Sunday, November 30, 2014

창업대회를 망치는 스타트업 '상금 저격꾼'들


[머니투데이 방윤영 기자][편집자주] 벤처인이 겪는 고충과 애환, 웃음과 환희 등 밀당 스토리를 진솔하게 전해드립니다.

[[벤처밀당]창업대회가 대학생 공모전으로 변질되는 안타까운 현실 ]

본문 이미지 영역
본문이미지
/사진=이미지베이스(Imagebase)
#어떤 스타트업은 사업 아이템을 세번씩 바꿔가면서 창업경진대회에 나가더라고요. 3군데 이상 참여해 상금으로 최소 1억원은 타갔습니다. 요즘은 애플리케이션(앱) 하나 쉽게 만들 수 있는 시대니 창업대회서 상금 타는 건 그리 어려운 일은 아니잖아요. 그래도 창업에 절실한 마음으로 시작한 스타트업이 아니라 '그냥 한 번 해볼까?' 혹은 '스펙을 쌓기 위해서' 시작한 스타트업이 상금을 휩쓸어 가 안타까운 마음이 듭니다.

다수의 창업대회에서 심사위원으로 활동한 한 벤처업계 관계자의 이야기입니다.

요즘 정부의 창조경제 활성화 정책 발표 이후 제2의 창업붐으로 각종 창업경진대회가 개최되고 있습니다. 미래창조과학부, 중소기업청 등 관련부처는 이번 달에만 13건 이상의 창업대회를 개최했습니다. 민간 기관에서 개최하는 대회까지 합치면 그 수는 배 이상이 될 것입니다. "매달 새로 생기는 스타트업 수보다 창업대회 수가 더 많을 것"이라는 우스갯소리도 나옵니다.

창업대회가 봇물을 이루고 있다보니 한 스타트업이 여러 대회를 참가해 상금을 얻어가는 소위 '상금 저격꾼'들이 나타나고 있습니다. 스타트업이 초기기업이다보니 아직 시제품이나 서비스가 출시되지 않아도 '아이디어' 하나만으로 평가를 받을 수 있기에 가능합니다. 위 사례처럼 마치 대학생이 공모전에 참여하듯 상금을 타기 위해 창업대회에 참가하는 스타트업도 적지 않게 나타나고 있습니다.

문제는 창업에 절실함 마음이 없지만 기발한 아이디어가 있는 스타트업이 상금을 휩쓸어 가는 부작용도 발생하고 있다는 점입니다. 이들 '상금 저격꾼'들은 그저 창업대회용 발표 자료를 잘 만들고 훌륭한 피칭을 할 뿐, 정작 사업 아이디어를 전혀 실행시킬 생각은 안하고 또 다른 창업대회에 참가하는 것만 기웃거립니다. 정작 창업 종잣돈이 절실한 스타트업은 창업대회 상금도 타지 못해 생존를 위해 고군분투하고 있는데 말입니다.

이와 관련 창업지원 유관기관 관계자는 "대부분의 창업대회가 거의 똑같은 심사위원이 비슷한 심사 기준으로 평가하기 때문에 다른 대회에서 우승했던 팀이 계속해서 우승하게 되는 것 같다"며 "현재 창업대회는 많은 스타트업에 기회가 돌아가지 못하는 프로세스"라고 말했습니다.

실제로 몇몇 VC(벤처캐피탈) 심사역들은 창업대회에서 우승했던 이력이 있는 스타트업이 다른 창업대회에 지원할 경우 아예 평가대상에서 제외하기도 했습니다.

기본적으로 VC의 눈은 창업대회 심사위원으로 나서는 대학 교수나 기관 관계자와 완전히 다릅니다. 언론이나 정부가 주목하지 않은 스타트업이 해외에서 투자를 유치한 사례도 있습니다.

게임 일러스트 제작 플랫폼 '레인보우닷'을 서비스하는 스타트업 엠바이트는 지난 7월 일본 VC '글로벌 브레인'으로부터 투자를 유치했습니다. 창업대회나 한국에서 전혀 눈여겨 보지 않던 스타트업을 글로벌 VC가 발굴해낸 겁니다. 엠바이트는 올해로 창업 4년차 입니다.

