Owners of startups would probably like an online place to talk about their startup. Marek Novotny heard their cries and developed startuppers.org. Not to give away any details, but startuppers.org is a place for startup companies to not only network with people but it’s a place to socialize with your fellow startup amigos y amigas. You can read more about this fairly new company in the follow text below.
How’d you come up with the name for your company?
That was really easy. This project is all about startuppers and for startuppers. And of course, when you are creating name for you company, you have to have in mind the availability of popular domain names. But first of all I had to find out, what is actually correct – startupper, startuper, startuppist or startupist. I f you google these terms, you can see all of them used in some articles or blogs. However, in one real English dictionary I discovered, that the right term to be used in startuppers. And that was it, the name was born.
What’s the very first thing you do at work everyday?
Check mails, check mails, check mails, check twitter, check facebook, check number of new signups on signup.startuppers.org… and then I have coffee.
How many people did you start the company with and how many people work for you now?
The company was started me, myself and I and now it works with additional help from my great girlfriend. So together we are 4
Remember the early days starting up? Maybe you can share one anecdote that describe the struggle you went through?
To be honest, I am still in early days of starting up. But I would say that my motto during all struggles is “never give up, continue with hard work, even if you do not see immediate results”
How do you handle frustration? When/how was the last time you dealt with frustration?
I am the most optimistic person you can ever meet on this world, and I do not allow any frustration to ruin my day/week/life. If something goes wrong, I am not frustrated, but I am looking for ways how to improve and get things done right. Sometime it is not easy, but so far, this method always proved to me to be the right one.
What’s your office environment like? Is it the kind of place where everyone is bumpin’ away to house music or is it more traditional?
As mentioned before, I am working on the project alone with help of my girlfriend. We work at our home which is so far OK and comfortable, but as soon as this project will be big enough to grow, we will switch to office.
And to the music, you almost got it right, but it is hardrock/heavymetal music which is bumpin’ in my place
How do you picture your company in 5 years?
In 5 years, Startuppers.org will be the main point where all startups will go the moment they are created. Startuppers.org will be for startups and startuppers like facebook is for everyone who wants to connect with their friends.
So truly & honestly, startuppers.org in 2 years (not 5), will be facebook for all startuppers, in other words a must go.
Who or what inspires YOU? Role models? Quotes? Running? Video games? Snack food? Give us the deets, dude!
I am inspired first of all by my attitude towards life and everything. I believe that we should be always optimistic and self-confident, with strong believes in ourselves. Like that it is much easier to solve any problems. And then, I am active sports guy, playing handball for already 13 years, and this just keeps me going. Last but not least – music, especially band Pain Of Salvation, because their lyrics are just incredible.
How’d you fund this venture? VC? Self-funding? Crowd-funded? Where’d you get the money, man?
So far the project is not costly and so self-funding was the right way to go. However, in August we are going to launch indiegogo campaign, so everyone, who wants to support us, and be at the start of this project from the very beginning, will have great chance to do so. You can expect really great rewards for all funders that will want to support.
What would you be doing if you had one year off and $500,000 to spend (and you couldn’t spend it on your currently startup / projects)
Whooah, for person from Slovakia like me, this is quite an amount of money you are offering me. When & where can I send you the bank account number?
Now seriously…I am not the kind of person who is just sitting at home doing nothing, drinking beer and eating pizza (maybe on weekends sometimes). I have 2-3 different project in my head, which I would be able to fund with this money, so that would probably way to go.
Do you consider yourself a successful entrepreneur right now? If not, what’s it gonna take to make you feel successful?
Our Startup is really a startup with a big START, which is still just to be launched. And at the same time, it is my first real entrepreneurship opportunity, where I am the founder of the project. That means that right now I cannot consider myself as a successful entrepreneur. Let say I am extremely motivated and ambitious entrepreneur. I would feel successful, if I can create something which I can build up and make it important and known in the world. Something that I can take care of, and will make me feel proud.
Website you couldn’t live without and why?
Google reader – I think the easiest to use RSS reader which is really helpful for me, since I consider myself to be addicted to the news.
Mobile App you’re in love with and why?
I would divide this answer to two groups – apps for free time (fun) & apps for work. From the free time apps I cannot live without NHL Gamecentre and Livescore. I am the biggest fan of all kind of sports you can find, and I need to know all the news and scores from NHL matches and from other sports as well
As to the working apps, than it is the usual Gmail (Mail) & Twitter, which help me to stay connected to work all the time and even post tweet from a music festival.
Dogs or cats?
Waf, Bark, Haf
iOS or Android?
What about iDroid, does that exist already?
What’s the greatest thing about your company/website/idea?
The greatest thing is that the idea is so simple, but at the same time, very powerful. It is something which is greatly needed here, has a big potential, but doesn’t exist on the internet at this moment
Where can our readers get ahold of you? Any other projects you’re working on that we should check out?
Mail: [email protected] (by the way, first 20 startups who write on this mail, will be awarded the startup of the day price once we are launched)
Startuppers signup page, Facebook, Twitter,
Other projects: I am still waiting for that $500,000 which you offered 5 questions ago, and then I will start with them.
How and why did you come up with startuppers.org?
This idea came to me during and after a startupweekend which I attended in Bratislava in May. First of all I have realized, that many startups there are looking for people, who will test their new application and give them some feedback, so they have some nice data to present during the final pitch. But they didn’t have any followers on twitter or likes on facebook. So I was thinking that there should be place where all startuppers will ask other startuppers to test their app. And after the weekend I noticed two things. Firstly, the communication between startups from there just stopped and disappeared. Secondly, the chance to promote themselves was given only to those startups, which were given some award. And so the idea was created – to create place, where all startups can communicate, share their ideas and apps, look for beta testers and so on…
