An extra hour
4 November 2007
I don’t recall reading anything about how utterly exhausting it is to provide guidance and make sure things run smoothly all weekend. If not for a stellar team, I’d have succombed to exhaustion yesterday. Everyone here just jumps right in and makes things happen… from making sure everyone knows the food arrives to jumping in with suggestions at the review sessions.
I’m developing a new appreciation for past organizers and beginning to question why Andrew Hyde would want to do this every single weekend. It *is* a rush helping make all this happen, but it’s also mentally exhausting. No one should question his passion for this concept as he globe hops from startup weekend to startup weekend. I have no regrets for the comments I’ve made about his approach, but I have a new appreciation for what he’s putting himself through to make this concept pay off.
I’m enjoying this extra hour this morning by helping my daughter with a project due this week in her 3rd grade class… I don’t know what’s more challenging. Helping companies figure out strategy, business models, and marketing approaches — or, helping an 8 year old research floods. I dunno. <sigh!>
In response to this post, Gwenbell (rolls her eyes for the world to see, literally) twittered “but they spent a weekend just on idea discussion/presentation” — yes, but now know we have a viable business concept, not *just* a popular idea. THAT is a fundamental difference between our _approach_ and Andrew’s. Thus, my reference above. I will post later (after a good night’s sleep, or two) about our process to arrive at the final company idea.
I am confident that the five companies that survived the process through this afternoon would ALL put your resulting company to shame. Regrettably, only one can benefit from getting their company built next weekend.