지난달 한국을 찾은 글로벌 VC인 라쿠텐벤처스의 안세민 매니징 파트너는 "스타트업에게 '성공 못할 것'이라는 평가나 조언은 절대 하지 않는다"며 "스타트업의 미래를 판단할 역량도 없을 뿐 아니라 스타트업의 미래는 아무도 예견할 수 없기 때문"이라고 말했습니다.

앞으로는 좀 더 다양한 스타트업에 고루 기회가 돌아가는 프로세스나 컨트롤 타워를 만들 필요가 있다는 지적이 나오고 있습니다. 아무도 스타트업의 미래를 장담할 수 없기에 소수 스타트업에 지원금이 집중되는 사태를 개선할 필요가 있다는 겁니다.

[내 삶을 바꾸는 정치뉴스 'the 300' 바로가기]['스페셜 걸' 포토][손안의 경제뉴스 머니투데이 모바일웹]['취업의 모든 것' 잡드림 ]

방윤영기자 byy@mt.co.kr
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Japanese man proposes to girlfriend with Guinness World Record-winning GPS drawing


On 30 June, 2008 Yasushi Takahashi, or Yassan for short, quit his job and set out on a trek across Japan. He took with him a GPS logger to document the journey as he experienced the “Japan that [he knows] only in books.”
That might seem like a reckless choice for a man in his thirties, but as we can see, along with Japan he was also mapping out his future during this half-year travel. Yassan also recorded parts of the trip on video and uploaded it to YouTube in a video titled Tegami-Letter.
The video opens with Yassan declaring his intentions to see Japan with a map and GPS and to draw “the message” with GPS. He sets off in his car on his 31st birthday and begins to draw. His journey started in Hokkaido as he traveled around the northern Island taking in the popular spots when he could such as the Abashiri Prison Museum cafeteria.
In August of 2008 Yassan continued into the Tohoku region of Japan. In order to write his “letter” he had to take some roads less traveled.
Luckily he also stumbled upon a temple in Fukushima which greeted him with statues of benevolent travel gods to bless his journey.
This chapter of the journey ended in Tokyo. From there he then took a large leap west, landing in the Kansai region.
…wait a minute.
Let me see those gods again…
It began to look as if food had become in short supply during Yassan’s trip as he seemed to take solace in random sights like stone penises and polka-dot Nissans.
Luckily he never went hungry for too long, making sure to sample some of the areas’ famous foods.
Yassan then went back North to the Kanto and Chubu areas of Japan where he climbed some mountains such as Mt. Fuji and again enjoyed the local flavors including these big crubs.
After that it was back to the south-west towards Okayama where Yassan ran into car trouble.
By New Year’s he had touched down at the final leg of his trek, around the island of Kyushu.
A few days later he made it to his destination completing both his trip across Japan and the letter to his girlfriend he was making with his GPS logger.
Although the marriage was indeed good news, more happiness was in store for Yassan a couple of years later when Guinness World Records acknowledged his letter as “the world’s largest GPS drawing” at 7,164km (4,451mi) long.
One of the commenters on the Guinness website pointed out that another had made a GPS drawing covering most of the United States of America, encouraging everyone to read Ayn Rand. It’s unclear why Guinness has not acknowledged this particular drawing made by Nick Newcomen in 2010.
And you know, even with both of these impassioned works of sheer effort and creativity and their relatively humble requests, I still find myself reluctant to get married or read Ayn Rand again.
▼ Since then, Yassan has become a spokesperson for Hi-Tec footwear
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Office Outsider: Angry Bosses and the Role of Drinking Parties


