The Internet Growth Alliance which I have the smallest of small parts in has come out and launched their Internet Growth Acceleration Programme which is all about teaching companies how to scale and expand and providing them with advice from people who’ve been there and done that. It’s modeled and inspired by the Stanford Leadership for Growth programme.
IGAP is exactly what so many web companies in Ireland need in order to move from being a minnow to fish to big fish and the mentors on the programme are real deal Irish and International people who have walked the walk. The Internet Growth Alliance is comprised of some of the best and brightest web people in Ireland, many of them selfmade multi-millionaires who have a wealth of information to share.
I’ve seen some negativity with some Irish companies complaining that they have to pay to be part of this, ignoring the fact that Enterprise Ireland takes the biggest hit on this and the people involved are doing this because they want to help. Thank goodness not every Irish web startup runs their life with this kind of entitlement syndrome going on.
I’d wager the type of start-up complaining about the fee wouldn’t have the ideal people or midnset for the kind of advice iGAP would give them. The fee is a good way of filtering applicants. There are many ways of running a successful business. Some start-ups will benefit greatly from sage advice from seasoned veterans and iGAP is for them. Others will fight every piece of advice, hell bent on bucking the system and doing it differently. Not sure iGAP would be for them.
(I do agree that ungrateful turds naysaying iGAP are not worth our time.)
I’m not Irish, but I can see how programs like iGap could be of great value to those with the right plans and outlook. Of course, you’ll always have naysayers, but that goes with the territory.