That’s what speed do: Startup Weekend showcases KC creativity and quickness
November 12, 2015 | Natalie Stezovsky
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.
“Perhaps more valuable than prospective partnerships is the flexing of competitors’ creative muscles.” – Natalie Stezovsky
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.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Just funded: Big ‘Pure Pitch’ winners swim with the sharks, earn thousands in cash on the spot
A winning afternoon at the Pure Pitch Rally is validation Dr. Brandy Archie’s healthtech accessibility app is providing connections people actually need, she said. “That’s the most important thing to me,” said Archie, founder of AskSAMIE. “The funds are going to a good cause, but this lets me know that this new idea that I…
They met in Hollywood, but this startup found its ‘fertile field’ of dreams (and community) in Kansas
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. WICHITA,…
Entrepreneur of the Year: Zig when others are zagging — and don’t be afraid of the word ‘no’
Bold strategies helped lead BacklotCars to one of Kansas City’s biggest-ever startup exits, said Justin Davis, and ultimately brought the lauded founder to the stage Wednesday to accept one of UMKC’s Entrepreneur of the Year honors. “Taking ‘no’ for an answer wasn’t an option,” the co-founder and CEO of BacklotCars, a web-based, dealer-to-dealer automotive platform, told…
Founder: Build your startup on relationships — not tech — to survive seismic industry shifts
Nurturing healthy relationships with clients and partners is the most sustainable way to build a business, said Dan Prince, reflecting on his time growing a custom software development company in Kansas City. “You grow a business by your reputation, by doing the best work for people that you can possibly do. I was told a…