Startup Weekend Chicago (1) is in the books. Worry not - there is already talk of a SWchi2. To connect with people who attended this past weekend adn some who want to plan the next one, be sure to join the LinkedIn Group.

Thanks again to everyone who came out and participated and especially to the sponsors (Coleman Center at DePaul, ITA, TechCocktail) and to Startup Weekend, LLC).

The attendees worked hard this past weekend. Ideas evolved, changed and were flushed out. In the end, we had 6 ideas/companies present Sunday night:

TweepUp - Allows you to enter what, where, when - converts common language and connects people doing interesting things, everywhere. Built on the Twitter API

BigHugeWindow - Creates and facilitates the marketplace for window advertising.

Fork Chop  (still in dev but they had a LOT of functionality together) - this app allows for the creation and forking/verisoning of recipes. Additionally, they group worked on some powerful parsers which deconstruct the recipes into ingredients - grocery lists.

Eventr - Collects and aggregates user-generated-media surrounding an event. UI that allows anyone to create event.

Conference Survival Kit - nuff said

Merit Badges - This app was dev’d locally but revolved around controlled vetting of information resources and structured learning sequences coupled with certification of competency achievement.

There were a few other ideas that which groups worked on throughout the weekend, though they didn’t present.

Thanks again!

Illinois Technology Association - The ITA was very generous in donating space for the weekend. Startup Weekend Chicago was held at TechNexus at 200 S. Wacker in the Loop. The space is the “starbucks of the tech community” and open to the public. With 2000 people utilizing the location, if you’re in the city and haven’t yet, you should.

More information on ITA here

TechCocktail - TechCocktail sponsored breakfast for Startup Weekend Chicago on Saturday. Eric Olson (one of the fouders) helped organize the weekend locally as well. Check out TechCocktail here and make sure you get to an event soon.

Today is day 2 of Startup Weekend Chicago. We had a lot of pitches last night (see previous post) and attendees championed a few to progress through the weekend.

The ideas people are working on:

• Eventr - Users can “create an event” and set up search and chronological paramters to capture user-generated-content/media that is associated with the event. This is helpful so that others can follow the event in real-time from user/attendee perspective and also for archival purposes for the organization as well as those who did not have the chance to attend. 
• Interesting People - ‘We help you find interesting things to do and interesting people to do them with, anywhere in the world.” - Built on the twitter API this allows you to search what people are doing, who they are doing them with, where they are doing and when they are doing them. It allows for 10,000ft views and subsequent drill-down searches.
• Visual Database Admin - GUI layer for databases which allows non-technical users to extract data without writing queries. Lowers technical requirements for DBA.
• You Owe Me - Application which allows a user to create an instance of an “account recievable” and automate communication to the debtor through multiple mediums (snail mail, email, voicemail, twitter, etc) until the payment is collected.
• Window Ads - Application which allows property owners/managers with ‘window real estate’ to categorize it for advertisements. Also allows advertisers to categorize preferences for ad-real estate. Matches the two. Aggregates ‘properties’ based on traffic patterns, density data, mass transit routing and also the posting data.
• Recipe versioning/forking and deconstruction - Application which allows for posting and searching of recipes, versioning of the recipes and deconstruction for grocery list development. Eventual hookup with services such as PeaPod.
• Adult Merit Badge - Resource for adults to develop competency in a space (can be anything) based on information provided by vetted professionals/thought leaders. Also facilitates certification of competency for the users.

So we are through pitches and teams are getting rollings. Here’s a list of what was pitched:

• Startup Weekend Survivor Kit - everything you could need.
• Recipe Sharing and forking/versioning application
• Recreational Sports Teams team management/reminder/messaging application with targeted advertising integration
• Non-profit Project Management Application
• Localization of Crafts and Artisans application
• Highest pay-out affiliate plugin/community
• Political Social Network - but do it right.
• Integration of Recipe Application with PeaPod and similar services + deconstruction of recipe into ingredients.
• You Owe Me - collection software that harasses the debtor digitally via multiple mediums
• Contact information consolidation application
• Twitter Application that gives real-time sentiment regarding a product or company as consumer is reviewing
• Eventr - Consolidate and document consumer generated media revolving around event. Interface for organizations/companies.
• Keep it Simple Stupid cooking - video resource for simple cooking by real people
• Window Ads in big cities - software that analyzes desity/traffic/etc and facilitates the purchase of advertising space in windows in urban areas
• Centralized/consolidated social networking search
• Application creating verticals around a travel distination - resources dialog and assets for trip planning and experiences
• Live-stream up-and-coming bands into homes (people spending less in this economy). Promote venue, band and sponsors
• Anonymous manager feedback and response mechanism
• Rent-a-pet
• Teacher content platform (subject-agnostic) and aggregation for student consumption
• Online lessor Forum for teachers - integrated metrics - best teachers get jobs and best salaries.
• Database and data visualization for non-technical users (without running queries) point-and-click
• Anonymous donation mechanism to help friends
• Eharmony for travel/trips
• Pocket Patterns - iPhone application for designers. Material/pattern swatch database
• Chatter monitoring across platforms to predict popularity of site/media <– anticipation for load balancing, CDNs and advertising
• Perpetuation of 1-time-sale <– sell a second one
• Automated Site Architecutre reporting for Small Businesses <– analyze for SEO purposes (are style sheets and JS files external? meta data present? etc)
• Web-template design marketplace
• Knowledge resource/ BI management for large corporates

(if i missed anyone im sorry!)

