TechCrunch50, where fifty new startups (give or take) will launch, is less than a month away. The conference team is fried after reviewing over 1,000 applications from companies preparing to launch. We’ve been interviewing these startups for weeks, often scheduling calls in the middle of the night because there just weren’t enough business hours to schedule everyone in.
The NYTimes is featuring the conference in today’s paper. They’re focusing on the tension between our conference and DEMO, which charges companies to present. We’re happy for the coverage, but what the article doesn’t talk about is just how excited we are about the event and what is going to happen there.
We are down to the last few slots, and most companies have been notified one way or the other. Based on our experience from last year, these last ten or so companies are the hardest because there are at least 40 more that are perfectly qualified to be at the event. Each of us interviews the companies, sometimes multiple times. Over the weekend I had eight of them come to my house and do in person demos as well.
The event itself is going to be a bit of a spectacle. We expect anywhere up to 1,500 people to be in the audience, which is much larger than last year’s event which we had to cut off at 900 (we have a bigger venue this year). There will be a lot going on – venture capitalists perusing the companies, demopit startups vying for attention, big companies scoping out possible acquisitions, and even a couple of mega-parties being put on by sponsors.
But at the core of it all are 50 very special companies who are gathering together to launch their products. Engineering teams will be working until the last minute to finish products. Ops teams will worry about launch day traffic spikes and keeping their sites up. CEOs, many of whom have never been on stage in front of that many people, will be sweating and praying that they are able to communicate their core message to a diverse audience.
That’s the sweet spot for me. The birth of a company is the culmination of dreams, prayers and a lot of hard work. A year or more has gone into creating a business plan, hiring the first group of employees, figuring out how to build whatever it is they’ve built, pitching investors (and us) and generally putting aside their normal life to pursue a passion that drives them forward.
It is an honor to host these startups as they launch. And we are so grateful to our panel of experts for spending their time thinking and talking about the demos as they occur.
So let’s put aside all the drama around the event as the old payola way of putting on conferences goes through its death throes. Instead, let’s focus on the the startup community and the amazing things that it creates.
Thanks to all the blogs that have written posts competing for a free ticket to the event (some links below). We’re going to let as many as we can of you into the event with press passes (and we’re giving deep discounts to students as well). See you all at TechCrunch50 soon. We’ll network in the halls until we have no more business cards, eat lots of crappy-yet-exorbitantly-expensive food and party all night thanks to our sponsors. And most importantly we’ll see fifty very special startups launch, too. This event is about them and for them, and I can’t wait.
Some recent blog posts about the event:
Cyan Banister, ButtonAll, Infinitely Meta, Interesting Things, Learnanyway, Zemote, Adam Fisk, Webalytics, Rob Blatt, Andrew Fielding, uLiken Media and Brad Hill (let me know in the comments if I’ve missed any).
You missed my blog in that list…I posted the 50 reasons why I should go to TechCrunch. Sounds like the event is going to be off the charts awesome, I really hope i get the opportunity to come.
Andrew, can you please give me the link again? the one in your comment isn’t working.
Sure, http://www.ther...albennylava.com I’m an idiot and forgot the e in the last one, must be because it is 2:35 am in the morning
I won’t be changing the top posting for a few days (plus the front page has my little TC50 image thing so you could link to that, but if you want the direct link to the page with the post is http://therealb...8/techcrunch50/
Thanks Mike, it really does show how much effort you guys are putting in when seemingly 1 out of every 10 tweets from Jason is about the effort he is putting in to review companies for TC50.
ok got it. thanks.
Mike – there’s something very pure about not charging for demoing. I just just can’t reconcile the fact that other conferences require you to pay to play. If the internet is about democratizing the entrepreneurial spirit and flattening the world, conferences where one must pay thousands does exactly the opposite.
But back to the point, you and your team will help launch 50 companies, give them a great platform and considerably increase their chance of success (the good ones at least). For that, we can only commend you. Well done!
Wow it is so neat to see how far TechCrunch has come. Gone are the days of parking outside of Mike’s house, hanging by the fire to stay warm, seeing Laguna (sorry if I got the name wrong) running around, and the hundred or so techies chatting with each other.
Good job on the growth. I also love the CrunchBase.
Chris
it’s nice to read a little more about the selection process and hear that you are still deciding on the last few and go as far as to invite companies to present live demos if necesary. i really look forward to seeing the 50 companies.
Dang, wish I was a student! Sounds like a blast though, and gold stars for offering it free to the presenters. Let me know if you’re looking for volunteers, I could sweep; I’m good with a broom.
Awesome post Michael. You make a lot of great points and I think it ties in better with TechCrunch’s core, blogging about and helping start-ups.
I just read both of your recent posts. Anyone that is fortunate enough to be funded by Y Combinator is very lucky in more than 1 way. the 20k is great but the knowledge they get that keeps them from screwing up is even more important. TechCrunch 50 is about the future of our Country, I propose that rather than going beyond 50 in future that you reach out to other states like Texas and others and then to the finals in San Fran. I wrote about the Entrepreneur yesterday in my blog. http://www.cock...171&ve=view
Thanks.
I didn’t know the New York Times was supposed to write “these people are excited about what they are doing,” you supercilious bastard.
thank you?
Wow dude, that is extremely mean spirited. The New York Times often writes about how excited and energetic the team behind things are, I can’t cite specific examples because i have seen such instances over many years of reading the The Times, but it is not unheard of.
@Tim
Why are you so aggressive? It’s only humour.
Is it envy?
Nasty person.
If in fact there are qualified ‘perfectly’ companies that have to be filtered out – let that be a lesson to change your business model.
Instead of the Techcrunch 50 it could just as well be the Techcrunch 70 and spread further apart.
