KATHMANDU, Feb 5: A platform to meet entrepreneurs, Startup Weekend Kathmandu, in a nutshell, is an event which allows its participants to turn their idea into a minimum value product for a start up in just 54 hours. Startup Weekend is a global grassroot movement which has taken place over more than 400 past events in 100 countries in 2011 alone and now is also here in Nepal.
A team of eight Nepalis have initiated Startup Weekend in Nepal and are holding the first event at SAP Falcha, Babarmahal in Kathmandu from February 8 to 10. Pravin Raj Joshi, one of the organizers, shares that this event is very apt for the entrepreneurship ecosystem right now in Nepal. After having participated in Startup Weekend Delhi and winning the event, Joshi and his team decided to bring this experiential learning event to their own home grounds.[break]
As an entrepreneur, Joshi admits to have failed in his ventures at times. “But failure isn’t something that I’m afraid of,” opines Joshi, who is an algorithm enthusiast and has a penchant for solving problems. An initial idea very rarely surfaces into the final product, says Joshi who believes that when people share their ideas and collaborate with other like-minded people, to refine their ideas and improve them, only then do their ideas take concrete shape.
Hence, a platform such as Startup Weekend is fitting in current times as many startup activities are happening and there’s a lot of entrepreneurship spirit. The workings of this event, Joshi explains, is that “you come in as an individual, pitch in your idea in a minute, and after a round of voting, if the idea is liked by the other participants, you have to form the right team to push the idea forward.” Once the team is formed, mentors will guide the participants to turn the idea into a product. The next phase includes a five minute presentation of the product. The idea will be judged by a panel of judges and the winners will be declared. The winners will be awarded with prizes in kind, which will enable them to make their startup happen. But, there’s something for everyone in the event. Even those who don’t win the event can still gain a lot. Startup Weekend Kathmandu will allow those interested to not only share their ideas, but also create a network of likeminded people, meet potential investors and receive mentoring from successful entrepreneurs.
The focus of the first edition of Startup Weekend Kathmandu revolves around IT enabled products and services. It is going to be held twice a year in Kathmandu. After the completion of the event here this year, the organizers will also be taking Startup Weekend to Pokhara in the next four months.
“We have a fixed mentality of working for others rather than doing things on our own,” says Joshi who also points out that people are most often hesitant in sharing their ideas, in the fear of others replicating them. But Joshi believes that the sharing culture is a must. “Most often you have the idea but you don’t know how to execute it. Or you have an idea which is not complete. When you share, you might meet other individuals who can refine your ideas and probably help you make them even better,” Joshi shares.
The event is open to everyone. However, it should appeal to young people because as Joshi puts it, “Youth is the best time to try your hand at startup because as a young person, you are on your own and there are fewer chances of you having to worry about responsibilities of raising your family.”
Entrepreneurship may not be for everyone, adds Joshi. “An entrepreneur is a person who looks at everyday and says ‘I can do this better’. It’s not about reinventing the wheel but it’s about innovation,” he says. Hence, for those in Kathmandu, looking to startup something on their own, Startup Weekend Kathmandu provides a chance to discover whether one has what it takes to be an entrepreneur or not.
Startup Weekend Kathmandu is scheduled to take place from February 8 to 10 at SAP Falcha in Babarmahal. For registration and more information, log onto kathmandu.startupweekend.org.
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