What if you could take an idea from concept to reality in just one weekend? That is the idea behind Startup Weekend, an event that takes place in cities around the globe each year. Los Angeles Startup Weekend takes place this weekend, starting tonight at 5:30pm. So how does it work?
Friday night you meet up with all the other awesome developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and local entrepreneurs in your city at the event. Ideas are pitched and people start breaking off into groups. Usually around nine groups total are formed.
Saturday morning your team gets to work on developing the idea. The LA event will include startup waffles in the morning and a poolside rooftop BBQ break for lunch. Throughout the day guest speakers will pop in and there will be music and sponsors set up for you to chat with when you need a break.
Sunday begins at 9am and you have until 6pm to figure out if you have a viable product to launch. More special guests pop in during the day. Presentations begin at 9pm and there is also a discussion about what worked, what didn’t and how to make it better.
You may be asking yourself what attendees get out of all of this hard work? It’s a unique opportunity that you can’t find anywhere else. Many people forge connections and friendships not to mention companies. In the past ideas from Startup weekend have gone on to produce revenue and get seed funding. Your drinks and food are also covered and even though it’s work, it’s the kind of work that is fun to do. Building something you are excited about with others that share the same passion often doesn’t feel like work at all.
Tickets are also unique in that you get pick what kind of role you want for the weekend. There are nine different types to choose from. If something is sold out, don’t panic, you can also purchase a ticket under a different role. They are not designed to represent your day job, but rather what you would like to spend the weekend doing and often people change roles throughout the weekend. For a better description of each role check out the ticket info under the FAQ section. This years event is already sold out. I suggest signing up early next time to ensure you get a spot. You can ask to be added to the waitlist in hopes that a spot opens up.
Some of the speakers that are lined up to pop in during the weekend are: Sean Percival, Scott Sangster, Andy Wilson, Will Schroter, Ryan Roberts, Mark Suster and Kimberly King-Burns. Francisco Dao from Twiistup will also be there as a judge.
Check out la.startupweekend.org for more information on the event and follow them on Twitter @startupweekend. Attendees will be using the hashtag #lasw if you want to follow along as the weekend unfolds, it should be pretty exciting.
Details
Dates: April 30th to May 2nd
Time: The schedule is open for you to come and go as you please. A general breakdown can be found here.
Location:
coloft
920 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, Ca 90401
Tickets: $75 (sold out)
Hashtag for the event is #lasw
