Attended my first ‘Lean Startup Melbourne’ meeting tonight. It was a capacity crowd of 200 energetic individuals from all backgrounds. The night included a stella panel of guests representing 5 different seed accelerator programs.
A seed accelerator program is simply a mentor program for new ideas or startup teams, funded with a small amount of money ($20-$40k) usually in return for a small amount of equity.
While the panel discussed mostly obvious items with what is great about being involved in a venture accelerator, the stories behind their answers were engaging and very real.
For me one of the nice topics discussed briefly was how ‘non-glamorous’ startups really are. While the media may portray the epic ambition and the exciting possibilities of huge valuations, the reality is that all startups have many super lean years before, and if, they ever make it.
It has taken me several years getting used to enjoying operating on a lean backbone. I often find myself completely shunning the idea of being real about financial investment outside of my businesses. Reading about the experience of other startup entrepreneurs is one thing, but listening to 5 genuine guys address an audience live about their reality is refreshing and inspiring.
The fantastic thing about the tech community in Melbourne is that groups are willing to open meetings up to anyone and everyone. You don’t have to be launching a startup or be a tech genius to feel a part of events. The only prerequisite for attending is an interest in digital. If you are a career focused individual I encourage YOU to take some time this year and attend a local tech startup event. The progressive community of Melbourne entrepreneurs is super exciting to be around. Who knows what ideas you will be inspired to chase or the people you will meet.