高科技創(chuàng)業(yè)者的青蘋(píng)果樂(lè)園
????“創(chuàng)業(yè)者之家”(General Assembly,簡(jiǎn)稱(chēng)GA)主要為紐約市高科技行業(yè)的創(chuàng)業(yè)菜鳥(niǎo)們提供工作場(chǎng)所和培訓(xùn)機(jī)會(huì)。日前,這家公司獲得了一批全明星投資者的青睞:霍華德?舒爾茨旗下的Maveron基金、俄羅斯DST Global投資集團(tuán)的尤里?米爾納,以及杰夫?貝佐斯的投資公司Bezos Expeditions。這家初露頭角的公司到底有什么東西吸引了他們的注意?雖然提供共享工作空間和Wi-Fi無(wú)線網(wǎng)絡(luò)的孵化器已不是什么新鮮事,但除此之外,GA還提供高級(jí)商務(wù)與培訓(xùn)課程,改變了傳統(tǒng)創(chuàng)業(yè)孵化基地的模式。上個(gè)月,GA接待了沃頓商學(xué)院(University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School)的MBA新生,而且公司新的合作伙伴通用(General Electric)也將派遣約100名員工參加為期一周的數(shù)字化新人訓(xùn)練營(yíng)。 ????八月的一天晚上,在GA位于紐約市的園區(qū),十幾位學(xué)員正在蘋(píng)果筆記本和iPad上做著筆記,偶爾會(huì)向講師提出一些非常尖銳的問(wèn)題,并且打破沙鍋問(wèn)到底。GA許多課程的老師都是本地的成功企業(yè)家,有時(shí)也會(huì)請(qǐng)來(lái)一些重量級(jí)的“大人物”進(jìn)行“爐邊談話”或?qū)n}研討會(huì),比如紅杉資本(Sequoia Capital)合伙人魯洛夫?博塔。然而,GA非常謹(jǐn)慎,避免這個(gè)工作場(chǎng)所受到風(fēng)投公司的直接影響。 ????這些創(chuàng)業(yè)者大多是年輕人,他們?cè)谙掳嘀髞?lái)到這里,利用晚上的時(shí)間思考創(chuàng)業(yè)計(jì)劃,這一點(diǎn)未免令人意外。他們都希望能提升自己的關(guān)鍵技能——或者所謂的“必殺技”,但同時(shí)也包括產(chǎn)品設(shè)計(jì)、市場(chǎng)營(yíng)銷(xiāo)、文案、天使投資指南,以及其他一些重要的商務(wù)主題。他們只是GA的一小部分會(huì)員。GA目前大約有一百名會(huì)員,不論什么時(shí)候,他們都在進(jìn)行編程訓(xùn)練、開(kāi)展頭腦風(fēng)暴。雖然GA也提供高速網(wǎng)絡(luò)和咖啡,以及共享工作空間,但它并不以孵化器自居。GA廣泛關(guān)注應(yīng)用教育與社區(qū),因此它對(duì)自己的定位是一種新型城市網(wǎng)絡(luò)校園。 ????GA并未接受風(fēng)投公司提供的種子基金。盡管如此, GA僅僅依靠紐約市政府的200,000美元撥款,Skype等贊助商提供的工作場(chǎng)所,以及付費(fèi)會(huì)員及時(shí)支付的會(huì)費(fèi),就從今年1月份起順利運(yùn)營(yíng)至今。GA會(huì)員的收費(fèi)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)為每人每月300美元,可無(wú)條件使用休閑空間和會(huì)議室,還可以享受課程優(yōu)惠(提供專(zhuān)用辦公桌的會(huì)員資格需繳納600美元)。7月底,GA主辦了一場(chǎng)名為“改造紐約市政府網(wǎng)站”(Reinvent NYC.gov)的黑客馬拉松競(jìng)賽,程序員要經(jīng)過(guò)36個(gè)小時(shí)的編程,重新設(shè)計(jì)紐約市政府的網(wǎng)站。紐約市市長(zhǎng)布隆伯格接見(jiàn)了獲勝者,并按預(yù)定計(jì)劃共進(jìn)了早餐——其中一位獲勝者希望能先讓他們洗個(gè)澡。 ????8月,賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)沃頓商學(xué)院派新生到GA接受為期一天的創(chuàng)業(yè)理念速成培訓(xùn)。GA的四位創(chuàng)始人之一杰克?施瓦茲稱(chēng):“我告訴他們,對(duì)于他們的MBA學(xué)習(xí)過(guò)程,最重要的一點(diǎn)就是竭盡全力?!惫緞?chuàng)始人的“潮人范”掩蓋了他們常春藤盟校(Ivy League)的背景:聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人布拉德?哈格里夫斯與馬修?布萊墨是耶魯大學(xué)(Yale)同學(xué);施瓦茲在紐黑文度過(guò)一段艱難的日子之后,也前往沃頓商學(xué)院就讀;而亞當(dāng)?普利茨克則曾就讀于哥倫比亞大學(xué)(Columbia University)。 ????公司四位創(chuàng)始人憑借不懈的努力,最終與通用電氣建立了合作伙伴關(guān)系。明年,將有一百多位通用員工在GA參加為期一周的數(shù)字化新人訓(xùn)練營(yíng)。施瓦茲表示,在這里,通用的員工將熟悉并了解從組織架構(gòu)到社交媒體的各個(gè)方面。他補(bǔ)充說(shuō):“這是對(duì)現(xiàn)代初創(chuàng)企業(yè)的一次全面總結(jié)?!边@次合作關(guān)系的額外獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)是:如果GA的畢業(yè)生們?cè)敢猓麄兛梢詤⒓油ㄓ玫拿嬖?,并有機(jī)會(huì)獲得相關(guān)項(xiàng)目中的工作和實(shí)習(xí)機(jī)會(huì),比如數(shù)字化營(yíng)銷(xiāo)項(xiàng)目等。 ????有了新的投資者加盟,GA便可以在全球市場(chǎng)和網(wǎng)絡(luò)世界大展拳腳。米爾納的DST公司可以幫助創(chuàng)業(yè)者進(jìn)軍海外市場(chǎng),而亞馬遜公司(Amazon.com)的貝佐斯對(duì)于規(guī)?;?jīng)營(yíng)輕車(chē)熟路。領(lǐng)投投資公司Maveron主要投資教育項(xiàng)目,它認(rèn)為GA在提供在線課程方面大有潛力可挖。 ????與此同時(shí),大批創(chuàng)業(yè)者正等著參加GA的課程。參加課程非常簡(jiǎn)單——GA的首要任務(wù)是要進(jìn)行在線擴(kuò)張,所以,普利茨克自己也需要“充充電”,因此他正計(jì)劃參加GA關(guān)于前端網(wǎng)頁(yè)開(kāi)發(fā)的60小時(shí)強(qiáng)化課程。 ????翻譯:劉進(jìn)龍/汪皓 |
