Are You an Entrepreneur? Find Out Here!
Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Is starting a business the right choice for you? Do you have an idea that will change the world? If your answer to any of these question is yes, or even maybe, the Startup Sprint is a perfect event for you. In one weekend, you will get the chance to create a business from your idea, or help someone with an idea to make it real. Intrigued? Well, you will soon have a chance to take part, as the next Startup Sprint is the closing event of the upcoming Düsseldorfer Startup Woche. So, from 15–17 April, you can take a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship!
The format of the Startup Sprint is familiar. Just like events such as Garage48 and Startup Weekend, it will start on Friday with idea pitches. Participants will vote which ideas they think they want to help build a business on. Teams will be formed around the ideas with the most votes, and then the fun starts. With help of coaches and fuelled by good food, every team has until Sunday afternoon to create a business plan or even a prototype. Sunday are the pitches, and the best pitch takes the glory.
Do you need an idea to take part? No. What you need is a good dose of curiosity, and the willingness to step into a entrepreneurship pressure cooker. If you want to be part of a startup, or want to experience what entrepreneurship is like before you make a career decision, you should join in. In one weekend, you experience everything a young company experience normally in the span of weeks or even months. Taking part can have a profound effect on your life, by the way. Or, as former participant and now member of the organising team Brit Stueven puts it:
“Crazy, right? I went into this thing hoping to meet some new faces and learn a few things. I didn’t expect it to shift the entire course of my personal and professional life in this city.” — Brit Stueven of The Break Changer
Now, in that one weekend of the Startup Sprint, you will build what will be the beginnings of a company. In some cases, this will actually lead to the founding of a real company. Düsseldorfer startups Immelmann Bier and Intueat are both graduates of such events. Both ideas were pitched, then refined during a Startup Weekend, and the teams, or at least part of them, decided to make it a real business. But that’s not necessary. A Startup Sprint is, as said, much like a pressure cooker. The most valuable things you get out of the Startup Sprint, are learning or strengthening entrepreneurial skills and meeting new people.
What it’s really like? We spoke to two participants of the event in Düsseldorf last year.
“The whole experience was incredible”
says Diana Garzon. She continues: “What I liked the most was the excitement and the networking with the mentors, organisers and attendees. Within my team it was great to see how our skills complemented each other and how quickly we learnt to work together. It was challenging to create a project in just 54 hours but it was so worth it! We learnt while having fun. I will definitely join the next one. “
Christian Reich is also a familiar face in the Düsseldorf Startup Scene, especially in the innovation in food sector. When asked about his experience, Christian says: “I attend my first Startup Weekend in 2015 in Düsseldorf with a idea for a Fast Casual Restaurant. The event was quite well organized by a very motivated team. The mentors and the participants where very cool. The atmosphere was very inspiring and gold-rush-like. I pitched my idea and was nominated to work on that during the weekend. After the weekend I continued to work on the idea alone.” The idea itself hasn’t turned into a business yet, but Christian has started a blog to share his insights and present innovative concepts in the fast casual industry. To conclude, he told me:
“I fully recommend this format to each startup and innovative thinkers. It’s a great experience for your life.”
Excited to join 150 participants in building an idea into a business? You can still register for the Startup Sprint. There are even a couple of early bird tickets available! Go to the Startup Sprint Website now and we’ll see you in that Tanzhaus in Düsseldorf on 15 April.
Want to learn even more about this event, listen to our podcast episode with Ingo Stefes, one of the people behind Startup Sprint!
