9 tips from 9 batches of Chinaccelerator

The new batch of Chinaccelerator, China’s premier startup accelerator kicked off this week. Having been through Batch 7 myself, I thought it might be an idea to give a short message to the incoming batch:

Welcome!

OK, that was too short. What I really wanted to do was offer a few pointers, a few do’s and don’ts that I wish someone had told me before I started:

DO get involved as much as you can . There are so many events and talks, it often feels like every single day is full. Yet, it’s nearly impossible to know what will be useful and what won’t (I found that almost all of it was). One of the most useful meetings for me (a chat with the head of Evernote Europe) had nothing to do with my startup at all. So stay open to new things.
DO start practicing your pitch NOW . You’ll be doing elevator pitches all the time, like ALL the time. But that big pitch, the one for Demo Day, tends to get ignored by the teams right up until the last minute. 3 months till Demo Day might sound like a lot of time, but it really isn’t. Think you’ve got the pitch ready? I guarantee you haven’t. And if you’re someone who gets nervous in front of a crowd, you definitely haven’t. Very few people are able to prepare and deliver it in the week before Demo Day, so get started already!
DO contact mentors NOW . Chinaccelerator has an amazing network of mentors: experienced entrepreneurs and people from all fields. But they’re extremely busy people and not all of them have a lot of time. If you want to chat to them before the end of the program, you better start contacting them immediately!
DO be honest in your weekly status check . The Monday status check is not like a teacher checking in on the progress of your paper: it’s there to help you. If you’ve achieved nothing in the last week, say so. If you don’t know what to do in the coming week, say so. And if you desperately need help, you better say so. Also be sure to make the CA people get on with connecting you right away, during the meeting is ideal.
DO drink the beer . Well, you don’t have to drink — this is just a way of saying ENJOY YOURSELF. This will be an incredibly stressful three months, so take a break and grab a glass now and then. Chat to your team mates, the people from the other teams, and…
DO get to know the other teams . First, these people will be living and working in close quarters with you for at least 12 weeks: say hi! Second, you never know who/what they know and how they could help you out. The Friday group discussion session is critical for finding out if anyone can help you with your problems, and you WILL have problems. Third, your CA alumni can become fast friends. I’m still in regular contact with all the people I was close to in Batch 7. As for the people from the teams who didn’t join in, I couldn’t even tell you whether they’re still in business.
DO get on WeChat . If you’ve arrived from overseas and you’re not using WeChat, go download it right now. Go on, I’ll wait. Whether you’re in BD, marketing, or tech, you are going to have to get familiar with this app. WeChat is critical for reaching the Chinese market. It also happens to be the single easiest way for CA to connect you with mentors and people who can help you. Also, you’ll be asked for your WeChat at least 30 times per networking event, so get your QR code ready!
DON’T expect to get a lot of ‘work’ done during Geeks on a Train. GOAT is a fantastic event, one of the best weeks of my life, but it’s a tightly-packed schedule. In short, there isn’t a lot of time for stuff that you would usually be doing. This doesn’t mean you CAN’T work; it just means doing a different kind of work. When you’re speeding around China, meeting important people from major companies, doing workshops, and discussing your ideas with serial entrepreneurs, remember that this IS work — enjoy it.
DON’T always complain about the Internet . This is China, there is no internet here. We have only what we locals like to call the Chinternet, and it’s not good. Almost all of the sites and tools that you usually use are blocked, and you will need a VPN to access them. To add insult to injury, connections in Shanghai are some of the slowest in the world. Needless to say, Chinaccelerator staff are working around the clock to resolve these issues. Chances are: if you’re frustrated, they’re frustrated too. Be patient — you’re an entrepreneur, there’s always SOMETHING that you can be doing. Try to think of it as a learning curve — if you’re selling to China, you’re going to have to experience the internet in the same way that your customers do.

Now, Batch 7 was the best batch, no doubt. We were nicknamed ‘Batch 7: Heaven’ for a good reason. And we like to brag about it too. But I hope with these tips, you can have a great experience here at Chinaccelerator, and be well on your way to the second best batch ever! Just leave our logos and pictures on the wall when you’re done.