When the ThinkApps team hit last week’s SF Pitchmasters meetup, we knew we’d hear some good stories from startup founders looking to build teams and find funding for their “next big thing” ideas.
What we didn’t expect is that we’d also get up on stage to share an impromptu pitch for our business. Nor did we know what a chord that pitch would strike.
As people in the room talked about the challenges of finding technical talent to help move their idea to the next level (one road-tested CTO said he dismisses any inquiries that aren’t backed by letters of intent or a proven revenue stream) we felt the pain. In fact, it’s something heavy on our minds as we meet with incubators and startup labs and show how access to the right sort of tech talent at the right time literally changes the game for startups.
We heard plenty of that at Pitchmasters. More than 30 startups from the Bay Area and as far as Singapore, Japan, and Portugal shared their stories, many of them focused on how lack of technical resources blocks them from moving good – even funded – ideas forward. Some of these startups were in town literally to look for engineers. We liked their response when we shared what we had to offer.
In the coming weeks we’ll be sharing new insights on how startup firms can navigate the challenging “supply and demand” reality inherent in finding technical expertise. We’ll also show the results of a major research project we’re conducting to pinpoint the biggest pains startups face as they move their vision forward.
Thanks to Andrea Barrica for putting us up on stage. Have a startup? Check out her next meetup, http://www.meetup.com/SF-Pitchmasters, September 16 here in San Francisco. Maybe we’ll see you there!