The lesson is * let Quality be the cut off point – not a number *
In another era, The World Wide Web, or youTube or Google or Digg could have been number 51
Hey man, I think that any rejected company can exhibit in the DemoPit and the Best DemoPit company gets to present in front of everyone else, so it is not like they are totally shafting them, just making them go through the DemoPit route.
Cyan Banister wrote a great top 10 list for TC50 passes on Sexiest Geeks Alive.
http://sexiestg...-a-tc50-ticket/
Well, my little company didn’t get in … I’m just keen now to see what calibre ‘the 50′ is like.
After reading the blog post above I’m sort of glad we didn’t get in – 1500 people in the audience is a bit of a worry – I’d probably freeze up and look like a real goose.
It is cool that a live demo forum such as TC50 exists – it provides a real opportunity to small time guys (like me) to get in front of some big time guys – pretty rare!
On a happy note (for me at least) – the effort of preparing for our TC50 entry proved positive in the end since it compelled us to finished much of the functionality that was needing attention. Even though we didn’t make the cut, we are, as a result of the TC50 application process, that much closer to release …. we are also pretty close to raising venture capital (they just have to sign the cheque).
Michael,
I wrote the top 10 reason not to attend TC50
http://ulikendo...hcrunch-50.html
wow. that was pretty harsh. Glad I read all the way to the end.
Funny…the picture of Jason is perfect.
Mike looks like he’s campaigning to replace Musharraf.
Thanks for the smile this Monday!
Are we going to get a decent live video feed like the next web guys did? Because that was a great watch and I expect this will be too if there is one.
Hmm, we haven’t been notified “one way or the other” yet… , so I hope we end up as #50 and not #51
M.
Mike, hope TC50 is even better than TC40 last year. You have every reason to be excited. Great event that provides unsung heroes with a shot at the world stage. It doesn’t look like we’ll be able to make it but never know if we can squeeze it in.
George
Hi Mike. Thanks for having me again as an expert this year and for the entire TechCrunch team efforts to make it great.
Just wrote about it:
http://www.loic...rences-nee.html
Hello Mr. Arrington,
Is it possible to participate at this late stage ? We just launched our website, http://www.tradememe.com today. And we believe it can be useful to visitors who are business-minded.
Thanks and best regards.
Alan
Dude you do realize it is only for unlaunched companies right?
Check our posting at http://www.food...he-food-channel
Advice for the noobs in the DemoPit…
1. Bring a tablet PC with EVDO or HSPDA connection to carry around and give presentations on the fly. We were in the pit the 2nd day, but 1st day talked with a ton of people and demoed our product via our tablet.
2. Run your site locally, no matter how good TC’s network will be, it will be slammed. Also, again having a EVDO or HSPDA connection is advised!
3. For presenting think outside the box. We had a LCD TV (32 “) with our logo on it and demoed our service on 2ndary laptop (tablet).
4. If you are going to have a lot of equipment, best to stay at the hotel conference is at or directly next door. We got our Palace reservations a few days before – kept checking for open slots.
5. Have fun…. it was one the highlights of last year for us, that led to many others
cheers
Thanks a lot. We will keep this in mind! Have any other advice for a demo pit noob?
After working the weekend through and looking ahead to more long hours – this was a welcome post to read.
It’s nice to hear your honest appreciation of what it takes to start-up a company. We’re not in the 50, but I’m excited about the conference just the same.
We sadly never made the main cut, even though Jason Calacanis said after our demo “I get it, I love it, I want it!” – although he did say it wasn’t only up to him.
However we are thrilled to be given the opportunity to present in the demo pit and thrilled that Jason loved it.
It is costing us a bomb to go from Sydney to SF but we can’t wait to see what the TC50 masses think of our humble product.
We wonder if we will be the only Aussies there?
Ryan thanks for the tips re the demo pit.
For those of you going to the TC50 there is a FB event group where we can connect pre the event:
http://www.new....6859&ref=ts
See you all in a few weeks.
Kevin – Sydney Australia
Good luck to Kevin and any other aussies. All of 20 million ppl and a country mile away from the rest of the world, i’m sure we’ll punch above our weight like we normally do!
This is why I love Technology so much! Look forward to seeing a lot of great things out of this years TC50.
Check out my post at: http://www.timnikolaev.com/wp
Michael, its when you write a post like this…from the heart about your purpose to support entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship – that you and your organisation truly shine.
The excitement is certainly building for TC50. Hopefully the focus will move on from TC50 v DEMO to the companies that are going to launch. These guys are going to be flat out right now getting ready for the big day.
Great post, Michael. The focus needs to be on the companies presenting, and that’s where you put it.
Your and Jason’s intent behind the conference to turn the tables on the traditional barriers blocking young companies from getting capital, PR, etc to drive their growth is just fantastic and laudable. It’s a story too often lost in the shuffle and one the ongoing drama detracts from.
The one silver lining in all the conflict is the added press that could ultimately help the startups presenting. Tough call there.
I’d of course love to attend via a press pass or anything else, although that certainly wasn’t the intent of my blog post, I must admit.
-Adam
Even though I wasn’t an attendee, I spent quite a few days discovering all of the great companies that were a part of TechCrunch40, so I’m going to have to set aside even more time to get familiar with the TechCrunch50 participants.
These conferences accomplish a fantastic objective, and I hope we can look forward to another one next year.
Very inspirational post. Thank you again for the opportunity. Our company didn’t make the cut, but this process and Erick’s feedback made me more determined than ever. We have some work to do, and changes to make. If we don’t launch in the interim, watch out for us next year:)
Thanks again, Michael. Techcrunch keeps all of our dreams alive!
so, what are the 50 (or more) startups that are going to be at tc50???
good