An Ex-Organizer’s View of an Epic Startup Week

Don’t ask me, bro. I’m just an attendee.

One afternoon a couple weeks ago, Jonathan Cottrell called me out of the blue to tell me that he loved me.

Then he proclaimed, “Startup Week is on Monday and I’m golfing!”

I replied, “Dude, I just woke up from a nap!”

That wouldn’t have been the case in 2015 or 2016 as we worked with an awesome crew of co-founders to launch PHX Startup Week. We retired after last year and handed the reigns to a new team to scale up our startup.

I don’t have kids. PHX Startup Week is my baby. Last week, my baby went off to college — and that college was 100% Ivy League.

Here’s what it was like for me to attend — not organize — my first PHX Startup Week.

PHX Startup Week was more professional.

It took an army of volunteers, including Christina Christian.

Delivering our minimally viable product in 2015 was, ummm, chaotic. Exiting beta in 2016 was slightly better. But still, from my vantage point on the inside, it definitely felt like scrappy hackers just gettin’ shit done.

Watching the 2017 team add a layer of professionalism to the presentation was a thing of beauty.

From signage in the venues to volunteer assignments to drink and lunch ticket distribution, everything was totally buttoned up. Many thanks to the army of volunteers who made it all possible!

PHX Startup Week delivered broader content.

Yes, the word startup is in the event title. However, direction from Techstars (the company that owns Startup Week) has always been to apply the word loosely to include everyone from solopreneurs to lifestyle businesses to mom-and-pop shops.

Startup Week is a celebration of all entrepreneurs and the content this year reflected that directive. Just look at the Wednesday keynote panel featuring Arizona restaurateurs.

Fortunately, the new team left a little something in for us tech folks. My personal highlight was software-specific presentations by Lindsay Bayuk, Hamid Shojaee, and Gregg Scoresby on Greg Head’s Saas Day.

PHX Startup Week wasn’t afraid to experiment.

It got a little dusty at the Street Pitch. Talk about leveling up!

Even though PHX Startup Week had proved out in the first two years, the new organizing team wasn’t afraid to try new things. They added nighttime content for folks with actual day jobs and the community responded by turning out.

And who will ever forget the amazing Street Pitch under the night sky in downtown Phoenix?

We always shied from pitch competitions due to scheduling proximity with Venture Madness. The latter event’s move to March opened the door and Raoul Encinas and team rushed through with an amazing Ignite style showcase of some of Arizona’s most promising founders.

Thank you PHX Startup Week! #yesphx has it from here.

I don’t know that I can properly describe how proud I was to see PHX Startup Week evolve under new leadership.

I didn’t meet many of Stephen Viramontes’ co-organizers, but I hope they see this post and reach out. I owe you a beer or coffee for sure. THANK YOU!

I found it quite difficult to leave the PHX Startup Week closing party.

That’s not surprising. It was so difficult to leave last year’s closing party that I hosted an after-party at my place just to extend the magic with the folks I’ve grown so fond of these last three years.

Fortunately, where PHX Startup Week left off on Friday night, #yesphx picks up for the next 51 weeks. I’ll see y’all next February at the latest.

But I hope to see you much sooner than that online or IRL via #yesphx.

Join us on Facebook and Slack and sign up for email to keep the PHX Startup Week magic alive until next year.

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