In an unique initiative to encourage and educate aspiring student entrepreneurs, a group of successful Coimbatore startups organized a bus journey for them to visit successful companies based in the city. Named 'Startup Payanam', it facilitated aspiring entrepreneurs, to visit at least four start-ups, listen to the journey of more than seven entrepreneurs who started start-up companies, their ups, downs and the eventual signs of success.
On Saturday morning the city saw a bus, resembling a usual college bus, but sporting a large white and green banner reading "startup payanam". People also often noticed a large group of around 40 young boys and girls stepping out sporting similar themed white and green t-shirts. The journey began at city-based startup icliniq-a virtual hospital-where people can ask a doctor a doubt or have a consultation via telephone or video conferencing-in Chinniampalayam.
The batch then moved to My Promos-a start-up started by four college graduates in 2009 which specializes in making explainer videos for tech products--, Buddies Cafe and finally PSG STEP-the college's startup incubator cell-which incubates helpr and Log Base. Organised by Coimbatore Startups, a facebook page for city-based people who have launched startups, Helpr and Native Angels Network, it was aimed to teach aspiring entrepreneurs the basic dos and don'ts of launching a venture. "It is very important for you to have a clear and strong vision and the vision itself is to solve a problem being faced by somebody somewhere," said Anil Kumar of My Promos while interacting with the group. "That is the only way your product or service will remain in demand, which is required for your company to sustain itself," he said. "You will also lose and gain things when you work on a startup instead of getting a job like friends, initially respect among relatives, money, but it will all settle down after a few years," said the founder of college-based startup, Dhanush Kumar.
While three start-ups were visited physically, seven startup founders interacted with the students during the bus journeys. "I initially started my tea cafe in Hopes college, in a small 100 sq ft space done up with glass exteriors. The rent of Rs 17,000 killed my venture and so did the exterior of my shop which made the place look expensive to students," said Nirmal Raj, founder of Peelamedu-based Buddies Cafe. "Tea being priced at Rs 30 a cup was also too new. So five months later I had to shut down making a loss. Then I started a branch in Saravanampatti with a friend, which resulted in us parting ways and losing our investment of Rs 5 lakh," said Raj. "All my friends who helped me collect market details for my venture, ditched me when placements began in college. So I was suddenly left alone with my idea," said Kumar.
The event itself was the startups way of giving back to the community and expanding the "ecosystem of launching startups". " Helpr, a startup, is funding this initiative hoping more youngsters will come forward inspired to launch their own entrepreneurial ventures," said Aravind Subramaniam, a startup founder himself and organizer of the event.
On Saturday morning the city saw a bus, resembling a usual college bus, but sporting a large white and green banner reading "startup payanam". People also often noticed a large group of around 40 young boys and girls stepping out sporting similar themed white and green t-shirts. The journey began at city-based startup icliniq-a virtual hospital-where people can ask a doctor a doubt or have a consultation via telephone or video conferencing-in Chinniampalayam.
The batch then moved to My Promos-a start-up started by four college graduates in 2009 which specializes in making explainer videos for tech products--, Buddies Cafe and finally PSG STEP-the college's startup incubator cell-which incubates helpr and Log Base. Organised by Coimbatore Startups, a facebook page for city-based people who have launched startups, Helpr and Native Angels Network, it was aimed to teach aspiring entrepreneurs the basic dos and don'ts of launching a venture. "It is very important for you to have a clear and strong vision and the vision itself is to solve a problem being faced by somebody somewhere," said Anil Kumar of My Promos while interacting with the group. "That is the only way your product or service will remain in demand, which is required for your company to sustain itself," he said. "You will also lose and gain things when you work on a startup instead of getting a job like friends, initially respect among relatives, money, but it will all settle down after a few years," said the founder of college-based startup, Dhanush Kumar.
While three start-ups were visited physically, seven startup founders interacted with the students during the bus journeys. "I initially started my tea cafe in Hopes college, in a small 100 sq ft space done up with glass exteriors. The rent of Rs 17,000 killed my venture and so did the exterior of my shop which made the place look expensive to students," said Nirmal Raj, founder of Peelamedu-based Buddies Cafe. "Tea being priced at Rs 30 a cup was also too new. So five months later I had to shut down making a loss. Then I started a branch in Saravanampatti with a friend, which resulted in us parting ways and losing our investment of Rs 5 lakh," said Raj. "All my friends who helped me collect market details for my venture, ditched me when placements began in college. So I was suddenly left alone with my idea," said Kumar.
The event itself was the startups way of giving back to the community and expanding the "ecosystem of launching startups". " Helpr, a startup, is funding this initiative hoping more youngsters will come forward inspired to launch their own entrepreneurial ventures," said Aravind Subramaniam, a startup founder himself and organizer of the event.