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Andrew Hyde is the creative and operational brains behind StartupWeekend.  StartupWeekend is a phenomenon that started in Boulder, Colorado and is now sweeping tech hubs across the world.

cocosdir.com: Andrew, can you give us a little background about yourself? Who are you? What have you done BS (Before StartupWeekend)?

Andrew Hyde:  I ran two service based companies before SW.  Endoze Design and Politics by Design.  I have freelanced for some very cool Advertising firms as well
 

cocosdir.com:  What is StartupWeekend for those people who have been living under a rock in the past several weeks?

Andrew Hyde:  It is a crazy idea really, get a bunch of talented people in the same room for a weekend and split equity in what you create.  It is a frictionless democratic process, from picking an idea on Friday night to finding out what to do with the company on Sunday night.  The best short answer I can think of is ‘jazz for entrepreneurs.’ 
 

cocosdir.com: Why StartupWeekend?  How did you come up with the idea of StartupWeekend?

Andrew Hyde:  It really came from many conversations I have had with the entrepreneur community in Boulder.   Stan James, Joe Scarf, Kevin Kawley, Danny Newman all were key to the idea evolving.  It was one night hanging out at Techstars where David Cohen convinced me to actually do the idea.
 

cocosdir.com: Explain the ownership aspect. Are these just volunteers building a company for you or do they participate in the ownership of the startup company as well?

Andrew Hyde:  Everyone split the 50% of the founders stock, with the remaining 50% going toward future development.
 

cocosdir.com: What did you do to prepare for the first StartupWeekend?  How was that week leading to the first StartupWeekend like for you?

Andrew Hyde:  We only had 3 weeks to plan, so all the planning happened by blogging and email.  Everything ended up going smoothly.  As soon as we had 60 people register, I started to really worry about having all our bases covered. 
 

cocosdir.com: Were you ever worried that this whole thing could bomb and it’s going to take you down?

Andrew Hyde:  It was an experiment, so it failing would have been an acceptable outcome.  There were a lot of things that could have gone really wrong.  We attracted the right people, with the right attitudes, and I am left with memories of a successful weekend.
 

cocosdir.com: How was the first StartupWeekend received?  Give me some numbers?

Andrew Hyde:  Very well.  We had 72 people register for the event, 56 ended up getting Founders Stock.  94 people came throughout the weekend to see it in person, including some very cool local entrepreneurs. 
 

cocosdir.com:  Walk us through that first Friday night? How was that for you?  Anxious?  Nervous? Scared? Excited?

Andrew Hyde:  Stoked.  It was fun seeing everyone get together.  My game plan going into the night was: drink beer and somehow decide on what we are building for the weekend.  After 15 minutes of drinking, someone said “we only have 50 hours til launch, let’s go” and we were off on deciding on an idea.
 

cocosdir.com:  What was the first order of business on the first night? How did you get that accomplished?

Andrew Hyde:  I wanted everyone to get to know each other, start the weekend with a friendly feel.  The idea was the next big thing we needed to take care of.  I facilitated the discussion of the top 10 ideas down to three and then to the one we picked.  It worked out really well, suprisingly, all the founders were pretty excited for the same idea. 
 

cocosdir.com: What role did you play throughout the weekend? 

Andrew Hyde:  I played the facilitator roll, making sure things kept rolling along.  Whenever I could I would sneek into a creative meeting or help film a video.  I cooked some, made sure people were happy, and generally was a cheerleader for the event.
 

cocosdir.com:  How did you make decisions with such a large group of people?

Andrew Hyde:  Quick votes (I was the only one that could call them).  I think we only had five or six all hands quick votes through the weekend.  The rest of the decisions were made by the individual teams and team leads.
 

cocosdir.com:  How did you ensure harmony among the different groups?

Andrew Hyde:  We were all on the same team, so that was pretty easy.  We had some very experienced people in the right spots.
 

cocosdir.com:  I know StartupWeekend sort of gives one a snapshot of a company from conception to product delivery all in one weekend?  Did any of the organizational dynamics such as inter and intra organizational politics also emerge during this snapshot?

Andrew Hyde:  We had one major blow up when development missed a crucial deadline, and the thought of switching coding languages. 
 

cocosdir.com:  What were some of the lessons, good or bad, that you learned?