????General Assembly, which provides workspace and training for budding, high-tech entrepreneurs in New York City, has just attracted an all-star list of investors: Howard Schultz's Maveron fund, Yuri Milner of DST Global, and Jeff Bezos's Bezos Expeditions. What do they see in this fledgling company? Incubators that offer shared workspace and Wi-Fi are nothing new, but GA has morphed that model by offering sophisticated courses in business and design. Last month GA hosted Wharton's incoming MBAs, and its new partner GE will send about 100 employees for weeklong digital boot camps. ????At GA's New York City campus one night in August, a dozen students took notes on Macbooks and iPads, while occasionally asking their instructor incisive and persistent questions. GA uses successful, local entrepreneurs to teach many of the classes, but also brings in heavy-hitters such as Sequoia Capital partner Roelof Botha for "fireside chats" and workshops. GA is careful, however, to provide a workspace insulated from direct venture capital influence. ????These mostly young entrepreneurs have come here from work and, considering the evening hour, their focus might seem surprising. Yet all are eager to hone their critical skills -- "Closing Tactics" in this case, but also product design, marketing, copywriting, a guide to angel investing and other crucial business topics. They are just a few of the one hundred or so GA members coding and brainstorming away at any given time. Even though GA provides the high-speed connection and coffee expected of a shared workspace, it doesn't see itself as an incubator. Because of its broader focus on applied education and community, GA sees itself more as a new kind of urban networking campus. ????Eschewing seed money from venture capital, GA has operated since January on the strength of a $200,000 grant from the city, sponsors such as Skype for its workspace, and an immediate, paying member base -- $300 per person, per month gets you unlimited use of the lounge spaces, conference rooms, and discounts on classes (a membership providing your own work desk costs $600). At the end of July, GA hosted a hackathon competition called Reinvent NYC.gov, where programmers competed in a 36-hour programming binge to redesign the city government's website. Mayor Bloomberg met with the winners for a planning breakfast -- one hopes after they'd gotten a shower. ????In August, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School sent its incoming class on a daylong crash course in entrepreneurial concepts. "I told them hustle is the most important thing they can bring to their MBA experience," says Jake Schwarz, one of four co-founders of GA. The founders' downtown, vaguely hipster vibe belies their Ivy League background: co-founders Brad Hargreaves and Matthew Brimer were classmates at Yale; Schwartz also did hard time in New Haven before attending Wharton for business school; Adam Pritzker attended Columbia. ????The foursome's own hustle helped land a partnership with General Electric (GE). More than one hundred GE employees will spend a week at GA over the next year in a sort of digital boot camp. Schwartz says the GE employees will get up to speed on everything from organizational structures to social media. "It's really an overview survey of the modern startup," he adds. A bonus of the partnership: GA grads get to interview with GE, should they choose, for jobs and internships in programs such as digital marketing. ????With its new investors, GA has the backing to expand globally and online. Milner's DST can help with reaching entrepreneurs outside the U.S., while Amazon.com's (AMZN) Bezos knows a thing or two about scale. Lead investor Maveron, which invests in education projects, says it sees great potential in GA offering online programs. ????In the meantime, there's a long waitlist to get space at GA. Classes are easier to join -- and with online expansion first on the to-do list, Pritzker has his own brushing up to do, and plans to take GA's 60-hour intensive program in front-end web development. |