What Made Startup Open House Effective
Reasons why it was successful and a few thoughts for next year.
A few years ago, I was new to Toronto’s startup scene. In fact, I was pretty new to startups in general. I used to ask “dumb” questions (or at least that’s how I felt) like the ones below, and got answers that made me feel insecure:
Me: “I keep hearing about startups? Where can I find out the latest news about them?”
Answer: “Seriously? Don’t you read Hacker News or TechCrunch?”
Me: “Hmm what’s HackerNews? I’ve never heard of it before. Is it a news publication or something?”
Answer: “Uh...try Googling it. That’ll help you get started.”
A close knit community with an entire subculture of its own can sometimes seem intimidating to an outsider. It can feel cliquey, especially when you haven’t had much exposure to it, don’t read the same publications, or speak the same language. There’s also the chance that the cliquiness is just an outsiders perception and not a true reflection of the actual community as well. In either case, it doesn’t have to be that way and shouldn’t. It’s up to those within the community to make an effort to reach out, educate and foster a sense of inclusiveness. Enter Startup Open House:
“The idea behind Startup Open House is, as hinted by the name, to open up our vibrant start-up communities for other visitors to discover. We are hoping this will help all of us gain more visibility among the general public, and make great connections in the process.
When I heard about Startup Open House, I was excited to respond back and confirm that our team (at TheBlueprint/ShopLocket) would participate. It’s now been just over two weeks since it took place here in Toronto (and in Montreal). Looking back at the event, I thought I’d share some of the things that made the event successful, along with a few ideas how each group can make the most out of it next year as well.
4 Reasons why Startup Open House was successful
- Simplicity to Drive Involvement — The organizers made it very easy for hosts to opt in to the event. They sent out a couple of emails on ways to prepare for the event, what to expect on the day of and how to promote it on social channels. There were very few rules which made it really easy to participate, and why I think there was such a great turnout. Thank you to the organizers for making it happen.
- Ecosystem Approach — The format of the event wasn’t restricted to a particular type of startup. It included the entire startup ecosystem. Attendees had an opportunity of visiting coworking spaces, agencies, coding schools, accelerators and of course, a variety of different types of startups. I think this helps to prove that it really does “take a village”, and who’s actually part of that village here in Toronto.
- Coming Together to Gain Visibility — There is strength in numbers, and being able to see the number of participating companies in Toronto alone was encouraging. If we want to grow our startup communities, we need every opportunity to put our innovation on display and get more people interested. Having 300 startups and 5000 participants this year (across Toronto and Montreal), has set a great benchmark for to build upon next year.
- Press to Promote Diversity — Getting press that’s not typically geared towards tech or startups, like BlogTO and The Globe & Mail had its benefits. I had lots of friends and family (working in a variety of industries), ask me about the event because it kept showing up on their newsfeeds. I think this was one reason why we noticed a very diverse crowd show up at the event.
A few thoughts to each participating group for next year:
- Dear Students — I really enjoyed talking to many of you this year and hearing about the different side projects you’re working on. I’m excited by your ambition but was disappointed that nobody followed up with me afterwards. People within the startup community are very helpful and willing to offer mentorship and advice. Take advantage of it (heck I wish I did, back when I was your age). Ask to meet us for coffee, it’s something that most of us can’t get enough of.
- Dear Job Seekers — This was a great recruitment event and a fantastic opportunity to get your foot in the door. While I know it can be tough looking for work, try to get the odds working in your favour. Consider being very tactical and do your research next time before walking in. This will lead to far more meaningful conversations around a startup’s business challenges, and the gaps that they’re looking to fill. While I’m happy to tell you everything about our company, our mission and what we’re looking for in applicants, demonstrating a real understanding of our business challenges makes you a far more memorable candidate.
- Dear Curious People That Just Want To Learn — Don’t be scared! While I recognize that this is easier said than done, I would love to see parents and senior professionals come by next year to find out more about what’s “buzzing” in Toronto’s startup space. Your perspectives are often far more unique than those of us that live and work in this environment everyday, and would be a great opportunity for us to learn from you.
- Dear Fellow Startup Hosts — One thing I learned was the value of having different members of my team available, to answer questions from people of different disciplines. Next year, I would suggest that all hosting startups try and get founders, marketers, developers, designers, and coops; basically people from every discipline within your company, to attend. Unlike other tech meetups, most of the attendees in this case are coming to your home for the first time to learn about you. Having as many different types of people available helps increase the possibility of making a connection with the attendees. This helps to make the attendees feel comfortable, gain the most out of their experience and feel welcome in coming to your home again in the future.
For me personally, Startup Open House had it’s own special appeal. Now that I don’t ask quite as many n00b questions and have a bit more experience, I enjoyed talking to people who came by with a genuine curiosity to learn more. Also, working in 5 different co-working spaces before getting our own office, made opening up our doors to the public that much more meaningful. It was nice to be able to have friends pop by, say hi and check out our space knowing where we came from. Being able to show off our ping pong table and office drone was a nice bonus too. =)
If you liked this post, please click on the ‘Recommend’ button below. Others may stumble upon my post and it will motivate me to continue writing. Also, if you hosted a Startup Open House or attended one, I’d love to hear from you.
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Image Credit: Screen Capture taken from Startup Open House Toronto Page
