Startup Weekend: Medicine Tent For Web 3.0

Does your start-up business need a dash of inspiration? Could your web-based company use a crash course in how to make it? Startup Weekend is a 21st century medicine tent for would-be pioneers of Web 3.0 and beyond. Traveling through America’s most electrifying cities, college towns and talent hotbeds, Startup Weekend is an idea and a company that brings together motivated, web-savvy folks where they live. Harnessing the creative energy of web-based entrepreneurship, Startup Weekend fosters links between developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus and graphic artists for 54 hours that build communities, companies and projects. The idea driving Startup Weekend is that entrepreneurs should learn from each other by creating and collaborating on their actual projects.

Founded in 2007, by Colorado-based graphic designer, Andrew Hyde, Startup Weekend is known for its quick decisions, ‘out of the box’ thinking, unique facilitation technique and letting the founders show what they can do. Founders pay a nominal fee for three days of intense brainstorming, market analysis and pointed questioning and are expected to leave the weekend with a developed company or project. Often, harsh reality checks from like-minded web peers are what follow, but the aim is for projects to leave as robust and battle ready as possible. Is there someone else competing in your space? Here’s how you can gain an edge. Learning directly from others engaged in the startup process saves headaches and can be a great way to learn a few shortcuts. Best of all, you don’t have to leave town to do it.

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The spirit of entrepreneurialism is everywhere. “People don’t realize how much talent is in the community,” said Startup Weekend’s new CEO, Ray Angel. At the age of 22, Angel brings with him a humbling knowledge of the web. In addition to his role with Startup Weekend, Angel is a nationally syndicated radio host, noted gaming columnist and the CEO of MOSH Mobile, which provides users with free cellular phone service. Is there anything else?

Angel was impressed when Startup Weekend was able to facilitate community building and bring about change in a way unlike the dozens of similar conferences he has attended. Often, handing out a business card was the beginning and the end of a relationship. At the Bloomington Weekend, in early February, he says he personally interacted with all of the 100+ attendees and keeps in touch with most on a weekly basis.

It was in his own backyard Angel realized Startup Weekend was doing something unique for the community; getting smart people talking, to plan out things and look at challenges from all the angles. And he didn’t need to look so far away to find talent and mentorship. “I didn’t join to make money,” Angel said. “I just want to see the idea replicated.” Past weekends have taken place throughout the US as well Hamburg, London and Toronto.

At the Boulder 2 Weekend, March 21st-23rd, 2008, the company’s most notable success occurred with the creation of Handshak.es, an iPod-based social network, literally born on a whiteboard and put together in 54 hours. By the end of the Weekend Handshak.es had been approached by Google to give a presentation and has already received offers from investors. Angel was lothe to divulge any details, but he said a number of very exciting things were already happening for Handshak.es. Not bad for three weeks. We’ll have to keep an eye out.

Startup Weekend doesn’t retain any rights to companies or ideas generated during their events. Right now they are happy facilitating the kind of coordination that will breathe new life into the web. According to Angel, Startup Weekend has also begun working with city councils who have approached them about ways to help attract talent and entrepreneurship to their areas.

Could your project be next? Look for the Weekend to roll through your town. Startup Weekend will be rolling through San Antonio, TX, Portland, OR, Memphis, TN and Ann Arbor, MI in May and June. If you’re serious about your business, you might leave Startup Weekend without much sleep and more than just a dream.