Current Event
At Bootstrap Maryland's fourth big event, we're going to accept that our first big idea may not be the right one, and instead talk about how to get to that right idea and right business model. We want you to be ready for success, to know what to look for, to shift path--how to get to plan B.
You've moved on since your first relationship. You learned a bit, got hurt, and maybe you've even figured things out by now. Well, you're not going to get your first business idea right either. But if you still have money and a kickass team then there's nothing to stop you from swinging the bat again. But (perhaps like that first relationship) some ideas should've died long ago. In this panel we'll talk about how to experiment with your business ideas and business models so that you don't walk away broke and broken hearted...with your business. Instead, maybe you'll hit it out of the park on your second or third try. Score.
Panelists for this event are still being confirmed but they'll be some people who've seriously failed and seriously gotten things right. People who now have a system that you can learn from.
This event was inspired by the lean startup movement and Getting to Plan B, a book by John Mullins and Randy Komisar.
| Getting to Plan B | |
| 6:00 - 7:00 | Networking and Hors d'oeuvres |
| 7:00 - 8:30 | Panel Presentation |
| 8:30 - 9:00 | Networking |
Signature Sponsors
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Media Sponsors
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Past Events
| Second Annual Conference: It's All About The Customers | |
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Saturday, April 10, 2010 University of Maryland College Park, MD |
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| Aligning Your Business With Your Customers | |
| Registration and Breakfast | |
| Keynote: Aaron Dragushan | |
| Talk by Kevin DeWalt: Applying Lean Startup Principles to Customer Learning | |
| Applying Lean Startup Principles to Customer Learning (i.e., responding to your customers to build the best and most profitable application) |
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| Break | |
| Hiring on the cheap and outsourcing |
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| Lunch | |
| Ignite Talk: Martin Ringlein | |
| Workshop and exercises in small groups Organized by Tim Grahl |
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| Break | |
| Talk by Jill Stelfox: Generating serious buzz on a budget | |
| Generating serious buzz on a budget (i.e., finding your market through both testing and outreach, then getting your message out to them) |
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| Ignite Talk: Brent Halliburton | |
| Closing Remarks | |
| What You Need to Know About Money for Your Startup in 2009 |
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Thursday, October 29, 2009 Pillsbury Law, 2300 N St, NW, Washington DC |
| Networking and hors d'oeuvres |
| Panel Discussion |
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Things are different today: it cost less to build a startup, but venture funding is harder to come by. It's possible to accomplish "ramen profitability", but it's challenging to achieve hockey-stick growth. Learn from two skilled entrepreneurs who have invested their own money, taken outside funding, and had opportunities to sell in more than one business. To keep the talk relevant and offer more nuanced perspective, a venture capitalist and attorney, both with experience working with hundreds of startups, will round out the panel. Be prepared to learn what you really need in terms of funding or financing.and also how to structure your business so that, should you change your mind, you'll still have a business. Panelists:
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| Networking |
| Bootstrap Maryland's Inaugural Conference |
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Saturday, May 2, 2009 University of Maryland College Park, MD |
| Opening remarks |
| What you need (and don't need) to get a technology business started Confirmed Panelists: Greg Cangialosi, Scott Harris, Haroon Mokhtarzada, Paul Singh (moderated by Jared Goralnick) |
| How to market inexpensively with social media, events, and creative public relations Confirmed Panelists: Aaron Brazell, Peter Corbett, Frank Gruber, Kaitlyn Wilkins (moderated by Mario Armstrong) |
| Workshop and exercises in small groups Organized by Tim Grahl |
| Getting your technology right...and what people are using to develop today Confirmed Panelists: M. Jackson Wilkinson, Mike Subelsky, Amy Senger, Andrew Turner (moderated by David Troy) |
| Introductions to local groups and events |
| Success stories and lessons learned Confirmed Panelists: Matthias Broecheler, Martin Ringlein, David Troy (moderated by Jared Goralnick) |
Signature Sponsors |
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Startup Sponsors |
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