In the world of tech startups, there’s always been a push to grow bigger, faster, stronger. To take that entrepreneurial dream of the few and turn it into the wealth of the many. And there are any number of resources that have popped up to help those startups achieve those goals.
But some startups—while no more risk averse or any less entrepreneurial—have a much more modest goal: to earn a great living doing something they love. What about resources for them?
Well, Portland seems to be a perfect home for them. And for the resources that can help them build that dream. Craft brewing is an example. Chris Guillebeau with his World Domination Summit and The $100 Startup. Food carts. Etsy. Kickstarter. XOXO.
You name it. Portland will DIY it.
So it only makes sense that Portland would be the birthplace of a new resource to help all those folks who don’t dream of massive valuations, increasing shareholder value, and liquidity events. Introducing Tiny Startup Camp.
The brainchild of Jason Glaspey—an entrepreneur who has built and sold an early map mashup happy hour finder, sold bacon on the Internet, cofounded a startup accelerator, built a successful Paleo Diet recipe service, written a book on how to build a startup in 21 days, and appeared in Chris’ book, above, as a shining example—Tiny Startup Camp plans to arm would be entrepreneurs with the tools and skills to move their ideas out of the realm of side-project and into full-time pursuits.
Or not. See that’s the beauty of the Tiny Startup concept. In this venue, “lifestyle business” isn’t a dirty word. It’s a goal.
“While I have a ton of respect for my friends who are building big businesses, that’s not for everyone,” said Glaspey. “Thanks to our cost of living, our DIY culture, and a community of early adopters, Portlanders have a unique opportunity to build much smaller—and incredibly successful—companies without taking on funding, without taking on massive overhead, and without working 80 hours every week. At Tiny Startup Camp, we’ll teach people how to make a living and still have time for actually living.”
The event will be held November 10-11, 2012, at Urban Airship. Tickets are priced at $250 for a single ticket or $350 for two tickets, encouraging folks to “bring a friend.” Early bird tickets have already sold out and space is limited. If this sounds interesting, it would probably be a good idea to register for Tiny Startup Camp, today.
For more information, visit Tiny Startup Camp or follow @tinystartupcamp on Twitter.
[Full disclosure: I am a fellow cofounder of PIE and I am speaking at Tiny Startup Camp. But you should still go.]
(Image courtesy Eugeni Dodonov. Used under Creative Commons.)
Comments are closed.
Tiny Startup Camp with a not so tiny price tag! What’s awesome is that it doesn’t matter and early bird is already sold out! Cool stuff, Portland!