1.
RICHARDLUCAS
1979-2019
7th April 2019, Warszawa
Mistakes &
Lessons Learned
www.richardlucas.com

2.
Workshop Expectations/Goals
Motivation/Participation, involvement &
respect
Be useful/share knowledge
Save you millions of Złoty
JRL Rule – Remember one thing

3.
Lessons Learned
ATRQ “Ask the right questions”
RTFG “read the xxxx ing agreement”
ITSTGTBTIPI “if it seems to be to be true it probably is”
FMIAAD “free money is an addictive drug”
HCIT “How cool is that”
IAAP “it’s all about people”
YIINE “Your Idea is not enough”
LBDIEAD “learning by doing is expensive and dangerous”
richardlucas.com

4.
Lessons Learned
DME Don’t make Excuses
CYLYITM Can you look yourself in the mirror
WAYTTI Who are you trying to impress
ETJ Enjoy the journey
GOOYL Get out of your lighthouse
ER Embrace/Expect rejection
ABL Always be learning
DIYTFSTDI do it yourself then find someone to do it
3Cs 3Ps S (Clients, Competition, Costs, People,Product,Process,Strategy)
richardlucas.com

5.
Lessons learned from 30 years
of failure (and some successes)
Business model
Financing
Risk
Commitment
People
Leadership
Enjoying the journey
Techcrunch/Event myth
Self Awareness
Timing & time
Luck
Ask the right questions
richardlucas.com

6.
Ask the right questions
What problem does it solve?
Does it make sense?
How is it going to make money?
How big is the market?
Why is this going to succeed?
How driven and committed are the founders?
What can possibly go wrong?
What happens if it does go wrong?
richardlucas.com

7.
Ask the right questions/2
How will I get my money back?
How can I be sure the person I am talking to is
not BS-ing me?
Can I call a friend?
What do clients and potential clients say
richardlucas.com

8.
Noren
HCIT (how cool is that?)
richardlucas.com

9.
Ignite Warsaw February 2011

10.
Icebreaker

11.
Icebreaker (4 mins)
Find someone you don’t know
What would you most like to learn
from an immigrant businessman who
has set up 35 businesses in 28 years
in Poland

12.
Key facts
Started 35 ventures
14 still trading
had GBP10K in 1991
Invested about 4.4 mln pln
from dividends
No exits, live of dividends
About 700 employees
“2 year” rule
Amazing clients
My share of the value in
the businesses ??????
maybe PLN xxxx mln (inc.
two office buildings)
Under capitalised
3 times CEO
If I knew then what I know
now…….
richardlucas.com

13.
www.richardlucas.com

14.
HBR – 2018
richardlucas.com
https://hbr.org/2018/07/research-the-average-age-of-a-successful-startup-founder-is-45

15.
Dialogue
Cards
One Card
per group of
three
Discuss
your
question
Given the choice of
anyone in the world
whom would You want
as a dinner guest?
Kogo z całego świata
chciał(a)byś gościć na
kolacji?
1
Given the choice of
anyone in the world
whom would You want
as a dinner guest?
Kogo z całego świata
chciał(a)byś gościć na
kolacji?
2
Given the choice of
anyone in the world
whom would You want
as a dinner guest?
Kogo z całego świata
chciał(a)byś gościć na
kolacji?
3

16.
www.richardlucas.com

17.
Richard St John - TED Talk
richardlucas.com

18.
Learning by doing
Painful
Expensive
Dangerous
Wrong
richardlucas.com

19.
November 2009

20.
LEARN TO LOVE REJECTION
www.richardlucas.com

21.
www.richardlucas.com
“It is impossible to live without failing at
something, unless you live so cautiously
that you might as well not have lived at all”
JK Rowling

22.
RICHARDLUCAS
1979-2019
7th April 2019, Warszawa
Mistakes &
Lessons Learned
www.richardlucas.com