Monica Zara, Alex Agatinei, How to Web: “it’s such a feeling of loneliness when you start building something from scratch”

The documentary "Romanian Startups: Roaring Tigers of Europe", made by the start-up.ro team, spans across 33 years of history, from the first entrepreneurs in the transitional years to the initial technology company transactions that brought Romania into the international spotlight.

Romanian Startups: Roaring Tigers of Europe - The Extended Series will present the people who built the Romanian ecosystem and who discussed with the VideoCorp and start-up.ro team for this documentary. In this series you will find the extensive interviews and find out the stories of those who built entrepreneurship in Romania.

Founded by Bogdan Iordache, a seasoned entrepreneur and an investor, now the GP of Underline Ventures - you can discover the interview with him for the documentary here, nowadays, the conference is run by a new generation - Alexandru Agatinei, CEO of How to Web, and Monica Zara, Head of Conference - and spun off into a community for startup founders, Launch, and into various small events.

How to Web is a cornerstone event and organization in Eastern Europe’s startup scene, evolving from a modest conference of 300 participants in 2009 at a university to a major regional hub connecting founders, investors, corporates, and tech enthusiasts.

"It’s so difficult, we understand, and it’s such a feeling of loneliness when you start building something from scratch that doesn’t exist yet. But once you see thousands of people surrounding you that share the same motivation or can be a supporter for your endeavor, then you know this might actually happen", tells us Alexandru Agatinei when referring to the importance of community and support networks in overcoming the isolation and challenges that startup founders deal with. 

The conference acts as a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and deal-making, fostering meaningful interactions that catalyze business growth and ecosystem development.

"You just see these people that are getting together and they are keen to build something, whatever that thing is, and they don’t go home until they find a solution or until they are satisfied. If they fail, they just start again. They don’t want to go back to their lives", he adds.

Both Alex and Monica highlight the importance of community and resilience for founders, emphasizing that entrepreneurship is a long, challenging journey that requires both boldness and a willingness to seek help. 

"Resilience is key. You need to be crazy enough to go out there and start something, be willing to ask for help, be okay with being vulnerable, showing people that you’re not okay, you still need support professionally and emotionally", Monica and Alex say mentioning the dual necessity of resilience and vulnerability in entrepreneurship, advocating for courage to seek help and the strength to endure setbacks. 

Programs like Spotlight and Launch, initiated by the How to Web team, provide vital long-term support for early-stage founders, offering education, mentorship, and connections tailored to regional realities.

• HTW as a catalyst: Since its inception as a small conference, How to Web has grown into a pivotal platform that not only showcases emerging startups but actively shapes the ecosystem by facilitating investments, partnerships, and knowledge exchange. Its role transcends event management, embodying a community builder that nurtures innovation and collaboration across Eastern Europe.
• Venture Capital in Romania: The ecosystem’s financial maturity is evidenced by a 12-fold increase in venture funding since 2017, with Romanian startups attracting over €100 million annually in venture and angel investments. This surge, despite global market slowdowns, signals investor confidence and the emergence of scalable, competitive tech companies from the region.

• The power of networking and meaningful interactions: Monica and Alex emphasize that beyond knowledge sharing, the most valuable outcome of How to Web and similar initiatives is the ability to connect with the right people—co-founders, investors, mentors, and partners. These interactions often lead to business deals, team formations, and strategic alliances, which are essential for startup success.
• Tailored support programs for regional needs: Initiatives like Spotlight and Launch play a critical role by providing continuous, context-aware support to early-stage founders, addressing not only knowledge gaps but also emotional and community support. These programs recognize that startup success requires long-term commitment and ecosystem-specific resources rather than one-off interventions.

• Resilience, boldness, and asking for help: Founders face a difficult journey marked by uncertainty and setbacks, requiring a mix of courage to start, resilience to continue, and vulnerability to seek support. This paradoxical balance is vital for navigating the entrepreneurial path and increasing the chances of success.
• Ecosystem maturity and evolution: Over the past decade, the ecosystem has matured significantly, with founders evolving from pitching first ideas to becoming mentors, investors, and community leaders. This cycle of learning and giving back strengthens the community and fosters sustained growth.
• Challenges of starting a business and the importance of timing: Many potential founders hesitate at the starting point due to perceived barriers, but Alex and Monica stress that starting is relatively easy compared to the challenge of persevering. Timing, courage, and readiness to learn from mistakes are crucial success factors.

Roaring Tigers of Europe is a production by start-up.ro and Videocorp, part of the Romanian publishing company InternetCorp, active for almost 20 years on the market. The documentary was made with the support of partners BCR, Orange, and 2Performant. Community partners included Guran Consulting Global, How to Web, Launch, Impact Hub Bucharest, Flaviu Simihaian, Rubik Hub, SoftServe, and the Romanian-American University.