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
Style on standby: How an 18th & Vine barber shop is turning heads inside KC’s airport
Armon Lasker’s barber shop inside security at the new Kansas City airport terminal flies a cut above the rest, said the former information technology professional-turned-entrepreneur. His spot — Director’s Cut: Take Two — allows travelers to conveniently get a haircut and other services before or after their flights. “This is the first one like this,” said…
Construction tech startup built for the job site, cementing quality data into infrastructure
A veteran Kansas City startup duo’s latest project — Tractics — is set to disrupt an in-demand, yet underserved, market with its construction management platform for heavy civil contractors. “True disruption occurs when behavior changes and I think we found an opportunity to change behavior in a positive way and continue to innovate in a…
Startup founded to save local news acquires Modulist, expanding to obits, classifieds
A fast-growing public notice software platform with Kansas ties this week announced its acquisition of a North Dakota company built to serve publishers with paid celebrations, obituaries, and announcements. Column — founded by Jake Seaton, a fifth-generation member of the Manhattan, Kansas-based Seaton newspaper family — is expected to expand its own platform with the Modulist…
Purina prize earns KC startup a $25K treat in its bid to help foster pets of abuse survivors without safe homes
ST. LOUIS — As a finalist for Purina’s 2024 Pet Care Innovation Prize, Kansas City-built BestyBnB is expected to receive $25,000 and support from the pet care leader as the startup’s co-founders work to grow their business in a $136.8 billion industry. A $25,000 grand prize is on the line this spring. “At Purina, our…