Techstars: 2 Weeks In

Tomorrow will mark 2 weeks since we joined TechStars(TS) Boulder. It feels like we have gone through 2 years of product iterations, and time is flying by too quickly. This is a weird feeling for me because I went from working 9–5 and being exhausted, to working 8am-11pm and being fully energized.

We have been heads-down building adHawk, however, we are doing our best to learn as much as possible from TS and the companies that surround us. Here are 3 big things we have learned so far:

1. Passion can’t be faked: It’s clear that every company TS selects is passionate about what they are working on. During the interview process, they definitely focus on team, team, and team, however there is a passion coefficient that is palpable in the office. Everyone is working on something they are passionate about, it’s not just a “job”.
2. Co-working space creates a unique energy: Every day we are surrounded by 9 other companies working their asses off to push out a great product. With that being said, everyone in our batch is willing to help. I have never been surrounded by such a hard-working and helpful community. #givefirst stands true (If you don’t know what I am referring to, consider reading this before applying to TS).
3. A TS mentor is something special: Before applying to TS, Dan and I had an epiphany that we did not need an accelerator, as we thought that we could find mentors/investors on our own. This is definitely true, we could have found mentors/investors on our own, but they would not have been nearly as helpful as a TS mentor. TS mentors are passionate people that will go out of their way to help. It would have been a massive mistake if we let this idea stop us from applying to TechStars.

If you have any TS or digital advertising questions, feel free to reach out todd@tryadhawk.com

P.S. Any of my New York friends, apply to TechStars NYC. You won’t regret it, deadline is tomorrow June 29th..