Earlier this week, some 200 folks got together for the first DC Tech Meetup organized by Peter Corbett of iStrategyLabs. The meetup was to convene technologists and entrepreneurs focused on developing software for consumer and enterprise use. Attendees included folks from Living Social and PCampDC friends from Network Solutions, including the social media swami himself, Shashi Bellamkonda. After kicking things off, attendees were treated to an early demo of Spinnakr's Welcome Bar product, followed by an interview of Bobby Ocamp of Grotech Ventures by Frank Gruber, CEO of TechCocktail. Afterward, an open mic session was held where folks were encouraged to step up and "say a tweet" to promote a project, job opening, seek a co-founder, or plug an upcoming event.
Enthusiasm was high and continues to remain so after the event as is evidenced by the message board postings on the DC Tech site. A 900-person venue is being sought for the next event in April!
Enthusiasm was high and continues to remain so after the event as is evidenced by the message board postings on the DC Tech site. A 900-person venue is being sought for the next event in April!
On the flip side, more and more startups are realizing the importance of the Product Management functionality, that it's not just the realm of large enterprises. While the "tech guy" develops the technology, Product Management focuses on understanding the realities of the marketplace and figure out how to bring the product to market in a way that resonates and maximizes profitability (or whatever ROI the organization is shooting for). In that respect, startups have the same challenges as large organizations.
A year and half ago, Saeed Khan had a great blog post on the importance of hiring a PM first, and has a link to an interview with Bill Campbell, former CEO of Intuit, who says the same thing!
Product Management is also the critical engine of growth. Growth comes from innovation, and that is precisely what Product Management brings as a discipline into any organization. Many startups find initial success with an innovative product, but then stumble as they struggle to continue to find that innovative spark. Product Management is about repeatedly identifying and creating new products and have them succeed in the market in a systematized way. Saeed calls this "repeatable success".
DC Tech is a great opportunity for ProductCampers to get plugged into the local tech and startup scene. And ProductCamp DC is a great opportunity for startups to meet the best and brightest minds in the DC area on delivering products that resonate, and creating and sustaining a culture of innovation for sustained growth!
shardul
