Ready, Set, Startup!
entrepreneurs invited to launch ideas in one short weekend with Startup 48
Chippewa Valley entrepreneurs are getting together soon for another 48 hours – and we’re not talking about the old buddy cop flick. Participants will gather Oct. 14-16 at JAMF Software in downtown Eau Claire for Startup 48, a weekend-long event designed to bring business ideas from light-bulb moment to product pitch. Between Friday night and Sunday evening teams are formed, whiteboards are scribbled upon, code is written, and in the end a panel of judges – such as business owners and venture capitalists – judge the ideas and award prizes.
“I get so excited even now remembering how we came together on this brand-new idea and quickly started working through how to make it happen.” – Justin Vajko, participant, on last year’s startup event
Startup 48, a program of the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp., is closely modeled on the international Startup Weekend, which draws software developers, designers, marketing professionals, and others together to fast-track their emerging business ideas. Last year’s Eau Claire edition of the event was branded as a Startup Weekend, but this year the Eau Claire Area EDC stepped out from under the umbrella of that organization to hold its own independent weekend.
This year, Startup 48 is sponsored by Marshfield Clinic and Old National Bank, and winners will receive a prize package including numerous services such as Web hosting, marketing, and logo design.
The previous event was relatively small, but was nonetheless successful, says Luke Hanson, executive director of the Eau Claire Area EDC. While there were only about a dozen participants in 2015, all three teams that formed continued to work on their ideas after the weekend ended, Hanson said. In fact, last year’s winner struck a deal with a local firm. “They’re working with that company to get their idea from that weekend to come to fruition,” Hanson says.
Because the 48-hour timeframe lends itself to apps and other tech products, graphic designer Justin Vajko of Eau Claire was initially nervous about taking part in the event last year. However, he explains, “Once I showed up I realized that it didn’t matter so much, as the key of the weekend wasn’t to make a fully-functional product but get the idea nailed down and develop a sales pitch.”
As they did last year, participants will begin Friday with mingling and a meal, followed by speakers. Next, they’ll have the opportunity to pitch their hot ideas to fellow participants in 60 seconds or less. All participants then vote on those pitches, then form teams around the top vote-getters.
“I get so excited even now remembering how we came together on this brand-new idea and quickly started working through how to make it happen,” Vajko recalls. “Over Saturday and Sunday we further refined what the final product would look like, got some very quick market validation, and further improved our idea through mentor feedback.”
The teams must work fast to create a minimal viable product, or MVP, which is pitched in a five-minute presentation to a panel of judges on Sunday evening. Even though Vajko’s team was disappointed to come in second place, they knew they couldn’t let the idea go to waste, so they continued to work on it until last spring, when unforeseen family and life changes got in the way. Still, he’s enthusiastic about taking part in the event again this year.
“I can think of only a handful of instances in my life that were as exciting as last year’s Startup Weekend No kidding!” he says. “You simply can’t beat the fun of meeting other passionate people with awesome ideas, enjoying delicious food (all meals are provided), and developing industry-disrupting ideas in a condensed time frame.”
If you’re interested in participating in Startup 48, early-bird tickets are still available for $75 (or just $35 if you’re student). To learn more, see the schedule, and buy tickets, visit startup48.co.
