Go or no go?

I was in doubt I join or not the event. I read on a blog for entrepreneurs: Startup Weekend Madrid a meeting of entrepreneurs from various fields, technology, design, marketing, business and the goal of developing an idea from Friday June 3 in the afternoon, Saturday and Sunday in a marathon work to appear before a jury of 4 inverters on Sunday night.

I signed, I took the ticket Santiago - Madrid, booked hotel near the metro Gran Via and packed my things. On the flight I thought if you present an idea or not. It is somewhat difficult: first "deliver" your idea to an unknown public, second trial with the possibility of being devalued, third, the challenge given to understand and convey the idea in just 1 minute.

Have an idea

In the event that organized the girls in the pool They 2.0 (which is the flag to encourage and support women who dare to undertake) had emailed us with some very interesting slides about how to give your elevator pitch of 1 minute: present, pose a problem and your solution highlighting what makes it innovative and original. I wrote my idea and then I read my own pace with the iPhone stopwatch. Conclusion: impossible to say everything in 1 minute!. Then had to cut things and phrases, adjectives ... and ... best to write again.

Came that Friday afternoon and the meeting was interesting, I exchanged words with several participants, the usual questions of "you're doing?", "Going to present idea?", "Is the first time you come to an event like this? ". Madrid OnRails space was 100%, we were 90 entrepreneurs and soon to blow up the wifi router!. 33 we presented ideas, I was number 26 and while watching the parade of 60 seconds of my ancestors made me more and more nervous.

Opened fire: "My name is Juan Ignacio and I come to propose to create the toy of the future ..."

I left my 60 seconds of pure adrenaline, my heart was beating and beating me. The proposals were then voted and only a few survived the new stage, we became 17 and had to settle for multidisciplinary teams to tackle the rest of the weekend. I had four almost instantly: Mathew American designer, game designer Antonio, Juan Diego creative marketer and Jimmy a manufacturing expert and social relations. Later we join Clara, mother and web designer.

Undertake Saturday and Sunday

What I can say? For me it was clear that if these five people were on my team and support my idea was because they were crazier than me. But what a cute moment! It's amazing to see people get involved in your project and work involved and really believe in what they are doing. On Saturday and Sunday work hard, but we allow outputs, lectures and many jokes. Work having fun, surrounded by dolls, toys, with aluminum foil on their heads to try to improve the wifi signal and getting to know a bit more between us. Do not forget that just hours before we were totally unknown.

Thus was born PincheToys , a toy hybrid between real and virtual children. A "multi-world toy." We liked the idea, but as much as we liked also thought it was the wildest of the 10 that would be presented this Sunday 19hs before the investors .

It was 18.30hs and ended our Powerpoint. Now to try!? No. There was no time and also as I said Jimmy, "which comes out naturally." I like crazy ... I thought, "this will be a disaster."

Go out there

They began the presentations and we were number 6. The other very interesting projects, good proposals, but when they reached the returns of investors saw how quickly detect weaknesses and weak spots.

Our turn came, I had taken a shot of whiskey before going out there but only found Coca Light.

We start our presentation and miraculously was out, giving fluíamos ... would like an informal chat with explanatory and touches of humor. Applause. Our return was initiated by Dove Hair (MIT!) Who told us that although he had seen other usb dolls on the market liked the creativity in the proposal and also be useful both in the computer game as in real life. We had a very positive response! of course we said we would have to manage well the Logistic and distribution to stores to achieve our company.

I was very happy with everything, how he had gone, the good team that we put together, great work we had done. FIN, was done for me. Weekend over, very happy, it was worth all the effort.

And then the impossible happened: the jury selected us as the Best Project .

I CRE BLE IN.

A weekend of madness.

Related Posts:

• Designing an iPhone application
• Mussage iPhone, Musical Messages
• The challenge of creating an iPhone application in 7 days
• Review and gameplay of "Dead Island"