Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
Sometimes, the hardest part of a startup can be just knowing where to begin. And that’s why I’m so happy that there are local programs like TiE XL Bootcamp, a program designed to help folks figure out the early stages of their early stage companies. And as luck would have it, applications for their next class are still open. But you have to hurry. They close soon.
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For all of the incredible negative impact on families, businesses, and communities, this global pandemic has also — at times — inspired laudable creativity. And folks making due. And people trying new things. And that’s what startups are all about. So I was really happy to see the folks at Water Avenue Coffee embracing a new concept to ride out this situation. By helping you learn to be a barista, virtually.
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Looking for a new gig is hard enough. Looking for a new gig during a global pandemic can be even more stressful. That’s why I’m always happy to see Portland area companies promoting their job openings on the Silicon Florist job board.
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One of the most promising young companies in recent Portland startup history — founded by a serial entrepreneur, funded by local investors, and securing a bunch of seasoned local talent — Bumped has been quietly chugging along in a closed beta. But all of that is changing soon. And so is the Bumped offering.
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While any number of startup accelerator programs have been struggling to convert to a virtual program during this time, always virtual programs — like Founder Gym — hasn’t missed a beat. Because they’ve always been virtual. Their latest class just graduated. And it included a number of Portland area participants.
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It makes sense that I’m composing this post while sitting in a Workfrom cafe. I mean, it’s a virtual cafe. But still. More on that later. What’s top of mind right now is that Workfrom has received a $50,000 non dilutive investment from Google for Startups as part of the Black Founders Fund.
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Even though I’m a complete introvert, I do everything I can to muster the energy to meet with people. It’s my way of collecting and connecting dots. For the benefit of the startup community. Meeting with folks who want to get connected and putting them in touch with folks they need to meet.
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There was a time when a product that did something worthwhile was enough. No matter how ugly or unusable. Then people started to expect more. And wanted more functionality. And now, even after the functionality got good, people want more. Like customer support. But that’s still a challenging topic for many companies. Which is why the craft of customer support can be helpful.
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I’ve been tracking on a Portland startup called Kanchil for a bit. Mostly because they’ve posted opening to the Silicon Florist job board. It seemed pretty stealthy at the time, so I was reticent to post much about it. But now, they have a new name and some new funding. And other people are writing about it. So now I feel more comfortable encouraging you to take a look at DeepSurface.
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