Ivan is responsible for navigating Infobip towards becoming a developer-centric organization through dedicated programs and initiatives.
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In 2012, I co-founded Codeanywhere and, after two years of new features and speed improvements, we participated in Techstars Boston in 2014, enabling us to raise Series A funding and help boost our monthly user base. Although this boost was due in part to mentorship and guidance from Techstars, other elements — namely the Techstars Perks program, a library of startup offers from other companies — helped us tremendously.
Startup initiatives like Techstars Perks, RocketSpace and Seedcamp have always been close to my heart. But now more than ever, I realize their importance in helping boost trajectory and nurture innovation by allowing resources to be shared across the industry and giving tech startups the support they need to take their business to the next level.
Seven years on, in my latest role as Chief Developer Experience Officer at Infobip, I'm keen to ensure we play our part in helping the next generation of businesses.
How Startup Programs Work
More often than not, these programs are managed through a credit system, which differs in size depending on the company. Smaller brands entering the field are generally given a certain number of credits to take advantage of products and services from larger companies, helping kickstart growth and elevate their profile. This can include perks like cloud-hosting credits; vouchers from the likes of AWS, Azure or Google; or even free desks at a local co-working space. For a startup, this is hugely beneficial, since you can focus on building and innovating rather than worrying about spending.
For big companies that initiate the programs, it may sound like an altruistic exercise, but it has the potential to be a great value proposition in the long term. Startup programs open sales and revenue through word of mouth. Rather than relying on big splash marketing campaigns, your solutions may be referenced in boardrooms or at industry events by the organizations working with you.
These programs also function as a lead generator. Even though startups may stop using your service once they are successful and keep growing, they are more likely to continue to use and pay for your services long-term after having previously worked with your company. As the startup progresses through growth stages, accessing venture capital and accelerator funds, it will have more cash to invest in improved technology. Planting a product seed early on with the right company can prove highly lucrative five or ten years down the line.
Finally, working closely with brands starting their growth trajectory helps providers build up a bank of comprehensive use cases. Startups are innovative and responsive, so working closely with them and seeing how they use or implement your service may bring fresh ideas as to how you could adapt or scale a certain solution or help identify a new market. The "new tech kids on the block" have a keen understanding of the zeitgeist and tapping into this knowledge pool can help bigger players stay in the know and in the game.
Creating Tribes
Reflecting on my early days in the industry, I've always held a fondness for the companies that I worked with through startup initiatives. When I started my journey at Infobip, one of the first things I wanted to do was create a bespoke startup program that would help the next wave of young and motivated companies make a major impact on the industry.
But how does one go about such a task? The challenge is, as always, to create something of real value to startups, something that will help them focus on working on and perfecting their own product. Whatever your product is, the perks to startups have to make a difference, solve their problems and do so at the lowest possible cost. Be very careful to be as generous as possible with giving out your products — startups don't like to be tricked into it and have to see concrete benefits.
The second — and hardest — part is to create a strong, visible community. Partner with as many other organizations, VCs, accelerators and anyone else in the startup community and actively participate in all possible events and activities. The results will come from active support, education and being available to startups, not from pure old-fashioned selling.
Finally, be original and think about how you can support a startup beyond offering your product. Perhaps you can connect them to investors, create business between them and your customers or let them use some of your offices. Be creative, because startups are.
On our end, we devised the Infobip Startup Tribe based on exactly such principles. Now we have to execute. It’s challenging but exciting, and we strongly encourage all companies big enough to launch a perks program to do so, as innovation and technology are not necessarily a zero-sum game.
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