Startup Weekend returns to Kansas City in June
April 18, 2017 | Bobby Burch
People often ruminate for years on a startup idea, calculating risk, analyzing a market and perfecting a pitch.
With Startup Weekend, that course of contemplative construction is distilled into 48 hours of ideation, iteration and presentation. And after a year hiatus, the event is returning to Kansas City for wild weekend of founding fury.
Startup Weekend is set for June 9 – 11 at the yet-to-be announced Techstars Kansas City offices. Locally, past winners of Startup Weekend have included 1 Minute Candidate, LoopLogiq, Zaarly and others.
We spoke with Startup Weekend organizer John Coler about the event, its needs and tips for teams.
What is startup weekend?
Startup Weekend is a 48-hour event for developers, designers and entrepreneurially-minded people to get together and create a startup over the course of a weekend. We provide resources via facilitators and mentors to assist teams and they bring expertise from various industries in the Kansas City community.
What kind of people are needed?
We’re open to anyone that has that entrepreneurial drive. We want to do our best to get developers and designers to attend. We need to build things and that’s who we’re hoping for this time around. … We need more developer and design talent. We can get that form startup community and from corporate employees looking to make that entrepreneurial jump.
What types of teams perform well?
It varies. You need a team from a variety of categories, developers, designers and non-technical talent. They need to experiment over the weekend, make prototypes and do customer validation. The teams that typically perform the best are the ones that can get a paying customer over the course of a weekend. I really think anyone can be successful as long as they follow guidelines from the judges.
Any advice for teams?
Come in well rested. It’s a long weekend. Put out feelers on who will be attending. … Do some reading up on lean startup methodology and other resources to understand that. Surf online to see what’s been done before in other Startup Weekends and what’s worked for them. If you’re coming in with a particular idea, do research on what’s out there.
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Events Preview: KC Women in Tech, Lean Lab Happy Hour
There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Weekly Events Preview Winning Federal Research Grants When: Jan. 18, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Where: UMKC SBTDC This introductory seminar explains how…
ECJC offering dozens of entrepreneurial education events in 2017
The Enterprise Center in Johnson County has a jammed packed schedule of over 50 workshops for Kansas City entrepreneurs in 2017. “We are lucky to have the support of dozens of volunteer service providers who take time away from their own jobs and businesses to share their expertise with entrepreneurs,” ECJC vice president of communications…
With a focus on fashion education, Sock 101 rebrands to School of Sock
A growing Kansas City fashion firm is restitching its public image. With a broader focus and new expansion plan, Sock 101 is rebranding to become School of Sock. The company — which began with a la carte and “Sock of the Month Club” options — is changing up its name to reflect its goals to…
Columbia-based EquipmentShare plans to hire 20 techies at new KC office
A rapidly-growing startup based in Columbia, Mo., is planning to open its technical hub in Kansas City. As it expands around the nation, EquipmentShare co-founder Willy Schlacks said he’s hoping to hire about 20 software and web developers for the firm, which has been touted as the “Airbnb for construction equipment.” EquipmentShare created a peer-to-peer…