Launch a Startup in 54 hours with Startup Weekend
I spent my last weekend at Startup Weekend San Francisco, and I’d love to share a few tips so you also can get the most of my experience.
Networking
There was a pre-party the week before the Startup Weekend, although I don’t know if that’s always the case. If you have the occasion to chat with other participants before the pitch session, I recommend spending time getting to know each other, as you will have less time during the weekend. Talking with some Startup Weekend “veterans” will also help understand the program.
The pitch
Last Friday, 54 people pitched their ideas, and then we ended with 15 or 16 project presentations on Sunday night. It can be challenging to catch the audience’s attention with a 60-second pitch—especially if they’re waiting for their turn to explain their idea. But it’s a good experience to have!
If your idea is not selected, don’t go home. Instead, stay and help another team on its project. Even though it can happen, don’t necessarily expect to find in one night that special someone who was dreaming about working on an idea similar to yours.
Be ready to pivot quickly
Once you form a team, be open to any feedback or question about your original idea: it can change a lot between Friday night and Saturday. So don’t rush on coding on Friday, but instead let the team be creative with you.
Launching a startup is teamwork
It’s better to come to the event with an open idea rather than bringing an existing product that needs only some “fine tuning” and doesn’t give the developers the impression they are part of a new venture.
If you are a non-technical person and wonder if you can help a team, the answer is: yes! Over the course of the weekend, some people drop the event; further, 54 hours is a very short time span to work on a prototype, conduct basic market research, prepare the launch, work on the Sunday presentation, etc.
You can also count on the volunteers who help organize the event, and I would like to send a special thank you to Ahmed Siddiqui, who won the Startup Weekend Silicon Valley last year with an iPhone app (GoGo Mongo!). Ahmed was there early in the morning and late at night as a volunteer for the event and as a mentor for the teams.
The presentation
You’re not pitching for getting funded, so try to relax and have fun during the presentation. The judges asked good questions, but they are there to help you.
One of the participants was asked to play guitar at the end of his presentation. I love music, so that was my favorite moment. Such a great feeling can come out by surprise in the middle of a techie event!
After the weekend…
A good part of the weekend is the people you meet, whether you continue or not on the project. The group I was part of already plans to have a drink together next week.
The Startup Weekend was an accelerated program to give participants a taste of what it could be like to work for a startup. If you’re curious about the event, you should give it a try. Go there with the spirit of contributing; you will see how much you will get back.
And the most important thing: have fun!