Tony Clavelli
Living and working in South Korea has become increasingly popular among non-Koreans in recent years. In a column for Korea Real Time that will appear twice each month, an American woman working at a mid-sized Korean company writes about her experiences. Following is the third edition. Read her previous columns here and here.
With 2014 drawing to a close, stress is high at my office as everyone scrambles to meet annual targets before the year ends. The other day I was chatting with a coworker in the break room, and I must have laughed a little too loudly. He sheepishly told me to quiet down, explaining that his boss said we shouldn’t be joking around in the office when sales are down.
I was shocked, and a little embarrassed. Moments earlier I had walked past his boss and greeted him cheerfully while grinning like a fool. I had never realized that my mood at work should reflect current business conditions. During my time in the U.S., I learned general rules of workplace conduct, which include being calm, polite, and not getting worked up or emotional. To me, this constitutes being professional, and is especially important for those in leadership roles.
Until recently, it had not occurred to me that standards of professionalism differ in my current work environment. Actually, I think there are many similarities–I often observe colleagues staying cool under pressure–but there are also competing paradigms. By setting aside my preconceptions, and trying to discern the various motivations that might dictate my colleagues’ actions, I believe I have gained a deeper understanding of Korean workplace culture.
One pattern of behavior among my colleagues, especially those in management positions, that seems unprofessional is abrasiveness towards other staff. The aforementioned manager and his kind irritably stomp around the office, communicating with subordinates in a gruff and sometimes rude manner. I frequently receive passive-aggressive emails from one histrionic boss, complete with informal speech and excessive use of question and exclamation marks. Usually, from what I can tell, there is nothing seriously wrong, yet these guys routinely act as though their careers are ending.
Yet outside the office, their behavior changes completely. I’m referring to office dinner outings known as “hoesik” (pronounced “hwayshik”). While it depends on the company, and even within my company it varies significantly among departments and teams, most of my colleagues can expect to go out with their boss and coworkers at least once a week.
Once at a restaurant, the brooding team manager is suddenly cheerful. The assistant manager who spent the day berating a poor freshman is now proclaiming his friendship. While I have managed to avoid too much criticism, the only time I receive positive feedback from my superiors is in this setting. One manager told me over grilled pork and soju that he wished he could talk to me and other employees more at work, but he’s always too busy “being a boss.”
I didn’t understand this and it struck me as a bit insincere. But I see now that while American corporate culture prioritizes self-control, Korean corporate culture seems to value emotional investment in the job. I don’t think my colleagues are pretending or faking their reactions at work, but I do think they intentionally let themselves get caught up in the twists and turns of business. In a way these melodramatic managers are just showing their dedication.
This is where the evening gatherings help. I believe that these informal outings allow bosses to be their normal, kind selves around other employees. If managers habitually treated their subordinates like dirt with no opportunity for resolution, eventually the anger and resentment would grow to the point of hindering productivity. But the post-work parties let employees connect on a personal level, allowing them to overlook the offenses that occur during work hours.
For example, when I complain or question my colleagues about the boss who writes rude emails, they respond with nothing but understanding. After spending years working with him and going out for countless rounds of food, drinks, and other fun after work, they know who he really is, and can easily overlook the flaws of his workplace persona.
My problem, however, is that he is stationed at one of the company’s offices overseas. Even though I communicate with him almost every day by email or phone, I never have the chance to see him outside of work. But I have realized that much of what he does that offends me is just part of the act. And I’m sure if we do meet one day over dinner, we would quickly start to build a more friendly relationship.

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This "Smart" Ring Is Another Reason to Never Trust Kickstarter Videos

This "Smart" Ring Is Another Reason to Never Trust Kickstarter Videos

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darrenorf

Darren Orf

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Darren Orf
Filed to: KICKSTARTER
Today 1:20pm
This "Smart" Ring Is Another Reason to Never Trust Kickstarter Videos
With $880,998 in funding, well exceeding its $250,000 asking price, Ring was a smart device that was meant to Bluetooth control everything in your life—except that it doesn't. Not by a longshot.
We debunked the thing outright as soon as it showed up on Kickstarter in March, but that didn't stop thousands of backers from signing up for the product and who are now probably regretting that $269 monetary decision. YouTube user Snazzy Labs breaks down every facet of the ring, and why it's such a terrible, terrible waste of money.
For one, this thing is waaaaay overpriced. As I write this, I have a $200 smartwatch slinging Google Now notifications straight to my wrist. A Bluetooth ring shouldn't even be nearly as close in price unless it can also do my taxes. Second, as Snazzy Labs points out, this thing is massive.I mean kids playing Pretty Pretty Princess wouldn't even want anything to do with this chrome monstrosity. This is all multiplied by the fact that the software is equally as bad with Snazzy Labs referring to it as "comically unusable" with a success rate of about five to ten percent.
Comparing the real thing to the Kickstarter video is also a comedic exercise in itself. This thing was really supposed to do it all, and it doesn't even come close.
Kickstarter isn't all bad. In fact, there are many, many, many great ideas that deserve every single cent they raise, but products like this (and others like it) just make it harder for everyone involved. It makes it harder for legitimate products to earn trust, and it jades Kickstarter supporters who may have been burned one too many times to take a risk on some other seemingly lofty pitch.
If anything, this just serves as another warning. Kickstarters are not preorders, and false advertising can run rampant. Crowdfund responsibly. [YouTube via Reddit]
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NPTMAAYAFT

