Meet our Valencia MD, Jaime Guillot

What’s a typical dayin the Demium office for you?

There are no typical days. There are always surprises,successes, failures, new activity… Together with my team we help to create valuablestartups and investment networks behind them. If I had to find the closestthing to a typical day, it would be when entrepreneurs are working on theirprojects and every corner of the office has someone talking on the phone withpotential customers.

Tell us about your personal experience in the startup world…

I have been fortunate enough to experience the creation anddisappearance of many business projects over the years. I created the firstbusiness school in Spain that focused specifically on the creation of digitalcompanies. I’ve also failed in undertaking immature technologies, like virtualreality, thinking that their acceptance in the market would be much faster. Onthe other hand, I knew how to enter the drone industry before others, whichallowed my team to develop the largest company within this market in Spain andsell it in 2017.

How would you defineyour approach to supporting early stage startups?

The key in these early phases is to focus on the state ofmind of the entrepreneurs. The business model is important, but theentrepreneurs must be aligned. I like to help in this phase because coaching theiremotions is something I’m good at and that I think is essential for the companyto get its first great results and launch itself into the market.

What can you tell usabout Valencia’s startup ecosystem?

The Valencian Community is possibly the region that isgrowing most in Spain when it comes to entrepreneurial ecosystems. The low costof living and warm climate attracts talent from outside the city. We have verygood universities – the Polytechnic University of Valencia being the second inthe world with regards to the number of patents it’s generated. PlusValencians have a Phoenician character – we know how to sell anything. For thesereasons, great entrepreneurs and well-known startups have been set up in the VC.

Describe theAllStartup Weekend in your city.

The AllStartup Weekend is one of the most interesting andspecial events I have experienced in my life. Each new event is a challenge forboth the entrepreneurs and us. I’m fortunate to have Javier Torregrosa, Head ofTalent, running this event in such a successful way. I often compare it to areality show: when you see the best and worst of people. It’s like a socialexperiment that allows you to see the natural talent of entrepreneurs. A trulyunique experience.

Are commonalities essential in co-founders?

Common traits among co-founders will be in attitude and passion.Searching for a co-founder is often difficult because it’s not easy to findsomeone aligned with your ability to self-motivate and generate positive input.But once found, the next things to look for are technical skills that arecomplementary to yours.

Name three characteristics that are essential for any buddingentrepreneur.

Attitude is everything. Skill and technical knowledge in asubject always add up, and it's something we measure and work on throughout theprocess, but for a budding entrepreneur, the key is their attitude. If you’re aperson with a lot of self-motivation and a great deal of self-confidence, you’reover 50% of the way there.

Of all the misconceptionsthat first-time entrepreneurs have about startup life, what is the most common?

Many believe that by creating a brand and a "cool"project, they will get private investment easily and quickly. The key is tohave good metrics as soon as possible and to be able to handle many customersand billing. If you have that, the money will come.

Statistics state that 90% of startups fail – is this true?

I agree with that statement – sooner or later startupsdie. That's why Demium has so much value, because it minimises the big mistakesthat everyone makes, achieving much higher success rates. Risk and insecuritywill always exist. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, it is for those whoknow how to assume this as part of the game.

Who is the entrepreneur you most admire?

Elon Musk. He made himself and his conception of businessgoes beyond money. He’s managed to create companies of great value andrevolutionise the sectors in which he’s been involved, and he doesn't hesitateto go for it. I have a real admiration for this man.