Startup Weekend Kicks Off in Cedar City

You have an opportunity to build something awesome this weekend. Take advantage of that opportunity, and make this a weekend to remember.

Startup Weekend, a global grassroots organization empowering entrepreneurs who want to learn the basics of how to launch a successful startup, is currently underway in sunny Cedar City, Utah.

The event kicked off last night with a presentation by John Richards, Head of Operations at Google Fiber Provo. Richards spoke about the importance of customer validation, implored attendees to read The Lean Startup and The Business Model Canvas, and explained why Google Fiber coming to Provo is such a big deal for the state of Utah.

“You have an opportunity to build something awesome this weekend. Take advantage of that opportunity, and make this a weekend to remember,” said Richards.

As is always the case at every Startup Weekend event across the world, the highlight of the opening night was the pitches. Attendees were given 60 seconds to pitch a startup idea, the best ideas were voted on, and then teams began to form around the winning ideas.

Some of the more memorable pitches included: an app for kids to teach them entrepreneurial skills and help them negotiate with their parents over chores; Flipping Birds — a mobile game where you flip(-off?) as many birds as possible; an app that connects startups with developers, venture capitalists, and mentors; and an app that listens for swear words and acts as some sort of digital swear jar.

There are currently eight teams working hard to launch an minimum viable product here at Startup Weekend Cedar City. We’ll have more information on each team throughout the weekend.

We’ve only been here for less than 24 hours, but it’s already abundantly clear Beehive Startups needs to visit Southern Utah on a regular basis to get a better feel for the area’s budding startup ecosystem. We’ve already met a number of interestesing startups and entrepreneurs, who are solving some pretty important problems, and building some great companies.

We’re looking forward to telling their stories.

Published 4/11/2014