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The Minimum Viable, Semi Profitable SXSW Entrepreneur Experience

by Larry Chiang on February 1, 2014

By Larry Chiang
36 Minimum Viable Hours at SXSW

Conclusion: Do SXSW and get your $. Do not spend money to promote your startup. Make money promoting your startup

Five days at SXSW will cost others plenty. Let’s look at no badge, no housing and lots of SXSW hustle. Tactical specifics. Lets delve into 36 hours at SXSW in a minimum viable entrepreneur execution. Set your intention on Return on Investment.

You’ll get your ROI in cash before you leave SXSW. Allocate 10 hours before and 36 hours there It rests on your knowing / having read https://venturebeat.com/2011/02/15/how-to-launch-at-sxsw-on-a-shoestring-budget/

Specifics are below.

The overview is go and execute a small amount with an eye toward having your execution snowball. It leverages the Confucian motto, “the harder I work, the luckier I get”. Think of yourself as a secret agent, parachute dropping into Austin.

6:00am flight. It’s the cheapest. It’s the one you can still use miles or award travel 9:00AM land. Cab to a 35 minute breakfast you’re hosting. Did you do an Eventbrite? Do one. I recommend the Trio at Four Seasons. There is a booth that is big enough for eight.

9:50 – 10:05 I would do a “Pop Up video interview” Location: back patio of TRIO Your goal is 3-5, 35-45 second videos that you iPhone upload into twitter with the hashtag #SXSW. Done properly, this will be your ROI (return on investment) With the Eventbrite I mentioned earlier, that should be your ROI also. You’re using Eventbrite to network and collect names, future friends and potential leads.

10:15 -10:21 Walk over the Convention Center and network in the Lobby I’d bring a foam core sign 14″ x 8″ with your logo

10:25 AM wait for a text from me (1-650-283-8008 about an event that you do not need a $900 badge to attend. Text me to make sure I know you’re an entrepreneur who reads and read.

11:00 – 12:30. Get hosted at a private lunch (when you purchase a badge, you’re on your own for lunch so cool companies host staged lunches. Cool media co-hosts these lunches. I love meeting readers so text me

12:30 – 1:00PM get interviewed. Take notes on a moleskin FOR EVERY LI’L THING YOU’RE GONNA NEED TO FOLLOW UP. 36 Hours at SXSW may be minimum and minimal, but it’s going to “engineer up a tidal wave of momentum (+ perpetual promotion machine”? EUTWMPPM. Butterfly wings.

1:00-3:00 Educational content that you do not need a badge for. People host panels that are unsanctioned. Is there a target panel that you’d like to speak on? Did you pre blog and mentor market your startups expertise? Did you use the MVBP formula (minimum viable blog post).

3:00-3:45 Augment and Infiltrate a Big Brands event. Big brands are part of SXSW.

4:00-5:15 Rest. You’re going to need it because you’re not sleeping until 5PM, 24 hours from now. Afterparties. Programming in past years ends at 5:00PM.

Afterparty #1 of 9. 5:05PM – 6:55PM. Layer

Afterparty #2 of 9. 7:05PM – 8:55PM. You’re crashing an event

Afterparty #3 of 9. 9:05PM – 10:55PM. There is a pattern to parties in the premium slot.

Afterparty #4 of 9. 11:05PM – 12:55AM. There is an off the books event that three alphas are hosting. They threw it together using 5 texts and thinks it’s so cray cray. So cliche. Augment this.

Afterparty #5 of 9. 1:05AM – 1:55AM. It is SXSW. Id sell pizza for $5 a slice in the lobby. If you need pizza financing for the 15 large pizzas, text me. I’m participating preferred on first revenue in 😉

Afterparty #6 of 9. 2:05AM – 2:25AM. It is a hydration workshop and middle-of-the night panel. I did a VC midnight keynote. Do a 2:00am panel. Eventbrite semi optional. In fact I did three nights of midnight speakers in-a-row. Trust me, at midnight, I don’t want more free beer. I want to rest, drink water, and I’m fine having a VC mentor me.

Afterparty #7 of 9. 2:30AM – 3:05AM Bask in the afterglow

Afterparty #8 of 9. 3:15AM Scoble is hosting something and his cell phone is available on the Internet

Afterparty #9 of 9. 5:05AM Eat. Eat water based food Execute another satellite event. I know I’m just bringing up a new term but the system is Anchor + Satellite. I do not know what your anchor is, but a satellite would be perhaps another breakfast. Your breakfast can be engineered into a funnel and serve the dual purpose of a pre-party or blogger reception BEFORE some big brand. If you’re 23, you may scoff at the idea of breakfast, but seasoned execs eat it up. Seasoned execs don’t do and didn’t do 9 afterparties. They did two at most. Note: Check with your doctor before you do this Note: if you’re a female founder, text me and make sure you’re safe at all times Question: how do I allocate 10 hours before SXSW? LARRY CHIANG answer: Well, you do not need to pack (jk, I’d pack for three days and check your luggage at 98 San Jacinto). Spend your ten hours exactly as https://bit.ly/vc0311a It is What They DO Teach and Execute at Harvard What A Super Model Can Teach a Harvard MBA About Credit https://www.slideshare.net/larrychiang/what-a-super-model-can-teach-a-harvard-mba-about-credit American Express’ Under-Promoted Credit Truths at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) https://t.co/inxTmZAj My Stanford Engineering video boils down 20,000 hours and moves you to the right on the entrepreneur bell curve

CEO of Duck9 MIT University EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) Duck9 = “Deep Underground Credit Knowledge” 9 125 University Avenue/ 100 Palo Alto CA 94301 https://www.duck9.com/ass 650-566-9600 650-566-9696 (direct) 650-283-8008 (cell) **************** Editor of the BusinessWeek Channel “What They Don’t Teach at Business School” https://whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com/blog CNN Video Channel: https://ireport.cnn.com/people/larrychiang Read my last 10 tweets at https://www.Twitter.com/LarryChiang Author, NY Times Bestseller https://whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com/blog/?s=Ny+times+bestseller “What They Will NEVER Teach You at Stanford Business School” comes out 11-11-14 https://www.fastcompany.com/embed/c0d4562ea2049 52 Cards. Two Jokers. What They DO Teach You at Stanford Engineering

Emergency swings and cutting deals as an 9 year old

########## Duck9 is part of UCMS Inc. https://www.ucms.com 630-705-5555 More on #ENGR145’s SHIFTING right on the entrepreneur bell curve

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