I've been to MiniBar a couple times, havent been since I moved out of London. There was definitely a lot of boozing - but there was also a great vibe and some great ideas.
While some of his complaints are valid (for example the bar London Minibar uses has terrible acoustics), there's a lot of value to be gained.
A lot of it is about serendipity, you don't go out looking for solutions, but when you're there solutions have a way of finding you.
I think if you go there thinking "I want xyz" you might not get a lot out of it. The author of the article says "do we really want to hear other startup’s pitches?"
I'm always happy to hear other startup's pitches, indeed on a few occasions I've met up with other HNers just to hear their pitches. I enjoy learning about problems others are tackling and providing feedback where I can, and hearing other people pitch helps me understand the weaknesses in my own pitches.
If you go in with the attitude that you don't care about what anyone else is doing then you're not going to make many friends. Networking isn't about how many hands you shake, it's about making deeper mutually beneficial connections, and to do that you have to have an interest in other people. Without that it's not going to work.
I'm not familiar with the startup scene in London, but the tech seen was awesome. I met some great people (managed to hire some of them), had some great conversations, and learned a ton.
There is definitely a distinction! The startup scene (Minibar/Open Coffee/TC Europe events etc) were great in the early months when I would happily listen to anybody and their pitch. However, I can count on the palm of my hand the number of useful connections I made.
In contrast, the tech scene - something you get into by producing/shipping - has been fantastic. We don't have a full time sales person, depending on referrals and introductions.
I agree with you about the tech scene. For example DevTank (the tech counterpart to DrinkTank) has been excellent so far. The London BarCamps are also great, as are the Hack Days.
I also agree that the start up (and also the mobile) events aren't terribly useful. They are more of a nice place to relax in the company of like-minded individuals rather than places to generate business.
As for boozing... that's just London in the evening. Most people are bright enough to stick to one or two drinks and you still see everyone in the office at 7.30am the next morning.
By comparison I found events in New York to be a little free of personal interaction. You turn up, spend 5 minutes talking to 5 people, listen to a speaker, then go home. Great for collecting business cards, not so good for establishing solid relationships. Perhaps someone can suggest better events for me?
agreed on the new york tech scene. all the events i've been to are very networky and have little substance. i used to live in boston which had more "techy" tech events. i would love to hear about better events in new york.
That's why startup scenes are a bit of a mixed bag. You can meet really awesome people who can help you a lot. But you can't let it get in the way of building product.
To be fair, there is plenty of this in SF and Silicon Valley. For example, any time a "tech mixer" event is held at Myghty, it's almost identical to what the article describes.
8 comments
[ 4.7 ms ] story [ 25.3 ms ] threadA lot of it is about serendipity, you don't go out looking for solutions, but when you're there solutions have a way of finding you.
I think if you go there thinking "I want xyz" you might not get a lot out of it. The author of the article says "do we really want to hear other startup’s pitches?"
I'm always happy to hear other startup's pitches, indeed on a few occasions I've met up with other HNers just to hear their pitches. I enjoy learning about problems others are tackling and providing feedback where I can, and hearing other people pitch helps me understand the weaknesses in my own pitches.
If you go in with the attitude that you don't care about what anyone else is doing then you're not going to make many friends. Networking isn't about how many hands you shake, it's about making deeper mutually beneficial connections, and to do that you have to have an interest in other people. Without that it's not going to work.
There was a lot of boozing, though. :)
In contrast, the tech scene - something you get into by producing/shipping - has been fantastic. We don't have a full time sales person, depending on referrals and introductions.
I also agree that the start up (and also the mobile) events aren't terribly useful. They are more of a nice place to relax in the company of like-minded individuals rather than places to generate business.
As for boozing... that's just London in the evening. Most people are bright enough to stick to one or two drinks and you still see everyone in the office at 7.30am the next morning.
By comparison I found events in New York to be a little free of personal interaction. You turn up, spend 5 minutes talking to 5 people, listen to a speaker, then go home. Great for collecting business cards, not so good for establishing solid relationships. Perhaps someone can suggest better events for me?
New York "tech" events are mostly like this, too.