Live Blogging #TSW2011: Introductory Speakers

7:05 pm 

Joan Siefert Rose, of CED, begins the welcome and announces that you can watch the live stream at http://www.tswlive.com.

7:13 pm

The first speaker is Josh Whiton, CEO of Transloc, who will speak on "Leading a Tech Team."

7:15 pm

When asked why nobody is doing this idea already, Josh responds. "Nobody is doing it today because it wasn't possible before today."

7:17 pm

"There are so many things that your innovation can do. Be concerned about what it MUST do."

7:19 pm

"Odds are that somebody is already doing what you'd like to do, but your goal is to do it better."

7:23 pm

The next speaker is David Jones, Partner of Southern Capital Ventures. His talk is on "How to Pitch Your Startup." 

"The most important thing about your presentation is YOU. We are betting on you. Show your passion and hustle."

7:34 pm

Alexander Macris, Themis Media Group, will speak on "Why Entrepreneurs Rule."

7:35 pm

First reason why Entrepreneurs rule: Because entrepreneurs always hire lawyers. Lawyers (and accountants) are the lubricant but entrepreneurs are the motors. 

7:40 pm

The second reason entrepreneurs rule: Because any successful entrepreneur will go through a point of hopelessness. These people will NOT quit!

7:47 pm

Marcie and Benjamin, aged 11 years old, will pitch ideas tonight. If these young entrepreneurs can pitch an idea, let this be an example of why YOU CAN TOO.

7:50 pm

 The next speaker is George Junginger, Group Story. 

7:51 pm

If you believe that you have a GREAT idea for a business or product, don't be afraid to share your idea. It is the partnerships that you make that will help you succeed. "You cannot do a business alone."  No matter how talented we are, we cannot do it alone.

7:53 pm

Everyone will have 60 seconds to present their ideas to the audience. Talk about who you are and what you're passionate about. What are your skills and talents?

7:54 pm

Slide: Building a team involves complimentary teamwork. Like being in kindergarten, be willing to share the leadership. Yeah, it might be your idea, but don't be afraid to share.

7:56 pm

The 54 hours of Startup Weekend are like the 54 weeks in a year. Don't waste your time on things that won't get you over the finish line. Use tools like SCRUM to time box what you're doing. Use the Roman voting to decide.

Reconvene regularly (every 2 hours) for status updates.

Use idea validation (Twitter polls, surveys) to determine if your idea is a good one.

Judging Criteria: What is the business model? Make sure that what you're working on is going to work. Execution: Demonstrate that your idea will work.

8:00 pm

Before attendees start their pitches. We start with an ice breaker called "Half Baked." The idea is to get into groups and create pitches that are half-baked.