Episode 016: The story of Startup Weekend - how a single event grew into a global startup movement - with Andrew Hyde and Marc Nager

Marc Nager and Andrew Hyde tell us how Startup Weekend grew from a single gathering to over 4,000 events in 1,142 cities.

Today’s guests, Andrew Hyde and Marc Nager, are responsible for founding and growing Startup Weekend, the “world’s most powerful community-building platform.”

Startup Weekend began in 2007 in Boulder, Colorado. Andrew had the crazy idea to build a startup in a weekend, and more than 80 people showed up to participate in the first 54-hour event.

Now there have been over 4,000 Startup Weekend events all over the world that more than 250,000 entrepreneurs have attended.

We’re going to learn how Marc and Andrew’s desire to create something, and help others create, has grown into this worldwide startup phenomenon.

“Entrepreneurship isn’t an event; it’s a set of values.” –Marc Nager (click to tweet)

“Everyone should know they can create if they want to.” –Andrew Hyde (click to tweet)

In this episode, you’ll learn from Marc and Andrew:

Just how global entrepreneurship and startup communities are, and how much they’re growing.
How Andrew, the self-described “nuisance” of TechStars, became the founder of Startup Weekend
The benefits of building a community around passionate organizers
How charging for events actually contributed to massive growth
How to manage an international startup brand
How the transition to a nonprofit helped sustain the growth of Startup Weekend
Startup Weekend by the numbers:
- 141 countries
- 1,142 cities
- 234,970 attendees
- 4,157 events
Why Startup Week was founded as a celebration of the startup community
How Startup Next is a response to the growing industry of entrepreneurship and the increasing importance of accelerators
Why Startup Digest is an invaluable resource for becoming part of the startup community and finding events in your area
How TechStars and Startup Weekend, together, can help realize the value of startups and sustain the startup movement

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

Answers to Quickfire Q&A:

If you could chat with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
1. Andrew: Edward Abbey, an author who wrote about the American Southwest
2. Marc: Gandhi
Name a tool, app, or website that you can’t live without and why.
1. Andrew: TalkSpace, a service that connects someone to a therapist and works to destigmatize mental illness, and Steller, “it’s like multi-page Instagram; just a great way to tell visual stories.”
2. Marc: OpenSnow, a winter sports information and lifestyle app.
Tell us something unique and interesting about you that not many may know.
1. Andrew: Hadn’t been out of the United States until he was 22, when he started Startup Weekend. Now he’s been to nearly 70 countries.
2. Marc: The youngest employee ever at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. In college, he made over $100 an hour in cash moving futons.
What are the top three skills or characteristics that you look for in people you work with?
1. Andrew:
  1. Trust, trust, trust, (and style).
2. Marc:
  1. Trust, integrity, and the ability to be direct
What is something you believe, but few others agree with you?
1. Andrew: I think “Hayduke” is a remarkable name for a child.”
2. Marc: I truly believe entrepreneurship is more effective than politics, foreign policy or any other form of diplomacy.

How to contact Andrew and Marc:

Find Andrew at hyde.co. Find Startup Weekend, Startup Week and Startup Next on social media.

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