Connecting with Co-founders
Are you full of ideas but needing a partner to take them to market? Looking for an innovative product to put to use your great sales and distribution experience? It’s becoming easier to connect, not only with social media but with a creative spin on good old fashioned networking events.
One of the biggest is the global Startup Weekend, founded in 2007. As one attendee explains it, “participants meet on a Friday night and have 60 seconds to pitch their genius notions; they vote on which have the most promise, then split into teams matching their talents to projects and spend Saturday and Sunday honing their proposals. In 54 hours, a business can be born.” Since 2009, Startup Weekend events, which are held in 120 cities from Moscow to Mexico City, have spawned more than 180 companies. Remarkably affordable event ticket prices usually range from $50 to $100.
Inc. Magazine recently profiled U.S.-based Founder Dating, which hosts events to connect “super talented entrepreneurs with different backgrounds and skill sets to start innovative new companies.” The key is different backgrounds. It’s easy for engineers to network with engineers and sales people to find sales conferences but Founder Dating screens and hand-picks attendees based on their application to ensure a diverse crowd is in attendance. Organizers have focused on West Coast events for the first two years but are open to feedback on where to expand next.
For those not inclined to travel to San Francisco, an online group with a similar concept might be more valuable. Founderdating.org allows users to create profiles and search others for complementary skills and interests. In-person meetings are held periodically in Los Angeles and Boston. Highly motivated individuals can also take initiative and use a site like Meetup to connect with potential partners in their own town.
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