Andrew Hyde:  Trust your devs, don’t rush your devs, be patient with your devs.  The Boulder tech scene is amazing, so much talent with humility. 
 

cocosdir.com:  What were some of the unforgettable moments of the weekend?

Andrew Hyde:  Laptop Yoga was a highlight, but I will remember the energy of the room most.  We had people from all walks of life, all types of startup companies getting together to work on something they were really excited about.
 

cocosdir.com: If you could do it again (oh…you are already doing it again and again and again) what would you change?

Andrew Hyde: Not much, the magic of the event is letting brilliant people set their own goals and structure.  That is more my style, but some future weekends are really planning out their weekends.  I am treating each city organizer as a team leader, letting them set the weekend that makes sense for their community.
 

cocosdir.com: From my observation, the first StartupWeekend was a huge success, do you agree?

Andrew Hyde: Yes, it amazes me. 
 

cocosdir.com:  What is the status of VoSnap today?  When will it be ready?

Andrew Hyde:  Check the VoSnap blog for the latest. 
 

cocosdir.com:  So it looks like you have franchised StartupWeekend?  Is that correct?

Andrew Hyde:  I am working on the final concept, but that is the idea.
 

cocosdir.com:  Please explain how this new StratupWeekend concept will work?

Andrew Hyde:  It will stay really similar to the Boulder model, with a few structural changes and perks that I can provide by operating on a larger scale. 
 

cocosdir.com:  How did you come to that decision of taking the concept beyond Boulder?

Andrew Hyde:  I had over 1000 emails after the weekend, and knew this was my new fulltime startup. 
 

cocosdir.com:  What are some of the changes that you will be making to new StartupWeekends that will be different from the first StartupWeeend in Boulder?

Andrew Hyde:  There are two main improvements:  we will add a more formal way for sponsorship and provide legal forms. 
 

cocosdir.com:  How many cities have signed up so far?

Andrew Hyde:  Over 30 have shown interest, we have 9 planed out now. 
 

cocosdir.com: Where do you see StartupWeekend in the next few years?

Andrew Hyde:  Going big or going into the archives of our blogs.
 

cocosdir.com:  Did you ever in your wildest dreams think that it could blow up like this?

Andrew Hyde: When you start an idea, it is planned to be this way… it actually happening the way you planned is new to me.  Very fun to say the least.
 

cocosdir.com: First TechStars, now StartupWeekend,  Boulder is on a roll. What do you think makes Boulder such the place to be right now?

Andrew Hyde: I made a joke about it being the water during the Boulder SW, but when it comes down to it, people are happy here, mostly doing things they want to do for companies that make a difference.  The weather makes it easy as well.  There is a thriving tech community backed by good people, really a dream situation.
 

cocosdir.com: Now for the fun last question, laptop yoga or regular yoga?

Andrew Hyde:  I will go with laptop, maybe I will do more of it that way. 
 

cocosdir.com: Andrew, thanks for taking the time to respond to our interview questions, we wish you and StartupWeekend the best of success. And keep innovating.

David Duey is an entrepreneur who applied to TechStars, did not make it but decided to move to Boulder anyway. He is one of the examples of entrepreneurs who are deciding to make the move to Boulder, thanks to all the hard work that the Boulder tech community has put into building an entrepreneur friendly environment.

cocosdir.com: David, can you give us a little background about yourself? Who are you? What are you doing? Why are you doing it and how are you doing it?

David Duey: I’m a software developer; I currently do consulting and contract work through a company my wife and I started a few years ago. I got my first taste of computers when I started the MBA program at Florida State University. I couldn’t type very well, so I knew I’d have to get a word processor (remember those?) or computer because of all of the writing required in the curriculum and I knew I’d have to use Lotus 1-2-3. So, I was basically forced into buying a computer. As soon as I took the computer out of the box, I became totally engrossed. I think I spent three days straight on that computer; there was so much to learn and discover. After that, I was less interested in the MBA program and more interested in computers. I really considered becoming a CS major, but decided to stick with MBA program. To make a long story short, I eventually decided to become a programmer and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. I worked for Arthur Andersen Technology Solutions (pre-Enron, of course) and eventually went to work for a small consultancy where I met my wife, Heather. Heather is super smart as well as being entrepreneurial. Together we decided to start our own company with goal of providing packaged software and/or and online service.

cocosdir.com: How did you decide that a startup was the way to go for you?

