Proto.in - Create. Collaborate. Contribute

Proto is over and the buzz is all over the blogosphere. You wouldn’t believe how many new sites that focus on Indian startups are popping up as a result of that and how many of them want to review all the companies that presented during Proto. Well, as long as the companies get their due coverage, I am quite happy for them and will wish them well.

There is a basic misconception about the event that I want to set right though. Proto was not all about funding. It was about gathering mindshare, attracting talent and showing the world what your product can do, and validating in idea - in a lot of ways. That is the reason when people try to judge the success of this event by the number of companies that got funded, or are in the process of, I am seriously disappointed by it.

As I left a comment to one of the blog posts around:
“When we planned Proto, it was much beyond just getting funding. Startups struggle to capture mindshare, an interest among the public, to attract talent, and to create that initial buzz, or entry barrier as you might call it, and Proto was meant to help with that. The judges of the service/product were not the VCs, but the professionals and fellow entrepreneurs who are consumers and end-users at the end of the day.

Most of the companies that we did showcase, were either little or never known about before, and guess how many sites and review groups are picking them up and providing feedback. Now that’s the initiation of a very healthy ecosystem.

I think its just very shallow to want to participate in Proto just for funding - infact half the companies didn’t require it. They rated mindshare more than funding… It made sense and we took heed.”

Who do you believe is the judge of these companies and products at the end of the day? It’s the Professionals who need to be inspired and convinced, and the same as end-users see if it makes sense to shell out a few pennies to avail the product or service. if you have a group of followers, and a need visibly marked, the funding and everything eventually follows.

In the words of Mahesh Murthy during the event, “You will get what you want, exactly at the time you need it”

Good luck Gentlemen. Dream and Dream Big.