Optimism of "Atlanteans"

Business Forum "Atlanta" Sostav.ru

In Moscow, the largest forum in Russia for entrepreneurs was held in Crocus City. It lasted two days-on October 5 and 6, more than three thousand businessmen, general directors, top managers from all over Russia participated in the forum sites, debate, discussions, master classes.

The forum was created for representatives of small and medium -sized businesses, which are aimed at bringing their business to a new level.

Every day the forum was divided into thematic blocks. Leading domestic and foreign businessmen took part in discussions, at which they raised a number of issues that are most important for modern entrepreneurs. Thus, the speakers discussed the influence of the global way of thinking on the quality of business, the strategy for doing business in the conditions of the current economic situation in Russia, the criteria for choosing an investor of the project for investments and interaction between the investor and the entrepreneur. Businessmen also participated in a discussion regarding the relationship of the entrepreneur and the state, discussed existing support measures. On the last day of the forum, leading businessmen told about the need and methods of transformation of the entrepreneur.

Polit.ru identified three topics that became the main ones at the past forum.

The development of the company

The name of the discussion “Global context of Russian business 2018: invest, stabilize or diversify” raises the question of which company development strategy in the current economic conditions.

The speakers agreed that each company passes this fork (invest, stabilize or diversify), and the methods of what the entrepreneur can deal with it, first of all, depend on the industry. Also, according to the speakers, the choice of strategy is determined by the speed of technology development, the development of the world as a whole.

The General Director of Biocad Dmitry Morozov said that the entrepreneur should feel the speed with which the industry and competitors are developing in order to maintain a distance, separation.

“The speed that we observe makes us constantly invest. We cannot do this. Within the framework of our company, we once adopted such a strategy for technological separation. This is when you do a similar thing, but several orders of magnitude better than others at least in Russia. And you have such a sum of knowledge, technology and skills that you are not easy to catch up with even a potential competitor in this country. He needs three to four years to catch up with you. This is if we do not run (forward), and if we run, we maintain a distance. But, on the other hand, we understand that we must run at the same speed and even a little faster than our foreign colleagues to reduce the gap. Because they have more resources and access to more information. This is one of the main tasks. For us, the question of investing or not, is not worth it. Because either you do the same thing that everyone does, and then you are in the bloody ocean, or you try to run faster, ”he said.

Sergey Belousov, General Director and Founder of Acronis, Chairman of the board of directors of Parallels in his speech noted that in the modern world it is important to guess trends, as well as invest resources in the development of digital technologies and knowledge that can help the development of the company.

“For most people, businesses are so arranged that some part needs to be stabilized, some kind of diversified, and some need to be invested in some. The world is changing strongly. And the speed of change in the world is also changing. It is very important to correctly guess the trends. Because it may seem to you that the success of your business depends on the team, on the strategy, on the execution of the operation, but it largely depends on the fact that you have chosen the correct trend. A bad team that has chosen the correct trend easily floats far, a good team that got into the storm is sinking safely. And the trends that change our world are largely connected with the fact that the world becomes digital. The world becomes the world of knowledge. They penetrate into all areas of business, economics, ”said Sergey Belousov.

The businessman identified three trends, which, in his opinion, should pay attention.
This is artificial intelligence, thanks to the development of which 90% of jobs in the future can be replaced by robots. “If you do nothing with these technologies yet, then maybe you are late,” the entrepreneur noted.

The second trend is blockchain, and the third is quantum technologies. “The question of whether it is necessary to invest is idle. If you do not invest, you most likely cannot get advantages from using the results of these technologies. And then your competitors can easily get around you. My conclusion is to invest in science, knowledge, in digital technologies that are related to your business, ”the businessman added.

The owner of the companies "Dymov", "Republic", "Dym Keramics" Vadim Dymov noted that in the industry in which it works - food, Russia is very far behind the Western colleagues. Therefore, his company is actively investing in agriculture, livestock, crop production.

“In general, I still do not see prospects in the Western markets, because I see great opportunities in the market within Russia. I would focus here today. The power sector in the Russian Federation depends on 50% of the West, so my conclusion is the focus inside the country, ”he said.

The founder and president of the Simple Group, Vice President of the Rossiya Russia Maxim Kashirin came to the conclusion that the issue of investing or not, is also not for his company. Investing now, in a crisis, according to him, you need to even more actively than in the pre -crisis period.

“The active development of our company began in 2002. In order to cover the Russian Federation with the network with the distribution that we would like to have, we invest and invest. We do this in the crisis even more actively than in pre -crisis. My strategy is just actively developing in a crisis. Because this is the time when you can work very effectively. In this case, you must always have a liquidity pillow. At the same time, for me, the problem of opening a direction in business, some kind of large-scale project, is not worth it, because I made a decision for myself-I choose more free time with my family, I want to invest here. Time is the most expensive resource. My conclusion: you need to invest not only in business, but at one time, you need to meditate, rest, ”he said.

