These days, you cannot walk two feet in any of the numerous downtown drinking establishments without running into someone who has a great idea he or she wants to run past you. Honestly, if I had a drink for every pitch, my liver would press charges.
But this weekend after 10 p.m., you can be sure that if you do stumble upon a group huddled especially close together, scratching away on notepads and coding on laptops, these folks are a part of the fourth annual Startup Weekend Grand Rapids.
This annual event welcomes entrepreneurs, designers, developers, and startup enthusiasts to cram 54 hours of work in one weekend as they go through the startup exercise in the hope of hatching the next big idea.
Not every idea may land a golden egg or even advance beyond an idea this weekend, but the experience of working in a super fast-paced environment is exactly the kind of learning that shakes things up and ultimately is good for you.
I say this because recently, I engaged in my own sort of fast startup activity and was rewarded heartily for taking a leap. Compressed time frames means we have to be nimble, efficient, and succinct with our focus. This is the beauty of Startup Weekend.
Folks will gather on Friday at 6 p.m. and after a short social period, will be granted a pitch time of less than two minutes. After popular vote, the top ideas will be divided up between team members who will spend the rest of the weekend moving ideas from drawing board to application. Most typically create a web or a mobile application under the guidance of some of the most engaged firms, mentors, and seasoned entrepreneurs.
On Sunday, the teams will reassemble to present their ideas to a panel of judges who, according to event organizers, will reward and give critical feedback to the projects.
The fourth annual Startup Weekend Grand Rapids is based on the event founded in 2007 by Andrew Hyde in Boulder, CO and is made possible locally through the generous contributions of Huntington Bank, Start Garden, Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids SmartZone, Smith Haughey, The Factory, Azulstar, and Elevator Up.
Admission: $99. This includes your meals and all beverages. Limited tickets, so don’t delay.
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