StartUp Weekend is a global movement determined to empower entrepreneurs and teach them the basics on how to launch a successful startup. This year, Pollinators’ CityHive Host and Community Lead made the journey to Perth to attend the StartUp Weekend Perth 2017 at Spacecubed with a group of other Meshpoints regional innovation facilitators.
Firstly, you might be wondering what a startup actually is. A startup is generally defined as an idea (or venture) that is innovative, scaleable and usually powered by some technology. 
The weekend commenced Friday afternoon on the 12th of May with many aspiring individuals lining up to pitch their startup ideas. With so many great ventures to choose from, the Pollinators crew (consisting of CityHive Host, Emma Bateman and Community Lead, Kirsty Kipling) struggled to commit to one specific startup. The ideas couldn’t have been more diverse…
There was Gentor (an app connecting mentors and mentees), Taption (an app to help teenage girls create captions for their social media), BookItIn (an app to organise your social life) and many more!
Not knowing what to expect, Emma and Kirsty embarked on a 54-hour whirlwind adventure filled with creating, coding, designing, model-making, validation and more! One thing was for certain, they were in for a caffeine-fuelled weekend consisting of no sleep and magic coffee.
Pollinators’ Community Lead, Kirsty and CityHive Host, Emma
“I went into this weekend having no idea what a startup was and I found the whole experience really enjoyable and rewarding,” said CityHive Host, Emma Bateman. “It was interesting to see the team dynamics between people with such different skill sets, backgrounds and interests.”
A vast range of individuals participated in StartUp Weekend Perth. Whether you were non-technical, a designer or developer, everyone had to split into groups, each committed to developing a different startup idea.
“Despite the sleep deprivation, it was such a worthwhile experience getting to work alongside a mixture of people and in such a groovy space!” Said Pollinators’ Community Lead, Kirsty Kipling.
“Before this weekend, I never understood the amount of effort and work involved in creating a successful startup. It is so much more than just having a great idea and I definitely have a newfound respect for those who create and grow organisations like Pollinators Inc, and the ventures it supports. I highly recommend that anyone thinking of starting a venture immerse themselves in a similarly intense learning experience.” She said.
Pollinators facilitates a range of workshops and programs to support local startups and innovations here in the Mid West, with “Kickstart” being a one-day compressed version of a Startup Weekend – details here. We also facilitate connections and access to Perth-based, national and international programs for members ventures, such as Startup Weekend, GovHack, Pitchfest, West Tech Fest, a range of accelerator programs and coworking – like at Spacecubed.
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