Tauranga StartUp Weekend. One word: Awesome.
Planned for: 5,6,7 July 2013.
Register your interest by subscribing to the mailing list to start with and we’ll go from there. (Under our Facebook panel on the right hand side)
“What’s it all about then?”
Startup Weekend is where 4 types of people get together (if you are one of these 4 types come and join us):
- Entrepreneurs who bring ideas to pitch
- Do-ers who hear an idea they like and know what needs to be done to make it work (marketing, to-do lists etc)
- Developers who can mash up technologies to create the magic
- Designers who bring life and energy and colour into the projects
See yourself in one of those roles? Then come and build (or join) a team and form a new business in a 54-hour marathon of inspiration, perspiration, collaboration, and fun! We welcome you whatever your skill level and we promise a friendly, welcoming, yet challenging environment.
“Can anyone pitch an idea?”
Yes! Anyone in any of those roles can pitch an idea. You don’t have to pitch though (but when the “final call” goes up, what’s the harm in jumping up for 60 seconds?)
“I’m not sure what role I fit in, I do a bit of everything”
Awesome, we’d be very glad to have you. Just choose a role you are leaning more towards.
“When does it all happen? What’s the timeline?”
The event starts on Friday evening 5 July 2013, with an icebreaker game and dinner, and then people pitch their businesses concepts to the crowd. 6-10 concepts will attract viable teams around them. By late Friday night, you will have sketched out your concept in some detail and everyone will have roles assigned and an inkling of how they’re going to achieve their goals over the weekend.
Saturday morning is all about market validation – you’ll be contacting potential customers and finding out if there’s really a market need for what you’re building. If not, you’ll need to pivot based on the information you’ve picked up by “getting out of the building” and talking to people. Meanwhile, your developers and designers will be furiously building your products (or mock-ups), and your team will be attracting partners, advisers, and customers.
On Sunday you’ll need to start preparing your 5-minute presentation. Your team will be pitching by dinner time. After that, prizes will be awarded to the best teams. Where you go from there is up to you. Many exciting businesses have come out of Startup Weekends.
“Success Stories?”
Plenty. In New Zealand, previous winners Tweaky.com, TranscribeMe and Usnap.us have gone on to build thriving businesses which have launched in global markets within months of conception. Whether you just want to find out what the world of startups is like in a fun environment, you’re a developer or designer looking for the next big thing, or an entrepreneur looking for a team to turn your idea into reality, Startup Weekend is a fantastic way to test your own abilities and meet great people along the way.
“Alright, sounds cool. What’s next?”
Register your interest by subscribing to the mailing list to start with and we’ll go from there. (Under our Facebook panel on the right hand side)
You could walk into the room with an idea scribbled on a paper napkin and walk out 54 hours later with a start-up company. How cool is that!
