All I can say is wow. And thank you. And congratulations.
This was probably the most significant experience I’ve ever had – and believe me, I’ve had some. There is so much to say about the amazing people I met, what I experienced, and what it meant to me. I have more business theories and start-up ideas running around in my head right now that I just want to take a digital recorder and capture everything so that I don’t forget it. I’d write it, but I have also never been so tired before in my life. It’s a good tired. A happy tired.
We did it. LifeSpoke is launched and people are registering for Beta right now. I can’t wait to get a Beta invite (and I’d better, LifeSpoke guys - because I’m pretty sure my name is one of the first that registered) because I’ve seen the UI and how awesome it is and … just like my thoughts about InOneWeekend, I can’t wait to get all my stuff in one place.
Andy Erickson, one of the participants who worked mostly on the business model and industry part of the business plan, and a really insightful blogger who writes two major blogs as a profession, came over to my office the other day to do a podcast to capture the reason why we, the Board of InOneWeekend, decided to go with a non-profit model. He said it would take about 25 minutes. He lead with, “Why are you doing this?” We started at 5pm and wrapped up at 8pm. So many life experiences and professional experiences – the reasons why I believe InOneWeekend is the right model for inspiring new venture creation and regional economic growth - were bottled up inside and once I got them out, I just felt spent. And suddenly, de-stressed. I had been holding all of this in for so long and it just felt great to get all of those thoughts captured so that I could rest knowing that I wouldn’t forget something important. Really, the answer to that question is three things: I love innovation. I love entrepreneurs. And I love Cincinnati.
Through my experiences as an entrepreneurially-minded person, a strategy & innovation consultant, and a venture capitalist, I have come to certain conclusions about what works and what doesn’t. What is the most important thing for making a start-up work besides a great idea? Great people with shared values. And that’s what the Board of InOneWeekend is made up of. Great, brilliant people with shared values. Once I got them on board, everything else fell into place. We started in April and we put the event on in July. And it was incredible.
We invited everyone – students and professionals from all backgrounds – and 100 people built a company in 3 days. And that company, LifeSpoke, is absolutely amazing. www.lifespoke.com
We came together as strangers. We built a company in 3 days. How? I don’t even know where to start.
All I know is: I will never forget InOneWeekend 2008. I’ve learned more about people, about business, and about myself from this group than I have in the three years that I’ve been a venture capital investor. So, I’d like to say thank you. Thank you and I can’t wait to see you in August!
Cheers to you – you are the best – go InOneWeekend 2008 and go LifeSpoke!
Elizabeth
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6 comments:
Some quotes from a 2am LifeSpoke meeting:
"Here's my life and here's my spokes"
IOW was Special Olympics for entrepreneurs"
There are others but, I should check with you first, Elizabeth.
Absolutely fasinatingly Amazing...So many came together as the "Force of One". "True Grit of Humanity's Core Ability.
Bryan C
Hey all, glad to feel like my days are back on track, only to meet the heat... Been having monsterous energy drink and social interaction withdrawals. For sure, one awesome event I am proud to have been a part of. I suppose I served the event in a free agent capacity, asking where help was needed and filling the gaps from a-z not to mention, adding in a little inspiration into each group. Have to say, saturday morning was questionable to me to continue, I looked at the picture of the puzzle pieces and asked myself what could I do to inspire and be an intrical part with everyone in making this into something really worthy. After a few self doubts and minutes and a hard look inward, I pressed onward, sipped another mocha monster and was instantly locked once I felt the potential and character of everyone present and entering the same spoke of the wheels of life. It should never be the issue of not getting ones ideas illuminated but to illuminate an idea into a single combined force and focus on the build at hand. Reminds me of barn raising as a child, yes, I am that young and found I can still run circles around you all 20 somethings....still and mostly, I super enjoyed the meta and mental battery recharge from all the energy (moster drinks too)and most of all, to see who it was that would take my generations place in the reality net of the world. After all, mark my words, it is soon to be a very different place...what is today, will be different tomorrow. and mostly, "For Every Door There Is A Key... I applaud each of you and thank you for your tolerating my presence and hope I gave a little touch to each somehow... I am ready to do this again but have to have just another week of recoup....lol...
Prof. Jeff Stamp was excellent, Jeff, Hats off buddy, you welcome in my world anytime. It was a humanistic common sensory and feel he emits to allow people to open their own selves up to that which they each posses and know, far deep internally. He has such a manner so as to show a horse where the water is rather than leash lead, bait or push and is an ability I hold close myself and can identify with but most of all, very very excellent educationist, narrationist and guider by knowledge and inspiration, they simply have not created the words to explain his style and I'm glad, helps in providing the scene of instant apprehensions yet, was there every step of the way silently guiding from 0-omega. I can fully identy with his style and need to give people an ability to focus, if only for a second at a time or through an entire complex series of event, Jeff, I hope they did'nt break the mold after you...
Steve B and Elizebeth E, I commend you for needing to show the world (and a group fo brightness) that this would somehow be different than anything else out there. Your energy's were that of staying with the crowd no matter what, hell or high waters, we were all going to create something, small or big, simply mattered most was to get the group(s)to feel the power as one...and so we did... I know there is no way you ever thought something like LifeSpoke would emerge and I have to say, I am glad to see it was not spin and truely is and will be a unique thing ever evolving. You guys did your part and I hope to keep one of the life long connected relations with you all, each and everyone... you have all soemhow breach my social closed life, you are my friends...
Futurist and Visionary~Ideationist
Cheers,
BC
Observations...there are many. Here are my top three:
1) Equal parts imagination, energy and passion get you a simmering, quivering ball of potential. Toss in direction, support and a sense of urgency and you get incredible results.
2) To be truly effective, you have to have people and process that address the friction points between departments. Otherwise, the machine slows and progress is overestimated.
3) Regardless of circumstance, leaders emerge.
re-defines the natural human intrinsic nature of good creationism while defining the qualities of emergence of an idea, places and people. gravity, flows the river, water molecules communicate to sense the pressure of resistance and make fluid the flow and direction.
leaders have emerged, each and every one. spokes of the wheel.
BC ~ zen2zin ~the tree will grow
I wasn't there but have enjoyed reading about it. I came across a list of startups YCominator wants to fund, #9 sounds similar to Lifespoke!
http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html
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