The Basics:
Who can come?
Anyone! We try to fill the room with a mix of people from various backgrounds. See the bottom of the page for more info on ticket types.
Is the Event Tech Focused? – No, we’ve had pillow companies come out of Startup Weekend! It is true that the majority of the startups are web related but you’re encouraged to bring anything you want to tinker with. If you can get the proper permits for dynamite to demo a new blasting company we’re all for it! You’re encouraged to work on that new biomedical startup or anything else. Keep in mind we won’t have the microscopes but you sure can bring them!
What to expect - On Friday night people pitch their ideas. There can be as few as 10 pitches or as many as 100, we keep on pitching until everyone is done! We do a simple vote of everyone’s favorite 2 or 3 to narrow down the ideas by about 3/4. Individuals then gather around the remaining ideas to discuss feasibility, and identify what they need as far as skill sets and resources to get to work. People are free to work on any idea that interests them that they feel they will have a value add for. If you find yourself feeling lost or feel you can’t contribute, then join a team and be a sponge for the weekend. There is a lot to learn and 99.9% of the people that attend Startup Weekend are great people and will teach you a thing or two if you show the interest.
What if I’m worried about my idea being stolen? – If you have a great idea you might be concerned about protecting it! Here is what we recommend in that case. Odds are your idea is GREAT but you still need help from other professionals or are looking for another co-founder to launch it. I recommend that you come to the event, don’t pitch the idea or if you do, pitch a very small chunk of it. Then ask people that are interested in learning more to find you and have a conversation with you to discuss it further. It is perfectly ok to guard your idea and share it with select people during the weekend once you have gotten to know them better. You are encouraged to discuss working on your great idea either during or after the weekend. Think of yourself as being a talent scout looking for the smartest people to potentially work with. This is a powerful component of the event, people form powerful lasting professional relationships and friendships at these events and often times will work on projects that are unrelated to projects that were started at the Startup Weekend event. This is a good thing! We want to help you find co-founders in your community!
Once ideas are chosen teams from around them. We generally have teams of 2-15 people and have launched as many as 23 startups in a single weekend!
What You Should Bring:
Before the event:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Startup Weekend?
Startup Weekend is a weekend event in cities around the world. A highly motivated group of developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and more meet and in a short 54 hour event work on building projects out. It is very much like an unconference, where the attendees decide the outcome of the experience.
What is the weekend like?
The weekend is fun, mentally simulating and always profitable (2 of those are true)! It starts Friday at 6pm and finishes up Sunday at 6pm, the hours in between are up to the community. Startup Weekend gets everyone in the same room, sometimes clothes and always feeds. What is next is really up to the people that show up, it is your drive and passion that will lead the weekend.
When are you coming to {mycity}?
As with almost everything related to Startup Weekend, this is decided by the community. Cities are added to the schedule with the City Vote Project. If your city is not there contact us! If you’re interested in hosting a Startup Weekend in your city please take a minute and fill out this questionnaire
How did it start?
It was a late night in June of 2007 at TechStars when the idea was coined. Danny Newman and Stan James discussed how they missed collaborating on projects with others now that they were working on bigger projects, later David Cohen and Joe Scharf pushed founder Andrew Hyde to take the concept into reality. In May of 2009, Marc Nager and Clint Nelsen really saw an opportunity to help Startup Weekend continue to grow and took over the operations of Startup Weekend.
What is the agenda?
Have you ever worked at a startup? Startup Weekends don’t really have agendas, just general times when the building is open for everyone to meet and work. If you are an agenda driven person, Startup Weekend might not be for you. You make the agenda based on the people, ideas and mood.
Is the expectation to launch a startup in one weekend?
That is the goal but launching and incorporating are totally up to the teams that are put together at the start of the event. The excitement of launching makes the weekend thrilling. Go for it!
Multiple startups?
Yes. Depending on the number of attendees your number of projects will vary but typically 5-15 are formed in a given weekend.
How are details like legal, ownership, members etc handled?
The people working on the products will determine these issues during the weekend. Startup Weekend, NPO does not retain ownership of any company coming out of the weekend and does not issue any shares. If you have questions, we generally have attorneys present at each event and we can help you find one to ask!
Is everyone who attends a participant?
Again, this will be determined by the participants. It is your weekend, but don’t show up to watch. Participate!
What happens once the weekend ends?
Above all, we hope that a strong community bond will form. Beyond that, it depends on the group. Past weekends have seen groups work beyond the weekend and continue to build and market their products. Several projects have incorporated as companies and a few have raised multiple angel rounds. Skribit is an example.
Aren’t people concerned about someone running away with their idea?
Given the nature of the event, and the fact that it will be live twittered/blogged/streamed etc., intellectual property will be difficult to keep secret. We suggest that if you have an idea that you don’t want taken, then don’t present it. The purpose of the event is to build community, so consider working on projects that introduce you to working with cool people. Additionally, consider sharing your idea with people you meet on an individual basis if you think they’d make a good co-founder and you’re comfortable with them.
Do You Sleep At the Event?
Yes. Definitely! Generally the hours are Friday from 6-11pm, Saturday from 9am-10pm and Sunday from 9am-9pm. If you have reasons to be away during the weekends, by all means feel free to do so (kids soccer game, dinner with the Prime Minister, etc). You are free to come and go as your schedule dictates.
Who Runs Startup Weekend?
Startup Weekend NPO is run by the community supporting entrepreneurship. Every weekend has a facilitator that is approved by Startup Weekend. Startup Weekend is currently in the process of becoming a Non-Profit Organization. This will complement the true identity of Startup Weekend and open more doors to partnerships with other organizations that can truly benefit the startup community.
Is Startup Weekend a Company?
Yes, Startup Weekend is a startup in its own right. The company and Trademark are used to make sure the quality of each Startup Weekend. If you have questions, call us!
Can I sponsor the Weekend?
Yes you can, in two ways. You can be a local sponsor for one weekend or a national sponsor for all the weekends. Check out our Sponsors Page or send an e-mail directly to us via our contact page.
What do the ticket types mean on the registration page?
First of all, 99% of the people that are asking about this are stressing out. Don’t. The ticket types are for, and sorry for the all caps, but we are going to use them, PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. If something is sold out, sign up for something else, just email the organizer. Cool? Planning purposes only.
I hope this helps you pick what ticket to ‘buy.’ Remember to pick what you would like to spend your weekend doing, not necessarily what you do for your day job and you’re totally free to change roles throughout the weekend.