THE START OF SOMETHING GOOD. Participants huddle during a 2011 Startup Weekend in Edmonton, Alberta. Startup Weekend events have been held in 726 cities.

How long do you need to get your startup business off the ground? According to the organizers of Startup Weekend Eau Claire, 54 hours should do it.

If that sounds like a rush, it’s supposed to: “No Talk, All Action,” is one of the slogans of Startup Weekend, a global phenomenon that has sparked warp-speed business creativity more than 1,500 times in over 700 cities. Each Startup Weekend attracts coders, designers, and marketers who collaborate to bring embryonic ideas to fruition, creating viable, real-world software products and presenting them to judges by the end of the weekend. “It’s all about action. It’s not about a professor telling you how to do things,” says Brian Doudna, who helped bring Startup Weekend to Eau Claire Nov. 7-9.

“It’s all about action. It’s not about a professor telling you how to do things.” – Brian Doudna, Startup Weekend Eau Claire organizer

Founded in 2007 and now an independent nonprofit sponsored by the likes of Google and Microsoft, Startup Weekend has spurred the creation of thousands of businesses around the globe. (On the same weekend that aspiring entrepreneurs are huddled in Eau Claire, their counterparts will be laboring over laptops in 25 other cities, from Yerevan, Armenia, to Sioux Falls, S.D.) According to the organization, 36 percent of startups created during Startup Weekends are still going three months later.

While Startup Weekend has an obvious appeal to college students – be they hackers, graphic designers, or would-be MBAs – participants range from high school students to mid-career professionals looking for a challenge (or a career change). Eau Claire’s Startup Weekend was spearheaded by Doudna, the outgoing executive director of the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp. (he recently got a job in Madison), as well as officials from Realityworks, UW-Stout, UW-Eau Claire, and Chippewa Valley Technical College. It will be held at the new JAMF Software building, 215 Riverfront Terrance, next to Phoenix Park.

The weekend starts Friday evening with a presentation from JAMF co-founder Zach Halmstad, followed by a “pitchfire” during which participants will have 60 seconds to pitch their nascent ideas to each other. “Anyone who pitches the idea becomes the champion of the idea,” Doudna explains – although you don’t have to pitch an idea to take part. Participants then will vote on which ideas they want to help with, and teams of between two and 15 people will form. (An ideal Startup Weekend involves about 50 participants, so not all ideas clear the first hurdle.)   

Beginning early Saturday morning, the teams will huddle, receive mentoring from coaches, and work to write computer code, design logos, and reach out to potential customers. The marathon will continue Sunday, as teams put the finishing touches on their products and their presentations, which will go before judges early that evening. Doudna expects the winning teams to receive in-kind prizes such as marketing assistance and Web hosting.

Doudna is enthusiastic about the event, having taken part in a Startup Weekend last February in Chicago, where he was paired with a 16-year-old software wunderkind with a bright idea for matching young hackers with high-tech employers. “People of any age can launch a digital startup with guidance and coaching,” explains Doudna, who pulled an all-nighter conducting market research for his team. (Don’t worry, meals and plenty of coffee will be provided.)

Considering all the talented hackers, designers, and sales and marketing professionals in the Eau Claire area, as well as the blossoming local software scene (most notably firms such as JAMF and Invisible Connect), Doudna is optimistic that the Chippewa Valley is ready for a successful Startup Weekend. “It’s about getting your hands dirty and learning how to get to market,” Doudna says.

Startup Weekend Eau Claire • Friday-Sunday, Nov. 7-9 • JAMF Software, 215 Riverfront Terrace, Eau Claire • $99 for developers, designers, and non-technical professionals ($49 for students) • www.facebook.com/ECstartupweekend • http://tinyurl.com/ECstartup