Hi, I’m Natalie, the founder of a company called Mum’s Garage. We’re a learning and community platform to help people start and grow companies. Here are my Techweek picks for people thinking about, or already working furiously hard on, building their own startup.
If you’re wanting to start a company, jump on this opportunity to get involved with the tech and startup communities. Find out about the interesting problems that are happening in the world - and how they’re currently being solved - explore curiosities, and make sure you meet people who can help to carry you from where you are now, to where you want to be in a year's time. The opportunities provided through Techweek can be is great for this.
If you’re already knee-deep in building a business, be selective about where you spend your precious time. Choose opportunities that will help you to meet customers and build useful networks, or give you some perspective about what you’re working on and how you’re going about it.
Here are some events you might like to consider heading along to during Techweek, assuming you’re a early stage or budding founder on a tight budget.
Mum’s Garage and GRIDAKL is running an event called ‘To Start a Startup’. This is a plug that doesn’t feel shameful, because we’re specifically running the event for people who are wanting insights into starting a company, so I would be doing you a disservice by not mentioning it. We have a great line-up of experienced founders and startup experts, covering a range of topics, including getting started with an idea, market validation, product development, finance, legal and marketing.
I generally always find the stories of successful founders valuable, and the Upstarters Good for the World Open Day has a good line-up of founders working on interesting exceptional companies. If you can’t make it along to the real thing in Auckland, you can dial into the webcast.
The She Started It event looks like another good opportunity to listen to the stories of successful founders, particularly if you’re a female entrepreneur on the lookout for other female entrepreneur role models. Startup Grind is hosting Brian Wong, co-founder and CEO of Kiip, on Weds 23rd in Auckland.
I’ll be trying hard to head along to at least one AI and one Blockchain talk or workshop. These two technologies that will have a significant impact on value creation in the immanent future, so they are well worth understanding. AR/VR is in a similar boat. Have a look at the events in your area.
If you’re not technical, but you have a desire to learn to code, the Coding and Game Design for Adults could be a fun way to pick up some “digital technology skills”. This event is in Wellington.
If you’re Tauranga based and looking for an opportunity to get your legal concerns off your chest, consider booking a office hours with Mackenzie Elvin. If you’re based in Dunedin and want to learn a thing or two about how to create video content, check out the ‘Let’s Make a Video’ event.
Others events that look interesting are ‘Startups and The Future of Corporate Innovation - The Debate and Cleantech | After Hours @ Level Two Innovation Hub, both in Auckland, and ‘Growing Tech Tall Poppies: Digital Marketing Masterclass with an International Expert’, which is being held at EPIC in Christchurch.
There are many opportunities to learn, meet, and explore during the week, so make sure you have a look through the event list below and find the ones that are most interesting and relevant for you. Have a great time at Techweek!