Vancouver Entrepreneurs: CineCoup

GrowLab’s startups have been somewhat of a trend on the Vancouver Entrepreneurs series and it hasn’t happened by accident – the ones that go through the program simply have brilliant teams and business concepts. As the name implies, it focuses on accelerating the growth of startups through superb mentorship, networking, and financing and it only accepts a handful out of hundreds of applications that pour in for this invaluable 4-month intensive program (the deadline for the summer cohort is this Sunday). This weeks featured entrepreneur J. Joly from CineCoup, just graduated from GrowLab’s last cohort and ironically does something very similar GrowLab. His team focuses on accelerating the growth of indie filmmakers by finance their movies – what can you do with $1 million? 

1. Who are you? Tell us about your business/core idea and what inspired you to create it.

My name is J. Joly and I am the CEO and founder of CineCoup, a innovative platform as studio that is going to disrupt the way sub $5 million independent features are packaged, marketed, and financed. I was inspired to create it because I saw a huge opportunity in the market and the fact there has never been a better time to be an independent.

2. You are an accelerator that just came out of an accelerator! Please explain how you accelerate other companies and contrast that to how GrowLab accelerated you.

CineCoup is a film accelerator that is based on the tech accelerator model. As a veteran of two accelerators – Bootup Labs (dimeRocker) and Growlabs (CineCoup) – I found this structure a huge boost to my success. The basic concept is very smart super-angels, venture capitalists, and serial entrepreneurs pooling their resources, and what would have normally take me one to two years on my own takes four months. This is assuming that I hit the key milestones they expect – they capitalize me.

3. How has Vancouver’s rising startup community played a role in the development of CineCoup?

It has played a huge role. CineCoup would not be around if it wasn’t for several successful Vancouver entrepreneurs taking a very early interest and risking capital on my team and our big ideas to disrupt media.

4. What kind of challenges has your team had to face and how have you mitigated them?

Our model is not easy to digest for the uninitiated and definitely has faced challenges when raising investment. In short, many tech investors do understand film and film investors don’t understand tech. Where we have triumphed is that we have delivered other big platforms for branded clients and have domain expertise from the innovative work at dimeRocker.

5. What core problem are you specifically solving for Vancouverites? 

For Vancouver filmmakers we are providing the opportunity to market, build audience, and potentially get your film financed and in theatres. When you look at the whole “Save BC Film” movement, we’re one small step to helping provide some help.

6. What entrepreneur has inspired you the most for running your business and what makes them so special?

Eric Ries, the author of the “Lean Start-up” and Billy Bean the coach of the Oakland A’s who bravely disrupted a baseball with big data (read author Michael Lewis’ Book). These two core ideas have influenced me and the CineCoup business model.

7. What Vancouver celebrity would you most be excited to have as a member of the team and why?

Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg. In my opinion they are true filmmaking entrepreneurs with a unique vision and voice that started as boyhood friends and are now dominating Hollywood.

8. What’s your advice for current or future entrepreneurs?

Being an entrepreneur is hard and not for everyone. Get ready for no sleep, little income and high chance of failure (at least at the beginning). If this sounds exciting – welcome aboard the wildest and most fulfilling ride of your life. Entrepreneurship is not a job it’s a calling.