David Duey: I’ve always wanted to start a business, but was reluctant to take the leap. After my first child was born, I really began to reflect on career and life issues. I analyzed my situation and it seemed to me that the risk of employment (or unemployment) was just as high, if not higher, than “doing my own thing.” During that period of time, my wife had been doing some freelance consulting work as well as working on some custom applications for re-sale. My wife gave me the push I needed to leave “regular” employment. I can’t thank her enough.

cocosdir.com: How did you hear about TechStars?

David Duey: I discovered TechStars via David Cohen’s Colorado Startups blog. I’m not sure how I happened across Colorado Startups, but I think it was from a link on Brad Feld’s blog (I’m a faithful Feld reader). I’d been reading Colorado Startups for a while. It was a compelling site and I knew from David Cohen’s personal blog that he was originally a Florida boy (and a Seminoles fan), so I became a Colorado Startups reader.

cocosdir.com: What was your motivation in applying to TechStars?

David Duey: My wife and I had been trying various approaches to making our business work. We ultimately wanted to create software applications or services; we certainly didn’t want to become an IT staffing firm. In addition to our contract work, we meandered around doing various things individually, but didn’t have any real focus. One day, it was a Saturday; we had some mommy and daddy time (i.e. our two sons were with a babysitter); we began talking about what we felt strongly about and what we’d like to do together. That was the birth of Georneys (of course it didn’t have a name at the time). Georneys was my wife’s idea, but I felt like her idea was the basis for a good service. The idea came after I’d heard about TechStars. We both really liked the TechStars concept, so we decided to apply.

cocosdir.com: How did you take the news that you did not make it?

David Duey: It was a little disappointing to have been turned-down, but I was delighted to have been through the application process. The entire application process allowed my wife and I to take an idea and develop it and think through the issues involved in creating a software business. David Cohen spent a bunch of time answering all of our endless questions. (We can’t thank him enough!) It was an exciting time for us. The whole application process had been so enjoyable and enlightening, that the fact that we didn’t make it into TechStars wasn’t much of an issue. We learned a lot and we were headed in a direction that was exciting for my wife and I.

cocosdir.com: What made you want to make the move to Boulder despite not making it into TechStars?

David Duey: We don’t have an active software entrepreneurial community where we live. We’d had difficulty getting advice and mentoring locally. We found just the opposite in Boulder (we visited Boulder for a Live Pitch event). The entrepreneurs and investors that we met in the Boulder area were very willing to provide advice and guidance. We were excited just to have someone acknowledge that we existed. It was really refreshing.

cocosdir.com: Why not Silicon Valley or Boston or Austin?

David Duey: First, Boulder seems like an ideal place to raise a family. Second, I think the amount of entrepreneurial activity in the Boulder area, on a per capita basis, is probably higher than anywhere else in the U.S. I don’t have any statistic to support that statement, but I think it’s true. Third, the entrepreneurs and investors in Boulder seem to be very open and sincerely want to help startups. It was an easy choice for us.

cocosdir.com: How do you think the move to Boulder will benefit your company?David Duey: I think it will give us access and exposure to other startups, investors and mentors that we would not have otherwise.cocosdir.com: Anything that Boulder is lacking that you can think of?David Duey: As far as I know Boulder doesn’t have any cave diving. My wife and I are cave divers, and that’s probably the thing we’ll miss most. However, since our first child was born we really haven’t been able to do much scuba diving.cocosdir.com: When will you be making the move?

David Duey: As soon as our house sells, we’ll move to Boulder. We’re hoping it sells fast.

cocosdir.com: What are some of the joys and challenges of the move so far?

David Duey: I think the biggest joy is looking forward to the day when we can devote our time solely to building our business. The biggest challenge, by far, is time. It took a lot of time to get the house ready to sell and it take a lot of time to keep it clean with two small boys and a dog running around the house.

cocosdir.com: Ok, lets go back to the business side of things, tell us a little bit more about Georneys

David Duey: Georneys, as currently conceived, consists of two things, 1) a system for reporting lost children, and 2) a way to find fun, family things to do.

Georneys will allow parents to securely enter their children’s information into the system and to create a “tag” for the child. If the child becomes lost, for example at Disney World, when someone finds the child, they can enter the child’s tag number into the system (via cell phone, computer or voice) and the child’s parents will be notified automatically.

