Future of D.C., Next Steps
Posted by Nick O'Neill on February 27th, 2008 2:18 PMLast week I wrote a post that got a lot of buzz going about the D.C. technology and entrepreneurship community. I’ve been thinking heavily about what the best next steps are and I think I’ve come up with a pretty good first step. The Social Times is going to launch a monthly pitch event. At the event, one entrepreneur will be chosen to do a 7-minute pitch to a board of local entrepreneurs, executives and technologists. That entrepreneur will take questions from the board for 15-minutes and then receive questions from an audience of no more than 150 people for another 10 to 15 minutes.
There is the potential to expand this to more than one pitch per event but we are limiting it for now. I will also be partnering with the entrepreneurship clubs at local business schools so that MBA students also have the opportunity to pitch. This is simply a first step to building the buzz around D.C. It is our duty to attend these events and foster an environment in which risk taking and failure is accepted. While that community may not be for everybody in D.C., it still exists.
Following the event there will be a happy-hour where people can network and discuss the future of the D.C. technology scene. There is one requirement of you attending this event: you must blog about it! D.C. is in need of amplifying the signal. Many people commented that D.C. will never be like Silicon Valley or “The Alley” in New York City. I agree but this doesn’t mean that we can’t have a loud voice.
The focus of the Social Times is the convergence of social technology, advertising and new media. The primary participants in this convergence is investors, entrepreneurs, journalists and advertisers. This event is focused on the investors and entrepreneurs. Of course since I’m in D.C. this will be the first city that the events take place and I hope that this contributes to building the technology and entrepreneurship community that we are all hoping to be a part of.
I will be announcing the date, time and location in the coming weeks so stay tuned. If you want to participate, we are looking for sponsors to support, entrepreneurs to pitch and experienced professionals that would like to advise. Send all inquiries to contact [at] socialtimes [dot] com. Also, if you have any location suggests or would like to host it yourself, please inquire via the email address provided!
Any suggestions? Post them in the comments and let’s keep the movement going!
February 27th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I like the requirement that you should blog about it. Another requirement is that there should always be beer later
Good idea. One thing I wills ay is that we need to bring together a few of the other groups togehter so that we don’t have too many splinter groups.
Shashi
February 27th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I really like this idea. I do have one question though. Let’s say the person giving the pitch has an idea that is good, but not solid. Someone in the crowd expands on the idea and makes it their own? Just a risk you take?
February 27th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
@Doug, That’s a great question, we can have people sign an NDA for entering. Alternatively, in Guy Kawasaki’s “The Art of the Start” he says that your idea isn’t good if you can’t tell it to other people. I don’t know what’s the best model. We can leave that up for discussion.
What do you think is best?
February 27th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Nick, I think that you’re doing great things for the area. It’s great to have young people leading the way for the area. When you talk about DC area schools, don’t leave UVA out of the discussion. There are a fair number of entrepreneurial minded people within the engineering school and business school.
February 27th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Nick, I would love to be a part of this group. I am working as an Associate at Edison Venture Fund. I travel to the area twice a month with flexible timing on the trip dates.
Rob
February 27th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Nick,
I know you have been planning this for a while and I am so glad to see you bring it to reality for us locals here in DC. I liked your post you talk about and I too think we are on the cusp of some good things here and I applaud you for trying to help provide that spark to start the fire ablaze.
I have been offline a bit trying to get my feet under me and a new job, but I hope to be back out there trying to help you in driving the community forward.
regards
jimmy
February 27th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Nick, sounds like fun. Count me in! (Just as a regular, listening attendee, for now).
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:52 am
Hey Nick-
sounds like a great idea and a great opportunity for some entrepreneurs. LMK what I can do to help out.
March 10th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I love the idea! Years ago, before the internet bubble, Fast Company started a concept that spread like this called Company of Friends. Except the presenters were not looking for money, they were just passionate about the issue they were talking about. Grew like wildfire, developed a 850 member base in DC and over 15K nationally. Conversations are far more powerful because people internalize them much better than just reading about them.
Also don’t forget to include Va. Tech in your business schools. They are getting pretty entrepreneurial minded and an incubator in Blacksburg.
Larry Brown
March 10th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Hi Nick. I presume that the “participating” technologists fall under entrepreneurs or advertisers. What is the purpose? To get visibility for emerging technologies and companies? For funding? For strategic partnerships? To reinvent Netpreneur energy and connections?
Thanks.