We want 25,000 hangarounds in startupbootcamp!
Imagine if we can attract 25,000 people to follow and engage in www.startupbootcampdk and the ten selected startups, which will go into the startupbootcamp program in June this year!
It would have significant value for the ten startups if they can use this communication platform to spread the word about their new ideas and products. People could provide valuable feedback througout the development phase; help with contacts and network; and even be the first real customers.
Our goal is therefore to attract 25,000 hangarounds in startupbootcamp. We have to work fast … and if you can help us it is highly appreciated.
Be our next hangaround – follow us on twitter http://twitter.com/bootcampdk, facebook http://www.facebook.com/startupbootcamp?ref=ts or linkedin http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2665205&trk=anet_ug_hm
/Carsten
Create a gift card company with us in UK!
We consider to launch a company in UK focusing on gift cards. We have some ideas how to make this a differentiated and cool concept – but we would love your opinion. We are further looking for a lead entrepreneur to take charge of the project – obviously with full support from the entire Rainmaking team.
So feel free to share your thoughts and demonstrate that you should be our next entrepreneur and part of the Rainmaking team.
/Carsten
I hate NDA’s!
Rainmaking receives about 10-20 potential new projects per month from entrepreneurs around Europe. The entrepreneurs and their ideas vary in quality but there are some really quality stuff in between.
Unfortunately, some of the teams insist on signing Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s) before they will even tell a little bit about their ideas. I have 100% respect for this if they had a pharma or biotech product, which need to be protected with IP rights, however, in most cases we are talking about very simple ideas with no chance of IP protection.
These entrepreneurs simply think they have invented the most fantastic idea in the world and now they are so afraid that someone will steal the idea. In 99% of the cases my guess is that exactly this type of persons will never succeed as entrepreneurs and I find this attitude wrong for two reasons:
1) It will be hard to sell anything if you are not willing to talk about your product/idea! And sales should start as early as possible when you develop new products and services. It is in the close interaction with your supposed customer that you will end up developing something that can turn into a success.
2) It is (almost) all about execution and the team – and not about the idea. There is therefore no reason to be so afraid of discussing your idea with other. It only helps developing it.
In Rainmaking we are very open about discussing our ideas and our experience is that this has great value. Often we can kill an idea much earlier because people we interact with can tell us why this idea will not work. And in other cases we can develop a good idea into a great one in just a few days because we discuss it with great people who each add a few good things to sharpen the idea.
/Carsten
First Friday event on the 5th of February – come and join!
We are continuing the success from the last First Friday where 60 entrepreneurs had a great afternoon together. everyone can stand up at pitch anything they are looking for. You have 3 minutes and 3 slides to tell your story. There is great opportunity to network with like minded people.
Sign up to the next First Friday event at http://www.startupbootcamp.dk/events/.
/Carsten
New company launched in UK
Yesterday we launched www.gymgroupie.com, which is a Group Buying concept focusing on buying fitness membership in groups at discounted prices.
I really look forward to see how it will take off.
/Carsten
Improving internal knowledge sharing and boosting energy
We have started using Yammer for internal knowledge sharing in Rainmaking. It is really good for our type of company where people are working across borders and on many different kinds of projects.
By using Yammer we can share small and big news in an efficient way. And it gives a lot of energy learning about the succeses in the other businesses. By using the Iphone App it is easy to use it on the go.
/Carsten
What a day in Rainmaking!
Executive summary of the 5th of January 2010
09.00: Met with partner colleague Martin Bjergegaard http://www.rainmaking.dk/hvemervi.aspx?lang=dk and discussed a new potential project within online retail. Also touched upon general allocation of resources for our new projects in UK
10.05: Met Tanveer – the cofounder of http://dk.vopium.com/ - and discussed a health care idea. Very exciting.
11.44: Nice lunch from www.frokost.dk – of course 
12.15: Met Kasper Vardrup http://dk.linkedin.com/in/kaspervardrup and Michael Bodekaer http://www.michaelbodekaer.com/ to discuss potential ways of working closer together in the future. Great people! Hope we can find a win-win solution.
14.06: Replied to email update from Michael Wiegert – successful Swedish serial entrepreneur – concerning a possible CleanTech project we are evaluating together
14.53: Booked tickets for next weeks trip to London where we will have steering committee meeting in www.cyclepods.co.uk. Meeting are also booked with Henrik Werdelin from Index Ventures and three local entrepreneurs whom we might get an opportunity to work with.
16.15: John Zoffmann – cool designer and architect – visited our new office and had tons of ideas how to make our new offices illustrate our values, culture and innovative concept
16.37: Posted new job opportunity (online marketing assistant) on CBS, IT University and DTU job portals
16.42: Received first two applications within 1 minute … wauw
17.14: Received application from Estonia for our www.startupbootcamp.dk program. How did we reach out there?
20.15: Worked on the people and portefolio strategy for 2010 for www.rainmaking.dk – so many opportunities and so many great people who we can work with – but how do we match it all up in an effective and efficient way? Not to mention financing it all …
21.34: Watched 3 episodes of Klovn (a Danish sitcom). Big laugh and a fantastic day was over.
/Carsten
First “First Friday” this Friday …
If you are based in Copenhagen and are interested in entrepreneurship then come First Friday this week.
First Friday is a new networking opportunity for entrepreneurs in the Copenhagen area. The launch event is Friday Jan. 8th. This is an initiative by OK1 and is co-hosted by Startupbootcamp. We know that entrepreneurs always need help, no matter what stage their startup has reached. First Friday will offer an active networking opportunity: anyone can take the stage for 3 minutes and ask for something (a co-founder, a Java guru, a contact in Silicon Valley) then network with the crowd to see who can help.
The event takes place at OK1 offices, Rentemestervej 80, 2400 København NV at 3pm.
You can sign up here http://startupbootcamp.dk/meetus or just show up.
/Carsten
Article about Nordic startup initiatives
This article http://tinyurl.com/ybugw4c covers two important initiatives on the Nordic startup scene: Seedcamp and Startupbootcamp.
Startupbootcamp is the initiative, which I am running (via Rainmaking) together with Alex Farcet.
Season greetings to everyone. Looking forward to lot of entrepreneurial activities in 2010.
/Carsten
Interview with Clint Nelsen, startupweekend
See the interview with Clint Nelsen of startupweekend – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqBUJ3dIPZ0
/Carsten
