If you were given 54 hours to build a businesses, what would you create?
That’s the question 60 Chicago students and community members faced for the the 2011 Startup Weekend challenge. The event brought together developers, graphics designers, business people, and big thinkers together to build a web or mobile application that could function as a viable business post-event. At the end of the startup marathon, one team walks away with $2,000 to further their idea and a community of supportive mentors.
Startup Weekend is a global initiative that boasts success stories like Zaarly and LaunchRock. With a tagline of “No talk. All action,” you can imagine the kind of intensity these entrepreneurs experience.
The teams of young entrepreneurs looked as if they had been cramming for finals – exhausted, anxious and nervous. But to my surprise, the teams pitched like pros – passionate, tight, and well thought-out. As at all great demo days, technical difficulties occurred but the entrepreneurs didn’t let the glitches dampen their passion or their message.
After the last pitch, the judges – Doug Neil, Josh Hernandez, Sue Kim, Tom Boettcher, and Tony Wilkins - left to deliberate. After what I am sure seemed like a decade to the entrepreneurs, the judges emerged to announce the winners.
3rd. place - Jamout.fm
Jamout helps musicians breakdown the greatest barrier to awesome jam sessions – location. Jamout.fm offers musicians virtual jam sessions. They also might be the only StartupWeekend teams ever to include a rap in their pitch.
2nd place – EditHuddle
A crowdsourced blog editing tool & wordpress plugin, that allows a blogger’s readers to correct mistakes without writing a snarky note in the comment section. Basically readers highlight the errors in the text and identify what the type of error it is. EditHuddle then alerts the the blogger to the error. At the time of pitch, EditHuddle was already being used by nine bloggers with over 180,000 page views combined.
1st place - BikeRecov
BikeRecov seems like a godsend for all paranoid (with good reason) bikers. BikeRecov is a mobile app that helps bicyclists report bicycle accidents and theft easier. BikeRecov’s chip product embeds in your bike, most likely in the seat, tracks your exercise and more interestingly alerts you when your bike is riding away without you.
All of the winners developed businesses that offer solutions to real problems and impressed the crowd with their knowledge of their market. These guys are worth watching and I am looking forward to tracking the progress of these companies and the entrepreneurs other endeavors.
Just as important as the businesses that developed was the experience that all participants gained. Startup Weekend is a great place to find hungry and talented entrepreneurs who no doubt, given more than 54 hours, will build great companies in the future. Congratulations to all that attended and partcipated!