No Please, Tell Me All About Your Amazing Fantasy Team

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No Please, Tell Me All About Your Amazing Fantasy TeamDarren Orf
Today 1:40pm
I dunno. If you ask me, that Kickstarter video is of a comically large costume jewelry ring (I seriously laughed out loud when I saw it on a finger the first time) that takes simple tasks and makes them laughably clumsy ordeals. So the video checks out to me. Spelling "TV" in the air instead of just pressing a button is progress? That's a shortcut? To what, killing time until you die?
Even if it worked as advertised, the only thing is advances is the notion that the tech world is full of expensive, backward non-solutions to problems no one has.
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tjp77

Buzz Killington

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Buzz KillingtonDarren Orf
Today 2:04pm
Okay, just to play devils advocate here, a million dollars is really not a lot of money when you're designing and producing a piece of hardware like this. It's about as good as it can be for such a small investment.
I don't think that they should have even tried to manufacture anything at this stage, and just used their resources to help them perfect the prototype. Get it to the point where a major player would be interested in making a big cash infusion (or outright acquisition), and then move on to development and manufacturing the right way.
This was either very bad judgement or simply a way to get a lot of things patented so that when Google or Apple or Sony wants to make a smart ring, they have to pony up to these guys.
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vp9000

Dr.Nemmo and his time-travelling submarine

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Dr.Nemmo and his time-travelling submarineDarren Orf
Today 2:29pm
NEVER KICKSTART.
Do you have any money around? Go to a broker, invest on some company you know/like. With time and luck you could get your money back and you'll help support the economy, something that never happens with kickstarter.
"Oh, but sometimes I get the product !" you might say. Well, if I'm a bank and I invest money on someone's company I want my money back plus interests, or, part of the company. With Kickstarter you don't get one or the other. If I give you money to run YOUR business, I don't want a promise; I need some guarantee. In the real world if you ask people for money and you give nothing in return you get either a) your posessions seized or b) a couple of broken legs.
If you need to buy a certain product, make sure that the product is a real product. You shouldn't buy the promise of having the product, unless it's a known company. (If you buy an iPhone from Apple, you are 99% certain that you'll get an iPhone).
Unscrupulous people ruin any chance that kickstarters can be useful.
The same thing happens with ebay; I used to buy a lot of stuff from that site, but these days I get 1) Fake products from people advertising real products 2) People who triple the value of the product with unmentioned shipping costs and 3) shoddy chinese products.
So, I'm not risking my money anymore on the possibility of buying a product. I'd rather have the product on my hand, working, following the regulations even if that means paying more taxes.
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jwrose

Joel Rose

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Joel RoseDarren Orf
Today 5:30pm
I actually avoided their Kickstarter video until now. I think I figured it would flop and never bothered to look into it. After watching the kickstarter video, I can't believe people went for this. I mean, even if this even worked perfectly, why would we even want to text by spelling words out a letter at a time with a finger? Some of the app gestures are too complicated (ie photos) and it would be hard to always get it right. Also, did they really think the masses would be comfortable sending money that way? They also promised a whole ecosystem. That's always a red flag for an unknown company and unreleased product. If you can't sell the product on its own merits out of the gate, you can't expect developers to ever be interested.
At least they shipped a product, but this thing was a dog even if it worked as advertised.
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ps3pwner

Krouse93

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Krouse93BurkusCat
Today 1:52pm
Yeah I agree, it seems like it arrived in a more timely manner than most kickstarter projects. Less than a year is impressive. Hopefully this things sees some revisions & improvements in the 2.0 version, assuming there will be one. Honestly it would be cool though if they garnered some venture funding & reworked this thing with a bunch of R&D & were able to produce a more accurate & sensitive 2.0 & eventually 3.0 version. Though to be honest, what do people (the youtube reviewer) expect from this, this is a beta stage product produced through a Kickstarter, products like iPhone have been in production for how long? Not to mention Apple has been around since the 1970's.
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