9 Ways to Get the Most Out of the ATX Startup Crawl
Tips on how to crush it at the Capital Factory ATX Startup Crawl, whether you’re a job seeker or entrepreneur… told with memes.
The ATX Startup Crawl is the grand finale of the annual four-day long Austin Startup Week, which supports startups and showcases Austin’s business ecosystem for job seekers and entrepreneurs. Dozens of stops on the crawl are hosted downtown around Capital Factory’s huge convention.
From 5PM to 10PM October 12th, there are over 80 startups and thousands of crawlers roaming to check out the coolest projects. Entrepreneurs — it’s your chance to bring in some team players and sponsors for your business! Check out these top tips for job seekers and entrepreneurs to get the best out of the ATX Startup Crawl.
“Download the the official ATX Startup Crawl app on iOS or Android for a map of hosts, all participating startups, shuttle stops, and a live Twitter feed. (Brought to you by Capital Factory, built by Jackrabbit Mobile)”
- Travel smart. The Crawl is stationed at Capital Factory, and going from place to place gets tiring especially after a week of startup madness. But not to fear! There will be a shuttle service for you to travel from place to place without the hassle of parking.
2. Be an early bird. The crowds aren’t so congested in the beginning, so take advantage of that. Select a starting point and get there early. From there, find some of your startups of interest and collect their swag. Sputnik ATX will have Untouched Poetry doing custom poems in the first hour. The poems will be themed with business tips from our curriculum.
3. Prepare and stock up. Do some homework on the hosted stops and the people who work there and you’ll enable yourself to form better connections. Get those business cards and resumes on stack. With over 70 startups around, you’ll find more than several you’ll be attracted to. Spread your name around, share your contact info, and ensure they know who you are.
4. Converse! Talk with those heading to your favorite booths. The more you converse, the more info you can glean and share about yourself. Business cards and resumes are far more effective in combination with a conversation when employers can put a face to your name.
5. Adventure. Visit as many stops as you can. This is a five-hour event, and there are plenty of stops to go around. Don’t just hang around a handful of booths. You want to visit the key booths that you’re thinking of applying to, but enjoy the rest of the booths because there are too many awesome businesses to ignore.
6. Hold My Beer. Alright, so you’ve been walking everywhere, but remember to take a break. While you’re supplying yourself with the hot tech, take time to experience Austin’s cold beer! With dozens of Austin-brand beers around, embrace your inner Austinite. Take a break from booth hopping and go beer hopping. (But be careful, else you’ll be crawling like this baby in the end.)
7. 60 Seconds, Go! Entrepreneurs, you’ve got an amazing product to share with the world. But to grow from there, you’ll need some helping hands, a larger team and capital. You need to get your audience attracted immediately and perfect that elevator pitch. Hit the main points and always remember to concentrate on your core message. Check out these tips on how to engage a VC.
8. Get your swag on. Everyone likes free things. What better way to draw in crowds than to get others involved with your product? Bring some samples to hand out at the crawl and you’ll be unforgettable.
9. Protect Ya Neck. While not immediately necessary, having a patent, or at least a patent-pending statement, will be far more attractive to a VC and Angel investor. You may have the perfect product for everyone, but if it’s not protected or in the process, someone could snag it.
Crowdfunding attorney Kendall Almerico recommends, “A patent is the best legal means to protect an invention [… ] and provides a remedy if an idea is stolen,” and this includes utilities and designs. Although a formal patent is expensive, you can file for a provisional patent and have a temporary safeguard.
“Download the the official ATX Startup Crawl app on iOS or Android for a map of hosts, all participating startups, shuttle stops, and a live Twitter feed. (Brought to you by Capital Factory, built by Jackrabbit Mobile)”
Savin Weera is a UT San Antonio graduate with a B.A. in English. He is currently a writer at Sputnik ATX, Austin’s new incubator / accelerator for startups coming October 4.
