- What is a Startup Weekend?
- What do I need to bring along?
- What kind of ideas are welcome?
- What does it cost to attend the SingTel Startup Weekend Singapore?
- My team and I are already working on a startup idea. Should we come?
- What is the schedule for the weekend?
- How many people will be at the SingTel Startup Weekend Singapore?
- Is this the first time Startup Weekend has been held in Singapore?
- Will there be other Startup Weekends near by?
- Who’s behind this event?
- Is this about meeting people and exploring ideas, or is it really for people who want to start businesses?
- How can I be selected for a place at the JFDI–Innov8 2012 Bootcamp?
- Can there be more than 1 winner at the event?
- What criteria will be used by the judges to select the winning team?
What is a Startup Weekend?
Startup Weekends are 54-hour events where developers, designers, marketers, product managers and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startups. With support from the Kauffman Foundation, they are loosely linked in a global network.
Tudor Coman came to Startup Weekend Singapore earlier this year looking to meet new friends. He ended up co-founding a company:
What do I need to bring along?
We’ll provide WiFi, food and drink for the whole event. All you need to take part is a skill to offer and a laptop. But if you have code libraries or special technology that could form the basis of a new product or service, bring it along. If you already have something up and running and want to find new collaborators, see below.
See how it all came together at Startup Weekend Philadelphia earlier this year:
What kind of ideas are welcome?
Anything legal that can be delivered over the internet or a mobile. By Sunday night, we expect to see a prototype or demo, so aim for something that’s achievable on that timescale.
What does it cost to attend the SingTel Startup Weekend Singapore?
We charge an entrance fee to encourage serious participation. Everyone enjoys making new friends at Startup Weekends and the entrance fee helps to attract people who are also committed to achieving something in the time we have together.
My team and I are already working on a startup idea. Should we come?
Yes, do come if:
- you’re not afraid to pitch the idea to an open audience, and
- you’re willing to add new people to the team. If new people contribute significantly, you might ask them to join the startup.
If you’re concerned about exposing your intellectual property to strangers, your current team might prefer to pitch a new feature or a new product direction that aligns well with your existing work. Over the weekend you could implement it more or less from scratch, with fewer worries.
If you have an existing startup that is fully developed and are not looking for new co-founders, please apply through our regular process.
What is the schedule for weekend?
Friday
6:00pm Registration & Dinner
7:00pm Kickoff & Speakers
7:30pm Pitches Begin (60 seconds per person)
9:00pm Attendees vote for the top ideas
9:15pm Teams start forming and discussing ideas
midnight Teams begin to work. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow.
Saturday
8:30am Doors open. Breakfast & coffee
9:30am Teams resume. Mentors arrive and work with teams.
12:30pm Lunch
6:30pm Dinner
7:30pm Mid weekend check-in, status reports, call for help
midnight Finished for the day. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow.
Sunday
8:30am Doors open. Breakfast & coffee
12:30am Lunch
3:00pm Gut check. Start prepping for presentations
5:00pm Light snack
6:00pm FINAL PRESENTATIONS
8:00pm Dinner
8:30pm Judging & awards
8:45pm Wrap-up
9:00pm Go home, or out for celebratory drinks.
How many people will be at the SingTel Startup Weekend Singapore?
A week before the event we had 140 people registered. We’re expecting anything up to 200 people. Most will be from Singapore but, judging by past events, some will also travel from neighbouring countries to join us.
Is this the first time Startup Weekend has been held in Singapore?
No, there have been two successful Startup Weekends in Singapore already but this is by far the largest.
Will there be other Startup Weekends near by?
The Joyful Frog will visit and facilitate Startup Weekends around Asia through October and November 2011, including:
14-16 October 2011: SingTel Startup Weekend Singapore
21-23 October 2011: Startup Weekend Manila
4-6 November 2011: The Melbourne Spring Startup Carnival
Who’s behind this event?
SingTel Idea factory has made the SingTel Startup Weekend Singapore possible. The event is run by The Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI), working closely with its key partner SingTel Innov8.
Is this about meeting people and exploring ideas, or is it really for people who want to start businesses?
All of the above. People come to Startup Weekend events around the world for all kinds of reasons. If you anything to contribute, you will be welcome. It so happens that one of the prizes on offer at this event is at least one place on the JFDI-Innov8 2012 bootcamp, but that won’t be something everyone wants to do.
How can I be selected for a place at the JFDI-Innov8 2012 Bootcamp?
You can apply online right now. We will contact shortlisted teams and the final selection will be announced in December.
If you want to jump the queue, participate in one of our Startup Weekend events around the region because at least one team from each event will be offered a place at the bootcamp by a panel of judges, after the final pitches. The judging panel will comprise:
- Wong Meng Weng, Co-founder and Social Engineer, JFDI.Asia
- Hugh Mason, Co-founder and Chief Executive, JFDI.Asia
- 1 Representative SingTel Innov8
- 1 Representative, SingTel Idea Factory
What criteria will be used by the judges to select the winning team?
The startup must be:
1. Scalable across Asia (if not worldwide)
2. Rooted in Asia – solving problems of Asian consumers
3. Launchable within 100 days (this tends toward web/mobile applications)
Perhaps more important than the quality of the idea will be the founders. The team members must be capable and appropriate to launch their startup. They must also be open to criticism, coachable and mentally prepared for the 100 day intense bootcamp experience.
Check out JFDI’s manifesto for more information on the kinds of companies we are looking to incubate at the JFDI–Innov8 2012 Bootcamp.
Can there be more than one winner at the event?
Only one team will be offered a place at the bootcamp at each startup weekend event. However, other teams may subsequently be encouraged to apply.
