Ailtireacht na tostachta: Cén fáth nach bhfuil aon mhaith daoibh teacht orainn

✦  ⚜  ✦

«Ní bhuaileann fíorchumhacht riamh ar dhoirse dúnta. Athraíonn sí na glais ar fud an fhoirgnimh ar fad, agus na háitritheoirí ag argóint faoi phraghas na scaireanna».

Tá a fhios agam cén chuma atá oraibh agus sibh ag léamh na línte seo.

In bhur n-oifig ar Place Vendôme, i Zürich nó ar Sand Hill Road, tá boladh beag de espresso fuaraithe san aer gan dabht. Tá bhur n-anailísithe iontaofa, bhur ranna dlí agus bhur ngníomhaireachtaí príobháideacha tar éis oíche gan chodladh a chaitheamh ar son seiceanna mígheanasacha, ag iarraidh an t-ainm Olha Lysenkova (Dronova) a mhiondealú de réir na bhfoirmlí seanaithe: Cé leis an iontaobhas seo? Cén ciste atá taobh thiar den scáth? Cé hé an Dronov mistéireach seo agus ina bhfuil oifigeanna amuigh ar an bhfarraige le teacht ar lorg an tsiondacáit?

Cuirigí uaibh an teileafón, a dhaoine uaisle. Ólaigí braon uisce. Ní bhfaighidh sibh aon rud.

Cuardach a dhéanamh ar bhean le sloinne dúbailte i mbunachair shonraí dúnta an tseansaoil — is caitheamh aimsire é sin atá spéisiúil ach thar a bheith costasach do bhur mbuiséad. Gheobhaidh sibh na céadta ban a bhíonn go síochánta ag déanamh subh sna bruachbhailte, ag tabhairt a bpáistí ar scoil nó ag déanamh ionramhála ingne gan locht. Ach an bhean a chuir bunoscionn le bhur gelár fichille, ní bhfaighidh sibh í in aon liosta de chuid Forbes. Mar is aonach na díomhaoine é liosta na ndaoine saibhre — do na daoine sin a gcaithfidh a gcuid fiúntais a chruthú do bhainc strainséartha.

Ceacht do sheanchomhghnóthaigh agus d'«infheisteoirí fialmhara»

Tá sibh i bhfad rófhada ag maireachtáil faoi shamhlaíocht gurbh leis na daoine sin an domhan a bhfuil níos mó urlár gloine acu, slabhraí comhlíonta níos faide agus lucht margaíochta a screadann níos airde. Chuir sibh daoine isteach ina gcuid tearmainn dhigiteacha, áit a léimeann lascaine ar stocaí sintéiseacha idir grianghraf comhbhróin agus pictiúr ón Louvre, agus thug sibh «dul chun cinn» air sin gan aon náire.

Tá dearmad déanta agaibh idirdhealú a dhéanamh idir scála agus clampar.

Tráth dá raibh, d'fhiafraigh duine saibhir áirithe díom, le meangadh pátrúnach, cén bronntanas ba mhaith liom a fháil. Bíonn fir de bhur gcuid ag súil le caprísí intuartha ban: mála eile, seod nó teileafón nua in ionad ceann briste.
D'fhéach mé air agus d'fhreagair mé go suaimhneach: «Ba mhaith liom mo chomhlacht féin a bhunú».

Rinne sé gáire trócaireach: «Scríobh plean gnó, agus breathnóidh mé ar infheistíocht».
Scríobh mé é ar feadh coicíse. San oíche, gan chabhair ó aon duine, tar éis lá oibre traochta. Chuir mé imlíon 68 leathanach os a chomhair — le struchtúr iomlán, ríomhanna agus foirmlí.

He leafed through it for a long while, gave a bewildered chuckle, and quibbled over the calculations:
— «And why are the formulas so basic?»
— «Basic — because you can find them in textbooks. But the key formulas of success lie in my head, and I have no intention of revealing them before the contract is signed».

And then this gentleman did what you, gentlemen investors, always do when confronted with a scale you are incapable of controlling. He took fright. He awkwardly averted his eyes and muttered:
— «I thought you were joking... You know, you're not ready for big money yet. Go work for a friend of mine, learn about life, and then, perhaps, we'll return to this conversation».

I closed the folder and said to him what I have remembered all my life:
«I have no intention of spending my life on other people's friends. But mark this day: you refused me investment, and so I shall build my company myself — without taking a single cent from anyone».

The years passed.

MANIFESTO OF THE HOUSE

«They said “no”. I built an empire.
Simply because I can».

Not a single investment. Not a single venture fund. Not a single compromise.

A quiet warning

VIA AD ME is not a startup. We do not play your investment rounds, we do not take your loans, and your boards of directors do not interest us.

✦  There are no algorithms here draining human attention.

✦  There is no advertising here, no info-business, no cheap tickets to the mass market.

✦  And above all: entry here is not sold for money.

I know that the first reaction of old capital is always the desire either to buy or to break what does not fit into its coordinate system.

I shall spare you this fatal mistake: do not even try.

To go against a system built on hard-won personal strength, impeccable mathematics, and absolute knowledge of human nature is an enterprise with a guaranteed negative balance. You will spend your millions on lawyers, on audits, on attempts at pressure, and in the end you will remain standing at closed gates with a folder of useless reports. Just as that investor remained sitting with his indecisive money.

I am not a predator. Predators fuss and bare their teeth because they fear remaining hungry. I look upon your noise with a light, condescending smile of a hostess who has simply put her own house in perfect order.

If your brand, your manufactory, or your family office ever tires of drowning in the global digital dump — you know where the button for requesting accreditation is. We will politely consider your request. Perhaps we will even reply.

And for now — spare the nerves of your analysts. We have taken care of them and translated this manifesto into 180 languages, so that each of you may read this smile in your native tongue.

With unchanging respect for your wasted time,

Olha Lysenkova (Dronova)

Founder & Creative Director of VIA AD ME