The unique mix of big business and entrepreneurial vigor landed Waterloo region in the top 20 startup ecosystems in the world this week.
It also lured former Intel executive Doug Cooper to dive into the Communitech HYPERDRIVE program, joining the team as its first managing director.
The lessons Cooper learned as Intel’s North American enterprise marketing director and his 30 years in the tech sector are set to prove essential for incoming HYPERDRIVE startups.
Equally important is his 18 months as a Communitech Executive-In-Residence, and two years helming his own startups Splintir.com and testimonialassistant.com.
“I wasn’t sure to what extent I could contribute, being from a big company, but it turns out a lot of the things you learn at a really big company like Intel are directly applicable,” Cooper says of the move into founding and mentoring small enterprises.
“These are things that starter companies have to cross, bridges they have to cross. Communications, surprisingly, is one of those things. It’s an art and it’s a challenge to really be able to say, in very few words, what it is you do and why people should pay attention.”
Communication will be the focus of the first half of his one-year appointment with the accelerator program.
He will also focus on sharing big-company lessons about go-to-market planning and execution, experience he found directly applicable to his own effort to launch splintir.com and to pivot testimonialassistant.com in the past 24 months.
“Building companies is hard and we learned that together,” he says.
“Most well run, large multinationals teach you respect for the customer: Building what they need, making it easy to buy from you and rewarding the channels that helped you scale. In my first six months as EIR I ran into companies struggling with each of these path to customer challenges and I was able to help.”
One of the greatest assets offered by HYPERDRIVE in addressing these and other issues, is its global network of 140-plus mentors. Cooper plans to build awareness of this critical resource, and to build understanding that the accelerator program goes well beyond the initial sprint to instead focus on producing enduring, investable companies.
“I think it is important that people realize the community is different,” he says.
“It’s a ‘no-one left behind’ kind of model. The mentors have a tremendous amount of bench strength when it comes to starting and running companies.
“We need to build a reputation for creating great companies, not just connecting them to the money, but generating great leadership.”
Of course, there are big differences between startups and established firms. Intel didn’t worry about being able to pay the next month’s wages, and extensive administrative support eased daily life for employees at all levels.
But behind that disparity lies a consistency of business practice and shared requirements for success. Communications – encompassing everything from internal discussions to global stakeholder relations – is crucial whether a business is just starting or taking over the world.
With Cooper in the position as managing director, HYPERDRIVE’s communications effort will be international, just like the program. And similar efforts will be expected from the coming cohorts of entrepreneurs.
“The [need for] clarity can’t be overstated. It tends to become foundational to the people that follow,” he says. “You want people to build on a solid foundation. Don’t let somebody else tell your story.”
** Have a great business idea, or know someone who does? Applications for the Communitech HYPERDRIVE second cohort close November 30. Get yours in now! **
Apply Here!
