One week ago I finished Startup Weekend Osaka. Here’s me, attempting to explain what a Twitter chat client is – and learning that even many social media-savvy people in Japan do not know what a hashtag is (let alone how they can be used to bring together a Twitter chat):
Of course, I knew that my pitch might not get picked by enough participants to get developed, and that I would be looking for an idea better than my own, in any case. As I anticipated, a great time it was, and I hope to continue team-building and project development with people I met there.
My pitch for a next-gen Twitter chat client was not endorsed by enough people, so I joined a team: “Gohoubee” (rewards).
When I approached them I learned their beginning concept: track dieter’s exercise with one or more devices (including FitBit), let them select and pay for a reward for reaching a fitness goal, and when they reach it, they are sent their reward. If they do not reach their goal, we would keep their money. To this, I suggested that I might know a thing or two about dieting, motivation, and that I would like their 6-member team to consider my thoughts. I suggested that we consider how insurance companies and casinos offer a reward with a far-greater value than the individual invests – because they know that most people will not meet the conditions for the payout. I suggested that I – former fat guy – would be their customer, but would expect a reward with a value of several times my investment. All six applauded – and asked me to join their project team, which I did. I named the site, helped with images, visual thematic elements, and kept our people motivated with suggestions for value features we could add – after pitch day.
Unfortunately, a full six hours into developing our business model and site mock-up, one member decided that he did not feel right about betting against people who are working to improve themselves. No one spoke up, and I decided that, what with me being the last to join the team, and how it could prove to be a worthwhile exercise to “polish a turd,” so to speak, and pitch a flawed business model, we reverted to their original plan. Our founder went on to pitch the original plan: hand us $100, work your diet/exercise, and if you reach your goal, you are sent something worth $100. Fail, and we keep your cash.
The crowd went wild (with laughter)
The idea-man behind the project team I worked on threw in the towel right after the event.
That’ll happen. I am fine with this; some business model flops cannot be fixed. I am not sure I agree that the Gohoubee.com plan is not worth pursuing, but I respect the founder’s decision. Having spoken with a number of people who were keen to re-team – some, as early as the post-pitch party, on the last day of Startup Weekend – I thought it would be good to build a contact list of those who are amenable to building new project teams.
What I did to foster communication and collaboration among SW alumni
Though a fast and simple way to add yourself to a database of members of community/event will probably soon be available in Doorkeeper (used by Startup Weekend for registrations and payments), for now a Google Drive spreadsheet, to which participants could optionally add their email, Googleplus link, blog, LinkedIn link, etc., would be a good way to facilitate cooperation among participants – after Weekends end.
I connected with people in person, of course, and later followed-up by accepting and initiating Facebook friending; the Japanese continue to be most active in Facebook. I tracked down over 60 participants, mentors and sponsors of Startup Weekend Osaka and created a circle in Googleplus, which I shared and encouraged others to share.
I created the first post-event “remixer,” to get people talking from home, with a hangout. After all, having spoken with many other participants at the last-day party, it was clear that I was not alone in my interest in both developing our project further, but also in launching/joining other project teams as well. The inspiration for this article was the reaction from the event space organizer – who asked me to not invite people to the Googleplus hangout event that I created – for all those who would, indeed, like to discuss projects other than the one they worked on during the brief event. Once again, I do wish they would take a fair look at what I am doing, and how I have launched nothing in their organization’s name, or claimed to be anything but perhaps the one guy in Osaka who is actually bringing people together – after this event ended.
“Join a global community: Join over 45,000 Startup Weekend alumni, all on a mission to change the world.”
Ergo, 64% of us, whose projects will not, for one reason or another continue, should actually reorganize. I am actively doing just that – and not only for myself, but for any and all who would like to re-team and had fellow participants in the first “Startup Weekend Remixer” event, Sunday, April 28 – one week after the three-day SW event ended.
Startup Weekend Japan’s social presence: food and faces
I suggested to one of the Tokyo-based organizers that while a core principle in the SW movement is that we should be assessed by what we create, nearly everything they post to the one social network where they maintain a presence, Facebook - is a steady stream of food and faces.
When I look at their updates in Facebook, what we are creating is what I would like to see, and what would go the distance in building interest in Startup Weekend: snippets, descriptions, brief videos of the pitches and projects that are, in fact the creations of Startup Weekend participants. And yet, it’s all individual and team photos – and faces of the box lunches and buffets provided. I counted less that one in ten of their updates with as much of our creations as a logo, even, from any of our projects (they could get our permission to post these, actually; it would just take thinking to ask for it) – mixed in with the onslaught stream of food and faces. Perhaps they would do more to spread the word about what comes out of Startup Weekends if they showed what we made even more than what they fed us.
There was actually a professional USTREAM video director, Mr. Kazuhiro Yoshitomi / Rockets with us each day, who recorded our pitches and presentations. It would have been nothing for him to break up the 2-hour video, add a Startup Weekend header, their overlay, perhaps, and share with each person from each team (or the main idea person, at least), the video of our project presentations. Instead, all they shared was the full 2-hour continuous video. If we had those ten-minute videos, with our presentations and Q&A with the judges, many of us would be embedding them in blogs – and sharing our enthusiasm for the SW movement.
Fascinating to me is how not once were we asked for any feedback whatsoever, or ideas for making Startup Weekends even better.
Those who have just completed a SW are likely to be their biggest supporters and local forces of advocacy. I discuss SW in the 315+ member Bootstrappers Community in Googleplus – where we do regular hangouts, give each other feedback on our startups and ideas, and sometimes even join forces on projects. I further created a circle and shared it with Startup Weekend Osaka participants, mentors, sponsors and organizers of Startup Weekend Osaka. I invited the circle, and others who have interest in Startup Weekends in Japan.
Looking forward to the next Startup Weekend, I would encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to look into upcoming SW events and talk with people who have done one locally.
Preparing for a Startup Weekend is wise
I would read Eric Reis’ The Lean Startup and look into Steve Blank’s free course in Udacity: How to Build a Startup. I would suggest coming with a solid, original and also easily conveyable idea to pitch. Test your one-minute pitch with a few groups of people before the SW.
I’m guessing that the lack of interest in the ideas of anyone but their organizers and judges, for adding value to Startup Weekends is an Osaka thing. Have you done one, and found that they follow-up with participants, facilitate connection and collaboration (i.e. my suggestion for a shared document, with Google Drive), or are receptive to the ideas that participants would like to give them? As for that, and the reactions that I got to my suggestions, I will leave you with a quote from The Lean Startup, which is pretty much one of the main tomes that SW people and us startup founders have found the most useful:
“The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else” - Eric Reis, The Lean Startup
About Saul Fleischman
Founder of emerging social media tool sites. Bootstrapping innovation with lean startup development teams. I do project management, user experience, PR, marketing and community development.
