BUILD instead of begIn a risk-averse landscape, waiting for external financing to validate your idea is no longer viable. The “BUILD instead of beg” model replaces the old hope-for-a-deal approach with a virtuous cycle of self-sustaining development:Start lean: Begin with a “mini bible”: basic transmedia approach and lean business plan. Create to pitch, pitch to create: Producing a teaser or visual asset early in the cycle supports both focus group feedback and social media traction. ConclusionThe recent Annecy and Kidscreen markets confirmed what many suspected: the independent animation market as we knew it is dead. BUILD instead of beg.