In general, all speakers noted a high speed of changing the world, the role of the development of technology and the need for more effective work precisely in the crisis.

Development of relations with the investor

Another discussion, which also concerned the investment topic “Investor VS owner: who chooses whom?”.

The first question that the moderator asked the speakers (managing director of Altera Capital’s investment fund to Kirill Androsov, Maxim Spiridonov, co-founder and general director of the NTOLOLOD online education center, the head of the Skolkovo Business School, the President of the National Association of Business Angels (Naba) Vitaly Kolykhin and Maxim Faldin, founder of Little Gentrys) concerned control over the project, the authorities shared by the entrepreneur and investor.

The speakers agreed that when work on the project begins, power is focused with the entrepreneur, the first months, the first years. But in general, their relationship depends on the cycle of the company's development.

“It all depends on what we want. If the investor takes power over the entrepreneur and operating management, then he is no longer an investor. An investor is an investor. He has the opportunity to help and it is possible not to interfere. We must choose. If the investor wants to control, he can take power, but it will end badly, ”said Kirill Androsov.

The speakers also noted that there is no confrontation in the healthy business, there is no conflict between the entrepreneur and the investor, there is an opportunity to reflect, since both participants are “in the same boat”.

Vitaly Poleshin noted that the behavior and strategy of the entrepreneur with the investor will affect whether he will receive new investments in the future.

“The entrepreneur is the most important in the project. Money is fuel, thanks to which the project can develop. And the investor’s money is the most expensive money, as the investor loses control [above them]. If the entrepreneur does not coordinate [his actions with him], then the investors of the next round will take an interest in this. If the relationship does not develop, there will be no new money, ”he said.

How to evaluate the issue of a change of general director three years after the opening of the business - this issue was also raised by the participants in the discussion.

Some of them stated that the need for such a shift may be evidence of the failure of the project or that the project has grown out of its creator. It was also expressed that the entrepreneur himself must understand that for a long time the helm will not be able to stay and be prepared to transfer the business to someone in order not to be an obstacle to the development of his company.

The speakers discussed the issue of what the investor should pay attention to when choosing a project. For most acting, intuition remains an important factor. Some of the speakers noted that they pay attention to education, the previous experience of the entrepreneur, as well as how he managed to cope with failures, his activity.

The project, most likely, will receive investments if it fits in a certain trend.

Development of oneself

The performance of speakers in the Road Show format on the “Transformation of the Entrepreneur” was one of the most spectacular events of the forum. The founder and chief executive director of GETT Dave Vaiser, founder of Kupivip, Carprice Oscar Hartmann, founder of Restart restaurant holding Alexei Vasilchuk shared their stories.

Dave Vaiser identified the most important, in his opinion, the quality of the entrepreneur - openness of changes. He identified the task of the leader as the ability to move the team to be at the peak of his capabilities. “Your role is not measured by your effectiveness,” he added.

The entrepreneur deals with the unknown, and he must be ready for changes. Because what made him successful at the beginning can lead him to defeat if he continues in the same way - the thesis of Dave Weiser.

“You are dealing with the unknown all the time. This is probably a synonym for entrepreneurship. And you need to learn how to feel comfortable, being in an uncomfortable situation ... Accepting this, you can calmly look in the face and the challenges and failure that you will have. And there will be many of them, ”he said.

Oscar Hartmann also mentioned the situation when a manager could become an obstacle to the development of the company.

“They have reached the ceiling and cannot break it out. Very often this ceiling is you. It is very difficult to admit it. Because this [hurts] ego, other things. But if you remove these emotions and see neutrally, you can make a very correct decision that will make a giant breakthrough, ”he said.

The second most important conclusion of Harmann is "my past cannot be my future."

According to him, when the company reaches some limit, and the actions of the entrepreneur are the same as before, it will be an obstacle, there will be no effect. It is necessary to overcome inertia.

“The first reaction is even more to do, but these strategies stop working. And you think - 18 hours a day to work, work 20 hours, beat even more. But it does not work. It is necessary to change, change inertia, philosophy. And to realize that my past is not my future, ”Hartmann said in his speech.

It is necessary to transform yourself and transform the team. To make 100% yourself and create such conditions for an employee so that he is happy, Alexei Vasilchuk told about it.

“The eternal question in life is why I do more than the rest. He torments us subconsciously. We constantly think who did more. Fantastic freedom gives what you stop counting. Just do 100% and that's it. Then it will turn out super well, ”he said

The entrepreneur noted that in the team it is important to create a single ideology. In his company, it is based on personal responsibility for the overall result.

During performances, discussions, debate, leading entrepreneurs and businessmen also discussed the issue of the entrepreneur’s interaction with the state, information openness of the business, and the loss of privacy.

The Atlanta forum was supported by Alfa-Bank, the Moscow School of Management "Skolkovo", EY and the Main PR communication agency. The organizer of the event is the Russian company Winning the Hearts Group.