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Reflecting on the RTP Start-up Weekend

October 15, 2008

The RTP Startup Weekend took place in Raleigh on July 11-13 2008 and was widely reported on, not just here but also by the likes of MSNBC and CNBC.  It’s been three months since then, so I thought it would be interesting to look back and ask one of the participants to reflect on what happened.  I interviewed Taylor Barr, a self-professed social entrepreneur local to the area who talks about his experience with the startup weekend.

NCSUB: What made you decide to participate in the RTP Startup Weekend?

Taylor Barr: I have always been excited about the idea of  eventually creating a sustainable business, let alone in a matter of a few days.  I heard about the concept from a few friends and thought it would be an exciting challenge.

NCSUB: Thinking back, how different was the Startup Weekend from your expectations?

TB: Since this was the first time I had attended a Startup Weekend, and the first one of it’s kind in the Raleigh-Durham area,  I really had no expectations.  I assumed it would be a bunch of intelligent entrepreneurs looking to share ideas and build a useful product or service.  My expectations were exceeded by the amount of participants it drew to the area; some people even traveling from out of state to attend!  I was also amazed at the amount of organization and planning that went into the entire event (a well deserved thanks to organizers Wayne Sutton, Jess Martin, and Jason DiMambro for making it happen.)

NCSUB: How many people did you know going in?  How many friendships did you make that still last today?

TB: Going into the event, I knew some of the organizers and a few others that I met at local networking events.  I was lucky to work on a project with a diverse amount of participants with all types of backgrounds.

NCSUB: What idea(s) did you work on?

TB: I primarily worked on one project during Startup Weekend.  Our main goal and idea was to create the Barsforus.com website.  The website helped consumers take the guesswork out of finding bars and nightclubs that suited their needs.  Maybe the individual is looking for a jazz lounge with outside seating or a place that had great live music and a good wine selection.   The Barsforus.com website shows a map of all the bars in a specific area, allows you to choose criteria based on what you are looking for in a bar, and limits those down to the locations that contains your search criteria.

NCSUB: What role did you play on the team?

TB: I worked side by side in business development and also pitched in wherever I could.  One thing I quickly learned about Startup Weekend was that there were no clear definable roles in each team.  I believe as an entrepreneur you must be adaptable and pinpoint the areas of the project that need work.  Whether it be running around to bars to gather information for a database or just writing an initial pitch for the company, you must be flexible to jump in and contribute.  Most of my time was spent finding answers to questions such as “how can we drive traffic to the site?” or “what would be a sound revenue model for the business?”

NCSUB: What happened to Barsforus.com?

TB: The website is still running today and several of the original members of the team are working to expand the information listed to new cities.  I have since pulled away from the business based on time and my interest in a few other ventures.

NCSUB: Besides starting a business, what are the benefits from the Startup Weekend concept, for yourself and for the startup community?

TB: The Startup Weekend concept and many other events geared towards entrepreneurs are great in the fact that they encourage others to get out and test the waters.  Many entrepreneurs are stuck with the fear that barriers such as time, money, entry to the market, etc. will discourage their ideas from even coming to fruition.  Events such as  Startup Weekends allow individuals to pool together their thoughts and get others to help kick-start their ventures.   Beyond the individual benefits,  I believe Startup Weekend brings together a tremendous sense of community.  I have seen a positive outlook in the startup community both here in North Carolina, as well in other cities across the US.

NCSUB: Was there anything that did not work too well, that should be done differently?

TB: I think many of us who attended Startup Weekend could come up with a few things to do differently.  I myself thought the event came together quite nicely.

NCSUB: Would you participate again or recommend it to others?

TB: Sure.  I would recommend Startup Weekend to others, young and old, who are passionate about working with others to create innovative products and services.

NCSUB: Finally, one that’s a bit of a thinker.  I have found that the people most likely to succeed at founding a startup are strong-minded, individualistic people that don’t fit any structure or organization that is imposed upon them.  Not the type that would easily work in a team, allow their ideas to be diluted in any democratic voting process or follow someone else’s lead.  Yet cooperation, collaboration and team work are so essential to the Startup Weekend concept.   How do you see this potential conflict?

TB: I truly believe that there is not one set of behavioral traits that make a successful entrepreneur.  Many entrepreneurs are in fact, “strong-minded, individualistic people” and many are not.  I consider successful entrepreneurs to possess three traits: persistence, passion, and the ability to inspire others.  In addition to the three traits, they must be able to listen to others and delegate responsibilities (many people discount this part).  If you are able to work with others and share your passion, I think you will be much more successful in the long run.

TB: For most of the individuals I met at Startup Weekend, they truly embraced this concept without letting their personal motives get in the way.

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If you participated in the RTP Startup Weekend, I welcome your comments and reactions.  And I’m especially interested in hearing what happened to the businesses that were started.

If you missed the RTP Startup Weekend, or can’t wait to do it again, there is a Startup Weekend coming up in Kentucky on November 21-23.  More news about that coming soon!

Written by Marc DeWalle · Filed Under Blog, Media, Start-Up Weekends, Startups 

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