Tim O’Reilly gets it.
Computer-book publishing magnate Tim O’Reilly is urging young geeks to stop making software that lets you throw sheep at your friends on Facebook or drink beer on your iPhone and to instead start making a difference in the world. He is daring them, in the words of James Collins and Jerry Porras, authors of the business classic "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies," to take on "big, hairy, audacious goals." – Jessica Guynn, LA Times Blogs
It is time for developers and entrepreneurs to stop building frivolous, irrelevant applications. It is time to build enduring business value. The initial conversations about StartupEmpire focused on x things:
- Inspirational Entrepreneurs – We have the privilege of attending conferences in the US and around the world. We are lucky enough to have seen entrepreneurs and founders that left us feeling inspired. Not everyone is able to attend conferences across the continent, we wanted to bring these world-class founders and entrepreneurs to Toronto.
- Focused on Canadian Details – Often the content is focused on a local environment and ecosystem, and doesn’t take into consideration the unique environment in Canada. We wanted a conference that focused on the legal, funding, and government opportunities that are available to startups in Canada.
- Hands-on with Real-World Takeaways – Every time we’ve worked on a startup, there have been practical tools and advice that we’ve each needed to help get to the next step of development. We’re hoping to provide everyone with practical takeaways including: sample term sheets, marketing plans, cashflow statements, shareholder agreements, product roadmaps, accounting ledgers, etc.
Things are getting ugly. But it is a great time to be building a company.