That’s what speed do: Startup Weekend showcases KC creativity and quickness

Business ideas can come from anywhere, at anytime.

Natalie Stezovsky

But few events are designed to accelerate a concept to an actual business in only 54 hours.

That acceleration — paired with a team of innovative problem solvers — is the essence of Kansas City Startup Weekend. Speed, teamwork and creativity take center stage, and the best idea is crowned a champion.

Like the Startup Weekends before it, 2015’s final KCSW aims to help innovators or aspiring entrepreneurs quickly build the foundation of a business. Competitors posit ideas, test them, gather feedback and then build a business — all in 54 hours. When time runs out, teams pitch their ideas to judges.

The weekend isn’t about the best-designed app. It’s about the validity of a business idea. Great minds come together to solve a problem and figure out where it’s going to fit in the marketplace. And along the way, entrepreneurs learn from business experts, their teammates and meet potential partners or investors.

Over the years, Startup Weekend has been no stranger to success. Little Hoots and Keyzio are both local and growing firms that were born out of Startup Weekend. Also, Google recently acquired Divshot, which spread its roots from Kansas City Startup Weekend, but is now located in Los Angeles.

But perhaps more valuable than prospective partnerships is the flexing of competitors’ creative muscles. Startup Weekend encourages economic and personal growth through hands-on learning. Participants are introduced to new and unforeseen challenges, forcing the development of new problem-solving skills. You may discover a hidden talent or skill that will serve you in other pursuits.

Startup Weekend is a showcase of the local talent — programmers, designers, accountants, writers and more — that supports and cultivates Kansas City’s future. Even though your idea may not materialize into a viable venture, the skills you develop and friends you make along the way are sure to endure.

Kansas City Startup Weekend is set for Nov. 13 to Nov. 15 and is hosted at the Sprint Accelerator. For more information, click here. Follow the excitement on Twitter on #KCSW.

Natalie Stezovsky is vice president at Influence & Co. and an organizer of Kansas City Startup Weekend. Follow her on Twitter at @nstezovsky.