We kept pretty mum about the recent mess at Bootup Labs that culminated with a Techcrunch piece and a “I’m Sorry” post from Danny Robinson, one of Bootup’s founders.
I was ready to get some nails and start sealing the coffin of Bootup. The whole scenario has been a huge credibility killer for Bootup and I am sure it has been tough on the community in Vancouver.
Before I started hammering away at those nails however, I decided to reach out to Boris Wertz. Boris Wertz is a bit of a sage and I figured he would have a sense of what was going on. It was then that I found out that Boris W would be joining the board of Bootup and would be helping to back it.
Danny Robinson posted yesterday that the other Boris, one of the original founders, would be leaving Bootup. I’m not going to speculate on what caused this, but it does seem like everyone at Bootup have committed to doing whatever it takes to get this thing back on the rails.
So here is my endorsement for the new Bootup. Vancouver needs Bootup as much as Bootup needs Vancouver, and with these recent changes I hope that the Vancouver community can get behind Bootup 2.0 as well. I expect that it will take a while, and Bootup will suffer greatly for it, but time will hopefully heal all wounds.
Vancouver is truly one of the best cities in the world, and I know that the startup community there will continue to live up to that reputation. It is a unique place, with a unique startup community and set apart in Canada. Vancouver is a lynchpin of change and I hope a city that leads the charge in rebuilding the definition of what it means to be a startup in Canada.
Hate to disagree, however Vancouver does not need BootOut or entities like them. There is a rich, existing ecosystem of tech entrepreneurs, mentors, angel investors, VCs associations, groups and government assistance programs that make Vancouver an excellent place to do a startup. Many of these are available from organizations much more experienced and better established then Bootup, e.g. SmallBusiness BC, Acetech, Angel Forum, LifescienceBC DigiBC, etc, etc.
New entrepreneurs have more programs and services available than ever before to help their ventures succeed. The old adage, “just do it”, is what's needed. Find a mentor with relevant domain knowledge and a success record. Bootstrap until you build value.
Vancouver entrepreneurs, don't need Bootup, their successor or clones or their hype, bullsh*t and broken promises at all….. they need to “just do it”.
Hate to disagree, however Vancouver does not need BootOut or entities like them. There is a rich, existing ecosystem of tech entrepreneurs, mentors, angel investors, VCs associations, groups and government assistance programs that make Vancouver an excellent place to do a startup. Many of these are available from organizations much more experienced and better established then Bootup, e.g. SmallBusiness BC, Acetech, Angel Forum, LifescienceBC DigiBC, etc, etc.
New entrepreneurs have more programs and services available than ever before to help their ventures succeed. The old adage, “just do it”, is what’s needed. Find a mentor with relevant domain knowledge and a success record. Bootstrap until you build value.
Vancouver entrepreneurs, don’t need Bootup, their successor or clones or their hype, bullsh*t and broken promises at all….. they need to “just do it”.
Hi Doug,
There are a lot of other resources available to entrepreneurs beyond those that you mention including New Ventures BC, Wavefront Accelerator Centre, BCTIA and others. This is an ecosystem and choice is good. All entrepreneurs should critically evaluate the choices they make around investors, advisors, and support organizations.
And I think Danny has already recognized that Bootup Labs messed up and made some tactical and strategic errors in their handling of the situation. We need to throw off our typical stiff upper lip of British heritage as Canadians, and not villify Bootup for making a mistake. We need to hope that they can learn from the mistake, make the necessary changes, and prove that they are a entrepreneur friendly environment.
I've written about this new catalyst/incubator/accelerator. I think where they are extremely interesting is the “for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs” mentality. We're seeing this down and dirty approach at BetaWorks and ExtremeVP/XtremeLab and PivotalLabs really generating a tremendous amount of value for entrepreneurs. And modeling your program after TechStars and YCombinator is ok too. They are part of a larger ecosystem of funding and support. Understanding where the incubator you choose, and how to leverage their services to your advantage is the requirement/onus of all founders.
Your advice “Find a mentor with relevant domain knowledge and a success record. Bootstrap until you build value.” is bang on.
Hi Doug,rnrnThere are a lot of other resources available to entrepreneurs beyond those that you mention including New Ventures BC, Wavefront Accelerator Centre, BCTIA and others. This is an ecosystem and choice is good. All entrepreneurs should critically evaluate the choices they make around investors, advisors, and support organizations.rnrnAnd I think Danny has already recognized that Bootup Labs messed up and made some tactical and strategic errors in their handling of the situation. We need to throw off our typical stiff upper lip of British heritage as Canadians, and not villify Bootup for making a mistake. We need to hope that they can learn from the mistake, make the necessary changes, and prove that they are a entrepreneur friendly environment. rnrnI’ve written about this new catalyst/incubator/accelerator. I think where they are extremely interesting is the “for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs” mentality. We’re seeing this down and dirty approach at BetaWorks and ExtremeVP/XtremeLab and PivotalLabs really generating a tremendous amount of value for entrepreneurs. And modeling your program after TechStars and YCombinator is ok too. They are part of a larger ecosystem of funding and support. Understanding where the incubator you choose, and how to leverage their services to your advantage is the requirement/onus of all founders.rnrnYour advice “Find a mentor with relevant domain knowledge and a success record. Bootstrap until you build value.” is bang on.
Hi Doug,
There are a lot of other resources available to entrepreneurs beyond those that you mention including New Ventures BC, Wavefront Accelerator Centre, BCTIA and others. This is an ecosystem and choice is good. All entrepreneurs should critically evaluate the choices they make around investors, advisors, and support organizations.
And I think Danny has already recognized that Bootup Labs messed up and made some tactical and strategic errors in their handling of the situation. We need to throw off our typical stiff upper lip of British heritage as Canadians, and not villify Bootup for making a mistake. We need to hope that they can learn from the mistake, make the necessary changes, and prove that they are a entrepreneur friendly environment.
I’ve written about this new catalyst/incubator/accelerator. I think where they are extremely interesting is the “for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs” mentality. We’re seeing this down and dirty approach at BetaWorks and ExtremeVP/XtremeLab and PivotalLabs really generating a tremendous amount of value for entrepreneurs. And modeling your program after TechStars and YCombinator is ok too. They are part of a larger ecosystem of funding and support. Understanding where the incubator you choose, and how to leverage their services to your advantage is the requirement/onus of all founders.
Your advice “Find a mentor with relevant domain knowledge and a success record. Bootstrap until you build value.” is bang on.