Top 5 Things To Do After StartupWeekend

You’ve been to StartupWeekend, pitched your idea, collaborated with a cool team of people and pumped out a killer app. Now what? In this post, we’ll go over the top 5 things you should think about as you consider your next move.

A Review of the Tech Cocktail Startup Mixer

Last night was the inaugural event of yet another out-of-town tech event coming to Seattle, Tech Cocktail’s Seattle Startup Mixer.  Tech Cocktail, originally the brain child of New York’s Frank Gruber, followed a similar formula to last week’s Seattle Beta — a Belltown bar and a handful of startups showing off their products or services on a laptop or iPad to any passerby that is interested, minus the poker chip-style voting.  In this instance, the bar was Belltown Pub, which is a tad bit smaller than Spitfire, where Seattle Beta was held.  The startups consisted of a few that have been around for a while (SkyGlue, CoCollage, and OfferUp), one that was at Seattle Beta…

Fast Pitch Inspiration: A Recap of the 2011 SIFP Competition

Over the last month, I have been fortunate to participate as a coach, mentor and judge in the Social Innovation Fast Pitch competition (“SIFP”) here in Seattle.  My experience started with the pitch clinic about a month ago where I was a coach, then moved to the quarterfinal round where I coached one of the eventual finalists and $20,000 check recipients — Dynamic Labs – and concluded at the semifinals where I helped pick the presenters for last night’s very inspirational finals. In and of itself, SIFPwas very much like many other pitch competitions out there, from the MassChallenge in Boston to NWEN’s First Look Forum here.  However, what was different about SIFP is that of the…

Legal Nuts n’ Bolts for Entrepreneurs and Startups

If you are thinking about starting up or are an early stage startup, you have to conserve every penny.  It’s not just about bootstrapping anymore.  It’s about making your very limited dollars go farther.  You also have to use your time wisely and milk useful information out of very interaction.  You have to move fast! What this often times means though is that you cut out much needed legal advice or don’t pause long enough to consider the legal ramifications of what you are doing.  This can get you into very expensive trouble.  The cost to clean up the mess is often times a lot more expensive and a lot more painful than if you…

Monthly Office Hours

I am now holding free and private office hours twice a month. The office hours are intended for treps and early stage startups with tech and law related questions. Sign up at www.ohours.org/tolisdimopoulos.

Second Annual Seattle 2.0 Awards Recap

I attended the second annual Seattle 2.0 Awards last night a the Elliott Hall at Bell Harbor and wanted to share my experience with those of you who were unable to make it. It was a fun and fairly informal event with some attendees dressing up a little more than others.  The venue was fun and minimally decorated.  There was an area for the award winners to get their pictures taken with the presenters after receiving each award and there were plenty of photographers roaming the crowd taking pics.  I did like the large red carpet in the hallway leading up to the main space and the upward shining lights lining the red carpet.  It…