Georneys will also provide a way to find fun things to do for the family. If you have small children, then you know it’s often difficult to find new and different things to do with the children. Georneys will provide a way to search for events and places that are family friendly as well as providing user feedback about the events and places.

cocosdir.com: How is the child tagged? Is it an ID Card or a bracelet or…?

David Duey:  The child can be tagged using an ID card, bracelet or a velcro tag on the child’s shoes. Children of different ages may prefer different things. Shoe tags may work best with very young children and ID cards may work best for older children.

We’re also keeping abreast of all of the new and quickly changing technologies that may help improve the overall system. WiFi RFID tags and WiFi networks used in conjunction with GPS may be a compelling technology for tracking children in the near future.

cocosdir.com: Who is your market?

David Duey: Our market is families with children ages two to twelve.

cocosdir.com: In your estimation, what is the scale of the market?

David Duey: There were 73.5 million children under age 18 in the U.S. and nearly 2 billion children ages 0 to 14 worldwide; that translates into about 500 million families. The total market is large, but only a small fraction would use our “lost child” service. We did a survey with a very small sampling and found that only about 20% of respondents would use the system. The respondents who were surveyed are fairly affluent and are comfortable with computers and cell phones. But, the market is certainly big enough to support the business.

cocosdir.com: If you don’t mind sharing, what is your go to market strategy?

David Duey: There are a number of routes we can take, but we haven’t decided on a particular strategy yet.

cocosdir.com: At what stage are you in developing the product?

David Duey: We’re almost done with the first alpha version. The first alpha version will only include the “lost child” part of the service. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

cocosdir.com: What are the choices that you have made around technology? Are you using LAMP, .Net, Java..?

David Duey: We’re currently using .Net. Heather and I are both .Net developers and we’ve been working with Microsoft development tools for most of our careers, so it made sense for us to stay with .Net. There area bunch of non-Microsoft technologies that I think I’d enjoy using, but I just don’t have time to invest in the learning curve right now. Also, I’m really excited about Microsoft’s Silverlight (like Adobe AIR or JavaFX) and I’m looking forward to including some of the newer browser-based technologies in Georneys.

cocosdir.com: Have you received any funding?

David Duey: No, we haven’t received any funding, although we haven’t pursued any funding yet.

cocosdir.com: Are both your wife and yourself involved in Georneys? What is her role?

David Duey: My wife and I are both involved. We don’t have well defined roles as yet, although I call her “the boss.” We both have a technical background. I have more business knowledge, but Heather has great business instincts and is a lot more personable than I am. Heather is also a lot easier on the eyes.

cocosdir.com: Can you tell us a little about FeedGadget. How is that product doing on the market? And why Georneys and not Feedgadget?

David Duey: FeedGadget was going to be desktop application. It was intended to be a utility that could be used to create RSS feeds from non-structured information (i.e. drag-and-drop documents or text to create a feed). I stopped development of the utility because I came to the conclusion that there wasn’t much of market for an ad-hoc desktop RSS creation tool and I thought Georneys had more potential.

cocosdir.com: What are some of the things that you have learned along the way as a startup entrepreneur that you would like to share?

David Duey: Well, I don’t really think of myself as an entrepreneur yet, but that’s what I hope to become. I think the main things I’ve learned so far are:

1) Be open about your idea(s). Discuss your ideas with successful entrepreneurs who are knowledgeable. They can provide valuable time and money saving advice.

2) Be flexible with your idea(s). Be willing to look at the idea from different perspectives and be willing to try things in different ways.

3) Fear is the mind killer (stolen from Brad Feld). Don’t spend too much time worrying about all of the possible problems and issues that might arise.

4) Do something. Execution is more important than the idea (stolen from David Cohen).

cocosdir.com: Now for the fun last question; if you has a chance to advise the Twitter guys, what would you suggest to them as a viable revenue model? And how would you monetize FaceBook apps?

David Duey: For Twitter, I’m going to take the easy way out (not very creative): I use advertising to support “free” Twitter and have premium accounts (no advertising) using an annual subscription.How would I monetize a FaceBook app? That’s a tough one. If I had a really viral application like Sticky Notes, I’d probably hit the FaceBook founders up for some equity in FaceBook.

cocosdir.com: David, thanks for taking the time to respond to out interview questions, we are looking forward to seeing you in Boulder.

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