There’s a saying in Silicon Valley that if your startup survives its first four years, then you could be on to something. That was the inspiration behind the name given to the startup business platform associated with the Mobile World Capital Foundation, ‘4 Years From Now’ (4YFN). The international network enables startups, investors and corporations to connect and launch new ventures together. The fifth edition of the event will take place this month alongside the Mobile World Congress (MWC). We spoke to the current director, Esteban Redolfi, at the 4YFN offices to find out how the project is doing four years on from its first edition.
“This simple idea started with an event attended by 2,000 people, with some content, some speakers and a couple of projects showcased,” recalled Redolfi. With the world’s technology companies focused on the city during the Mobile World Congress, it seemed sensible to leverage that. And so, 4YFN became an annual complementary event running alongside the MWC. “We have now exceeded our expectations. Last year 20,000 people from more than 136 countries, and more than 700 startups attended, coming to meet with each other and exchange ideas.”
Originally from Córdoba, Argentina, Redolfi came to Barcelona to study corporate communication. He fell in love with the city and has now been here for 17 years. Coming from an industrial, chaotic South American city, where “everyone is an entrepreneur of everyday life”, Redolfi considers entrepreneurship to run in his blood. “My parents are architects and have started many businesses. They showed me what it is like to chase your dreams and follow your ideas through until the very end. I think that I got this sense of ‘I need to create something’ from them,” he mused. “For me, an entrepreneur is someone who never stops creating.”
“My parents were classic entrepreneurs. They were not doing the same as today’s startups,” said Redolfi. So what is the difference? Is ‘startup’ simply a buzzword? Redolfi explained his definition: “There are two or three elements that I would say are completely different from other types of businesses. One is the element of technology that makes businesses scalable like never before...though that does not depend on the people themselves, but the moment we are living in.” He went on to describe the other two elements: no fear of failure—if at first you don’t succeed, try again—and constant collaboration.
When Redolfi joined the Mobile World Capital Foundation, Barcelona’s startup ecosystem was in its infancy. Founded by Aleix Valls—the then director of entrepreneurship within the foundation, and supported by Adrià Batlle—4YFN was born of the need to create a community that connects Barcelona entrepreneurs with the rest of the world. The idea evolved through constant conversation with industry stakeholders. “We asked: ‘What do you need?’,” said Redolfi, “‘What can we create for you?’, ‘What do you think makes sense?’” With industry input, what started out as a music festival, soon evolved into a more business-focused event.
“We started this idea of connecting startups—which was a concept that was not yet well-known in this part of the world—with corporations and investors. We felt that these entrepreneurs needed resources: not only money, but contacts, knowledge and talent. So, we created this platform where they could meet face-to-face, talk about their problems, and exchange ideas and resources,” explained Redolfi. “That is how 4YFN was conceived, and that is what we think we have accomplished so far.”
During that time, Barcelona’s startup scene has prospered and was recently ranked Europe’s fifth biggest hub. In a tough climate, this is in no small part due to the support networks that have developed in the city. Redolfi reflected on the difficulties faced by those starting out: “Despite the apparent glamour surrounding the startup world, it’s extremely hard work. It’s tremendously cruel, and there is little space for mistakes,” he said, “so having an ecosystem that is well connected is vital for people not to lose their inspiration.” The community encourages entrepreneurs to reach out for help, to reinvent themselves, and to keep trying until they succeed. “This is what is happening in Barcelona; this is one of the biggest changes in recent years.”
Based in the futuristic Media-TIC building located at the heart of the 22@ district, the evolution of 4YFN has continued as Barcelona’s startup ecosystem has blossomed all around. “4YFN started off with some wise people describing what a startup hub should be, and right now it’s more about a personal conversation between 20,000 people from around the world, through different activities,” explained Redolfi. “We have meet the press activities, meet the investor, mentoring sessions, panels, workshops, a pitching area, awards...in the end it’s not about me telling you what to do, it’s more about listening to each other and finding a middle ground where we can collaborate.”
As well as multiplying in size, the event has seen a marked change in the range of people attending—corporations, investors, venture capitalists, professional associations, city councils and many more—all on the lookout for the next big thing and how it might affect their industry. “Right now, it is not only about the startups,” Redolfi reflected. “I think the concept of startups has got wider and bigger,” he said, describing how the spirit of startups has inspired projects within large corporations and public entities. “I like to think of this spirit as a very specialised, high performance task force. Wherever you find it, they have taken this spirit from the startup industry.”
So, what’s the next step? “Being an entrepreneur means never stopping; you have created something, it works, but now you need to make it bigger, wider and more meaningful.” For Redolfi and the Mobile World Capital Foundation, that means getting everyone involved—not just entrepreneurs, but corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), scientists, startups, professional associations, and even the education system—to help “make this part of Europe more innovative” and encourage a collaborative approach to problem-solving.
This ambitious new platform—separate from 4YFN—will gather together all stakeholders involved in a given industry to contemplate the biggest problems that their industry faces. “Everyone will put their ideas on the table to look for the best solutions,” said Redolfi, explaining that because of the networks that 4YFN have built around the world, an inclusive, collaborative approach that involves all industry agents will be much greater than the sum of its parts.
And it doesn’t stop there. The platform is not just about collaborative thinking, but also following an idea through to execution: “Normally there is not a direct solution for a problem...that’s why we have created a lab. We will pilot the different solutions until we find the perfect match.” The idea is to incorporate the startup spirit of innovation, creation and iteration across society, particularly in sectors that are reluctant to embrace technology.
At a personal level, enabling this industry-wide collaboration is Redolfi’s key objective for the near future. “Getting passionate people from different places to connect and work together to create something new; that is what I would say would be my biggest ambition for the next couple of years.”
For now, he is quite content with what they have achieved. “The thing that I am most proud of is the possibility to bring Barcelona to the world,” Redolfi beamed. “You can sense the vibe of very talented people here in every area. You can see it in gastronomy, in tourism, in technology, design—just name it. I am completely in love with the city, and I have this enormous honour of presenting it to the world. That is why this is the best job I have ever had.”
The Very Present Future is a series of interviews spearheaded by videographer Milo de Prieto. Metropolitan has teamed up with Milo to interview interesting thinkers and doers from all walks of life, all of whom have had a positive influence on the city in some way.
Metropolitan has teamed up with Milo to interview more people investing in the excellence of the city, based on three key questions: How did you get to where you are today? What are you doing right now? Where are you going from here?