies that announce new R&D efforts rise above their competitors—and long term, they beat their rivals who don’t focus on R&D.

Final Thought (1) We can make market forces work better for the

poor if we can develop a more creative capitalism – if we can stretch the reach of market forces so that more people can make a profit, or at least make a living, serving people who are suffering from the worst inequities. We also can press governments around the world to spend taxpayer money in ways that better reflect the values of the people who pay the taxes.

If we can find approaches that meet the needs of the poor in ways that generate profits for business and votes for politicians, we will have found a sustainable way to reduce inequity in the world. This task is open-ended. It can never be finished. But a conscious effort to answer this challenge will change the world.

-- Bill Gates @Harvard University, 2007.06.07

Final Thought (2) Beyond 'social enterprise' ->

social business entrepreneur

-- Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Winner 2006

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW-4gJmXy5M

Do Good! Dream Big!

Charles Mok mok@hknet.com www.charlesmok.hk