{"id":83428,"date":"2023-08-22T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=83428"},"modified":"2025-09-12T11:04:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T08:04:40","slug":"web3-tyre-service-for-flying-saucers-how-to-launch-a-startup-without-scaring-off-investors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/web3-tyre-service-for-flying-saucers-how-to-launch-a-startup-without-scaring-off-investors\/","title":{"rendered":"Web3 tyre service for flying saucers: how to launch a startup without scaring off investors"},"content":{"rendered":"

After the ICO bubble burst, finding a major investor for a blockchain startup became a difficult task. The requirements for early-stage projects have tightened \u2014 now they must not only offer innovations but often demonstrate at an early stage that the code is almost ready and will certainly work, and that the team will not disperse right after fundraising. How to understand that your startup is at a stage when it is not embarrassing to present to investors, according to experts surveyed by ForkLog.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Web3 and traditional startups: key differences<\/h2>\n

\u201cI often hear complaints: the crypto industry is hype on hype, a lot of dirt, in which it\u2019s hard to find something useful,\u201d says Web3<\/a>-entrepreneur Vladimir Menaskop<\/a>. \u201cThis prejudice arises according to a very simple scheme. Analysts come and begin a superficial study: they read Bloomberg and Forbes and conclude, for example, that there are many hacks in DeFi. And that most of the funds obtained in attacks are returned \u2014 that\u2019s another story, one that few write about. A junior analyst passes what they\u2019ve learned in this way to the senior, who prepares a five-page report for the top manager, who passes the information even higher and says: this is the opinion we have formed on this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his words, such prejudices are especially widespread among investors who became interested in Web3 startups after 2021. As Vladimir Menaskop notes, many fail to shed these stereotypes even after successful investments in projects that demonstrated effectiveness.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe had unsuccessful investments when we did not fully assess the market conditions,\u201d recalls co-founder Everscale<\/a> and CEO HyperFlex Studio<\/a> Nikita Inshakov. \u201cIn more traditional areas of the market, economic cycles are longer and volatility is lower. And here you must understand that the market can change very quickly and a hundred thousand of your customers can turn into zero overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Inshakov believes that \u201cthe blockchain industry is largely speculative,\u201d and its representatives often abuse investors\u2019 trust. \u201cBlockchain attracts adventurers and dreamers. They go to investors and build castles in the air, and it\u2019s hard to understand what has to do with reality and what doesn\u2019t. \u2018I\u2019ll open a tyre shop for flying saucers.\u2019 And how many flying saucers have you seen?\u201d \u2014 the question, posed rhetorically, by Inshakov.<\/p>\n

Vladimir Menaskop adds: this problem affects not only startup founders but also some funds willing to invest capital in Web3 projects.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe situation is changing now: when your token fell at launch and cannot rise for five years \u2014 this is very hard for any startup. Everyone has understood this and started choosing investors more eco-friendly, the demand for non-toxic funds is growing,\u201d the expert concludes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

MVP: base or luxury?<\/h2>\n

Many companies fail when they propose ambitious ideas but not a concrete product. According to Satis Group analysts\u2019 calculations<\/a>, during the 2018 ICO boom 78% of crypto startups were created purely to deceive potential investors. After such an experience, investors began to treat with caution projects that do not offer a minimally viable product at an early stage of negotiations. ICO<\/span> 2018.<\/p>\n

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Having an MVP undoubtedly has a positive effect on the project\u2019s image when it comes to attracting capital. However, according to Nikita Inshakov, this is not a mandatory requirement for a startup. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverything depends on the project\u2019s specifics. In some projects you need a minimally viable product, in some a white paper is enough, in some cases MVP is not enough. The main thing is not to pass all risks to the investor and to demonstrate that you are capable of working independently. It\u2019s not necessarily an MVP, but part of the work must be done: you haven\u2019t built the machine in full, but you have the engine and wheels \u2014 that\u2019s something,\u201d \u2014 says Inshakov.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In turn, Vladimir Menaskop reminds that even at the \u201czero\u201d stage of creating a project you should assemble a team that can effectively perform not only technical tasks.<\/p>\n

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\u201c startups I divide into two categories. The first \u2014 \u201chumanitarian\u201d ones, which have everything except code: concept, tokenomics, a good presentation. The second \u2014 more \u201ctechnical.\u201d They have code, but everything is poor on the humanitarian side, including tokenomics. Remember the four components: team, concept, coin, code. If you have at least three of them, you can start looking for investors,\u201d \u2014 believes Vladimir Menaskop.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The product is thus ready for presentation when the team is confident that it can succinctly articulate the essence of the project and its main details, adds Inshakov. According to the Everscale co-founder, the ability to convey complex things simply is always a positive signal for an investor, indicating that the startup team clearly understands its own product.<\/p>\n

\u201cInvestors always have little time; no one is prepared to listen to lengthy, tedious presentations without concrete answers to concrete questions,\u201d sums up Inshakov.<\/p>\n

Initial startup scoring: Nikita Inshakov\u2019s checklist<\/h2>\n

Your project is ready for presentation to investors if you can answer the following questions:<\/p>\n