TechStars, is an elite startup accelerator in the world, and by the numbers, it is harder to get in to than any Ivy League school. One of the hurdles in the TechStars guantlet is the live interview. Come and watch the TechStars team conduct live interviews with actual finalist companies. TechStars will work to identify and push hard on the core issues and then will have a candid discussion with the audience about that company. It will be like being an insider to the selection process within TechStars, and we think it will be very educational for all early stage entrepreneurs and investors. This session has been sponsored by Mircrosoft.
by Ash Maurya, Chad Dickerson, Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck
Startup Case Studies' from Etsy & others on building your product including 'insider tips' on agile development, minimum viable product, and continuous deployment. Hosted by Eric Ries.
by Ben Casnocha and Reid Hoffman
Renowned entrepreneur and investor Reid Hoffman and entrepreneur/author Ben Casnocha present a new blueprint for managing your career. You will learn the best practices of some of the most successful start-ups on the planet (like PayPal and LinkedIn), and how these strategies can be applied to your career -- no matter your industry or job function. You will learn how to launch career plans amid uncertainty; how to change jobs based on what you learn; how to generate breakout opportunities; how to take intelligent risks; how to develop real relationships and build an effective professional network. Most of all, you will learn how to *think* like an entrepreneur when steering the start-up that is your career. Newark mayor Cory Booker called The Start-Up of You "profound." Jack Dorsey said it "distills the key techniques needed to succeed." Come find out how to be the entrepreneur of your own life, and take control of your professional future.
by Ron Gutman
Smiling is more than just the result of happiness – it can actually help create happiness. And creating happiness at work is essential to building a highly successful company.
Ron Gutman, author of one of the most “Liked” TED talks of all time (the Hidden Powers of Smiling) and founder and CEO of HealthTap, discusses current research about how smiling and happiness can change lives and social situations, and are at the core of effective companies where employees love to work, and reveals methods (including creating and honoring a company Vision and Credo and shared values) for building a highly-successful, smile-filled company through a culture centered on Three-Ps: Positivity, Purpose and Priorities. These form the building blocks of innovative entrepreneurship.
By promoting, respecting, embodying and hiring for these qualities, companies are better equipped to overcome the challenges inherent in innovation (positivity), attract the right talent, supporters, and partners (strong purpose), and move faster and accomplish more (priorities) – all with happier employees.
by Steve Blank, Manuel Rosso and Patrick Vlaskovits
Talk by legendary startup guru Steve Blank on today's world of tech entrepreneurship, followed by an opportunity to hear from the authors of upcoming startup books.
by Dave Gilboa, Katia Beauchamp, Peter Coles, Eric Koger and Sam Shank
Entrepreneurs often pitch their ideas as “the X of Y”. Match.com for farmers… Foursquare for parking lots… Gilt Groupe for grandparents. It is both efficient and lucrative to take what already works and extend it to a new niche, a new country or a new context. Innovation through localization or specialization has launched many successful businesses.
On the flip side, say you have a truly innovative and disruptive idea. Good for you! That’s only the beginning. Companies like Groupon and Gilt launched with unique business models, but now they each have a slew of imitators and have spent fortunes to stay at the front of the pack. In a time of easy capital, fast development and expensive intellectual property rights, how else besides capital can a company stay defensible?
TechCocktail.com is kicking off the SXSW Startup Village with its mixer-style event that gives startups a space to exhibit in a fun expo style. Cocktails will be served! We welcome entrepreneurs, startups, investors and all tech enthusiasts with a SXSW badge.
Meet faculty, students, and alumni from The McCombs School of Business Texas MBA Program involved in the entrepreneurial community.