Comments on: StartupWeekend – Lets Get Together http://www.darrenherman.com/2007/07/07/startupweekend-lets-get-together/ Marketing, Media, and Technology Conversations Wed, 8 Feb 2012 19:55:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Jeff Kubarych http://www.darrenherman.com/2007/07/07/startupweekend-lets-get-together/comment-page-1/#comment-13237 Jeff Kubarych Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:20:46 +0000 http://www.darrenherman.com/2007/07/07/startupweekend-lets-get-together/#comment-13237 There will be a Startup Weekend NYC September 21-23rd - here's the link to sign up: http://nycstartupweekend.eventbrite.com Maybe I'll see you there. There will be a Startup Weekend NYC September 21-23rd – here’s the link to sign up:

http://nycstartupweekend.eventbrite.com

Maybe I’ll see you there.

]]> By: Gabe http://www.darrenherman.com/2007/07/07/startupweekend-lets-get-together/comment-page-1/#comment-12513 Gabe Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:14:34 +0000 http://www.darrenherman.com/2007/07/07/startupweekend-lets-get-together/#comment-12513 The problem is that I assume the compressed time frame a) privileges the position of programmers and b) crowds out non-programmers from either joining in the first place or contributing substantively after the clock starts -you therefore get a business idea that is conceived primarily by programmers -challenge #1 then is how to integrate people from media, pr, finance, entertainment, law, etc., into a process (especially at the start when it comes to proposing and deciding ideas) whose structure is biased towards the contributions of programmers -perhaps it would be best to stretch the weekend out a bit to give some breathing space to the non-programmers: Wednesday night: Non-programmers gather to discuss ideas and settle on one. Maybe structure as a mini-pitch camp. Perhaps three or four programmers attend to provide technical guidance. Other programmers welcome, but not required, to attend. Thursday: non-programmers write the specs Friday: web designers do their thing Saturday/Sunday: programmers do their thing Also, if the goal is to develop a business and not a hack, then I’m not sure if the open idea submission process on a public website is the right way to elicit people’s best ideas. The process seems built to elicit second tier ideas. So Challenge #2 is to how to structure the process to elicit people’s premium ideas – not simply the best of their second tier ideas. I’d be curious to hear the composition of the Start-Up Weekend team – especially in terms of a breakdown between programmers and non-programmers. What do people think of the mission statement?: "Startup Weekend is an idea, an experiment, a chance to get together and create something beautiful over one jam packed weekend." Just sounds like a glorified hack-a-thon to me. I'd prefer a statement that focused people on developing something that could flower into a viable business. The problem is that I assume the compressed time frame a) privileges the position of programmers and b) crowds out non-programmers from either joining in the first place or contributing substantively after the clock starts

-you therefore get a business idea that is conceived primarily by programmers

-challenge #1 then is how to integrate people from media, pr, finance, entertainment, law, etc., into a process (especially at the start when it comes to proposing and deciding ideas) whose structure is biased towards the contributions of programmers

-perhaps it would be best to stretch the weekend out a bit to give some breathing space to the non-programmers:

Wednesday night: Non-programmers gather to discuss ideas and settle on one. Maybe structure as a mini-pitch camp. Perhaps three or four programmers attend to provide technical guidance. Other programmers welcome, but not required, to attend.

Thursday: non-programmers write the specs

Friday: web designers do their thing

Saturday/Sunday: programmers do their thing

Also, if the goal is to develop a business and not a hack, then I’m not sure if the open idea submission process on a public website is the right way to elicit people’s best ideas. The process seems built to elicit second tier ideas. So Challenge #2 is to how to structure the process to elicit people’s premium ideas – not simply the best of their second tier ideas.

I’d be curious to hear the composition of the Start-Up Weekend team – especially in terms of a breakdown between programmers and non-programmers.

What do people think of the mission statement?: “Startup Weekend is an idea, an experiment, a chance to get together and create something beautiful over one jam packed weekend.” Just sounds like a glorified hack-a-thon to me. I’d prefer a statement that focused people on developing something that could flower into a viable business.

]]> By: Adam Brucker http://www.darrenherman.com/2007/07/07/startupweekend-lets-get-together/comment-page-1/#comment-12463 Adam Brucker Sun, 08 Jul 2007 04:16:01 +0000 http://www.darrenherman.com/2007/07/07/startupweekend-lets-get-together/#comment-12463 "I’m fascinated to see where this all leads… when is this occurring in NY?" Hopefully soon - we are documenting everything about this experience and hope to publish a "best practices" report after we're all done. Stay tuned. “I’m fascinated to see where this all leads… when is this occurring in NY?”

Hopefully soon – we are documenting everything about this experience and hope to publish a “best practices” report after we’re all done. Stay tuned.

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