Here are some details for the weekend:

We’ll be at TechNexus at 530 Friday evening. Plan on showing up and registering at 6pm. We want to get pitches going and finished up as soon as possible so groups can get working. If you’re late, that’s just fine - you can hook up with a group.

NOTE - we will have pizza and drinks coming in around 7pm!

Looks like we have great access to the facility all weekend. We’ll play it by ear in terms of the hours, and we’ll annouce when breakfast will be there at the event.

Parking - You’re pretty much on your own. It’s Chicago - so you get it. That said, there are some open air lots right off the highway on the west side of town and they are pretty inexpensive (probably around $15/day or so).

When you get to the building, just tell security you’re heading to ITA space on floor 15 for Startup Weekend.

We’ve got a good group going - about 40 signed up so far. We’ll work out details and how things will best work while we are there in terms of schedule, but you can find a rough agenda here: http://chicago.startupweekend.com/?p=38.

Get your ideas together. We’re looking forward to hearing pitches and watching things happen this weekend!

Check out Facts, FAQs and Press on Startup Weekend in general. Hoping this answers some questions. Also, be on the lookout this evening for more details on the Chicago Weekend.

http://startupweekend.com/about/

http://startupweekend.com/faq/

http://startupweekend.com/press/

This is a post on Silicon Alley Insider on the 15 roles every startup needs to fill. It’s originally from Micah Elliot’s blog.

Check it out and give it some thought as you prepare for Startup Weekend (wherever you may be participating!)

http://www.businessinsider.com/15-roles-every-startup-needs-filled-2009-3

Startup Weekend Detroit is going on right now:

http://www.themurr.com/2009/03/28/startup-weekend-detroit/

SWCHI | #SWCHI

There will be a lot of content/media coming out of the weekend. Hopefully there’ll be some chatter beforehand as well. To be sure we can track and find everything be sure to tag whatever you do:

• blog posts
• tweets
• Flickr/images
• videos
• etc

with the tag swchi #swchi

Can you really define a “typical startup”? In that vein, can you really define a “typical Startup Weekend”? Probably and hopefully not, but it’s always good to have a rough idea of how the weekends tend to play out.

Note that times and actually just about everything is subject to change. This is just a rough idea.

Friday Night

6-630pm  Doors Open. Arrive, Register, Networking, etc.

630/7ish pm - Kick-off and pitches. The organizers and facilitator will introduce themselves, talk a little bit about Startup Weekend in general and introduce the sponsors.

- Everyone who wants to has 1 minute to pitch their idea to the group. The timer is strictly enforced. There are no limits on number of pitches and you can pitch twice, once everyone is through round 1.

After the Pitches  - After pitches, the groups naturally organize. If you like something you heard, go talk to the pitcher. If you pitched, try to mobilize a team. The final number of teams is up the group, though it’s important to try to cover roles on each: biz dev, designers, UI, developers, etc.

-Refine your concept and decide how you’ll attack things.

 - Then, it’s go go go, until you decide to call it quits or, all night.

Saturday  

The organizers will let you know when the facilities are open again (if there isn’t 24 hour access). Get there early as there will be breakfast and plenty of CAFFEINE. (guessing 8 or 9am)

Saturday is a work day. Solidify ideas as early as possible and keep chuggin.

1130AMish  - Checkin - We’ll as a rep from each group to meet with the organizers and facilitator to give an overview of what the group is doing, where they are and where they see themselves going.

12pm  - Lunch!

7pmish - GUT CHECK - basic prototyping and surrounding business development efforts (financial modeling, site, PR, martketing plan, etc) 

Resta the night - keep working, grab a drink, or both.

Sunday

The organizers will let you know when the facilities are open again (if there isn’t 24 hour access). Get there early as there will be breakfast and plenty of CAFFEINE. (guessing 8 or 9am)

1130AMish  - Checkin - We’ll as a rep from each group to meet with the organizers and facilitator to give an overview of what the group is doing, where they are and where they see themselves going.

12pm - Lunch!

3pmish - Nearly sink-or-swim time for those looking for a weekend launch. 

6pm - Presenations by each team. Nothing formal. What’s your idea? What worked? What didn’t? What could be   better? More Importantly… ARE YOU LAUNCHING?

8pmish - Close

Remeber: This is a startup atmosphere. Just beacause a team forms Friday night around an idea doesn’t mean that team is intact Sunday or that the idea that was pitched is the business.  Teams can form, break apart… rogue teams can mobilize. We’re just looking for great things Sunday!