Startup companies are families. If you’re part of a startup, you know what I mean. If you’re not, ask someone, and join a startup. It’s special. There are some people who were with CitySquares for only a few months, going back to 2005, some I think of very fondly, others not so much. Those people, no matter how short or long a period of time they were with the CitySquares, influenced its personality, shaped its culture, impacted today’s family members. Once the company received financing it was inevitable that the culture was going to change, and perhaps a bit radically, and quickly. Sure enough, it did, but again, in positive ways. I’ve always kept company culture in our sights, ensuring that CitySquares was a place that people wanted to be, enjoyed coming in. There’s simply nothing worse than not looking forward to going to work because of its people, or because of its culture, or because you don’t fit in. That was unacceptable to me from the beginning. Good attitudes have been, and still are, essential to being here. As our job descriptions always indicate, guts and passion are requirements. If you don’t got the guts to jump into the deep end, in the shallow end you’ll stay, forever. If you don’t have a passion for what you do, or for CitySquares, stay home.

We’ve also always had a diverse group of people working for us. White, black, Hispanic, man, woman, gay, lesbian, it doesn’t matter. Can you do the job? Do you have something to offer this company? Will you add some new flavor to the dish, in a good way? Will you last? Do you have goals? Passions? Do you have a life outside of work? That’s what we have today, a diverse, fun, whip-smart, ambitious, and real people at CitySquares. They’re my family, and I’m theirs. We see each other more than we see our own families, spouses, children!

The hardest part, however, is having to see one of these brothers and sisters leave us, whether on their own accord, which hasn’t happened much, or because we ask them to leave, which happens more often than I can stomach (once is enough). There’s nothing harder, nothing more difficulty for me and for the others, than to see someone leave. To have to clean up their desk, forward their email, redirect their phone calls, pick up where they left off, sucks. It totally sucks. There’s something almost macabre about it. I have a certain affection for everyone here at CitySquares. I have an affection for most of those who’ve left the company, on good terms anyway. I’m still in touch with many of them. I think we all have that affection.

There are the good times, and there are the bad times, especially in a startup company. Change is inevitable. It’s not predictable either. Can everyone adapt? Can everyone accept the changes? Everyone has to have a certain amount of faith in a startup. If someone doesn’t buy-in, it can jeopardize momentum. If someone’s not performing as needed, the tolerance is low. We’re only as strong as our weakest link. No matter how much it hurts, change can come at will, or it can be forced. It’s our choice. I’d rather choose my own change than have it forced on me.

The best is yet to come, and I keep reminding myself how so many others here at CitySquares have never been a part of the next phase of a startup, the growth phase. I have fond memories of my days at Delphi and Prospero, when the company ballooned from 12 employees in a crappy office on Mass Ave in Cambridge, to a much larger, sunnier, more vibrant place in Kendall Square. I remember the growth, the excitement, the thrill in the air. Everyday was so exciting! CitySquares is close to that feeling. My family is about to experience such excitement, thrill, anticipation, and that makes it all worth the heartache and pain.

My point here is that as a startup company, and as an untested business seeking an identity and a place in the Boston entrepreneurial and startup scene, WebInno was really just one of many pivotal networking events for us. As this blog continues to be about entrepreneurship, and my perspective from the trenches, I don’t want to forget about these events and opportunities. Furthermore, I really encourage other entrepreneurs to be sure they get out there – hit the streets, attend events, network, don’t be shy. It’s like anything, once you get some momentum and get into a rhythm it just gets easier.

Here are some events that I’ve either attended or would like to attend in the Boston area:

• WebInno - Cambridge, MA, about once every 3 months or so. Well worth it! And if you’re in the Internet space, check with David to see if you can a shot at a side dish or main dish. David’s very accommodating and open minded.
• MIT Enterprise Forum – Cambridge, MA. Hey, it’s MIT man, you know it’s gonna be interesting! I’ve been a member of the MIT Enterprise Forum for about two years now. While not all their events interest me, specifically the bio-tech stuff, they do host many very helpful and relevant events and networking opportunities. From big, globally broadcasted panels on angel investing and venture funding, to small networking opportunities where David Weinberger shares his perspective on the digital world, MIT Enterprise Forum is well worth your attention.
• MIT Entrepreneurship Center – Cambridge, MA. Are you an entrepreneur? Doesn’t really matter what industry you’re in – go to these events! Get involved! There’s a ton of value to be gained at this event. If you’re in the Boston area – don’t be a schmuck, take advantage of all the MIT has to offer!
• The Capital Network – Waltham, MA. An organization for entrepreneurs seeking funding. I had the honor of being on one of their recent panels and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. TCN offers some really powerful resources for entrepreneurs, and they really take their time to make sure you’re absorbing all that you can. It’s very much a dialogue at TCN.
• TechTuesday – An event hosted by the Mass Technology Leadership Council and growing in strength and numbers.

Here’s a bunch more (write-ups courtesy of Don Dodge, thanks Don!):

New England Angel Capital Conference – The Angel Investor groups of greater Boston meet once a quarter to review their best companies. Each group nominates companies to present. They are all looking for a round of funding that is bigger than any one Angel Group can handle. This meeting lets all the groups get a look at promising companies and pool their investment dollars.

Entrepreneurial Team Building – a panel of entrepreneurs that have built companies from the ground up and know the ins and outs of building great teams. What really makes a team come together? How can you be sure that you are bringing in the right folks? Who should be hired first, second, next? We’ll talk about teams at the senior management level and at the BOD level.

Entrepreneurial Series – Plain English Term Sheets – This is a webinar for startup entrepreneurs who want to understand the details of financing term sheets. What to ask for…and what to avoid.

MITX – Mass Innovation & Technology Exchange have lots of great events for technology based startups. The next session is “Building Social Applications and Widgets“.

The 128 Innovation Capital Group – The regular meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month at the Best Western Hotel on Totten Pond Road in Waltham. Every month an investor provides our formal program. After Q&A, our speaker generally remains to speak with audience members, one on one. After the meeting, a roster with the contact information of all attendees is made available to those who came to the meeting.

Nantucket Conference – The 2008 Nantucket Conference audience will consist of approximately 150 of New England’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and tech executives. Rather than sitting through a series of speeches and PowerPoint presentations, the audience will be engaged in a dialogue – and sometimes a heated debate – with Conference presenters.

Get out there! Spring is here, so you’re out of excuses!

Another webinno

Originally uploaded by Benee

Yet another webinno. And it keeps getting better.
……………………………………….
Ben Saren
Citysquares.com
617.459.4922
blog: www.yoursuspect.com

Sent from my BlackBerry

1. in the greater Boston area
2. in the Internet space
3. want to get into the Internet space
4. are slightly interested in the Internet space

then you need to go to WebInno tonight, in Cambridge.

When were were a side-dish at WebInno in November, I really didn’t know what to expect. We were fortunate to have been given the opportunity by David, on the phone, about 2 weeks before the event. We knew we’d have a side table (along with 3 other local startups) and would not be one of the main presenters. But that was fine, we were just glad to have the opportunity to strut our stuff. We wore our Citysquares.com polo shirts, had our tchotchkes all lined up on the table, plenty of computing power and some signage from past events. We were also lucky enough to be located next to the bar, which has its own innate benefits. Not 20 minutes into the event, we barely had the laptops powered up, were we getting hammered by the arriving attendees. We didn’t miss a beat though. As the night progressed, and the main presenters did their thing, I found that out of all the side-dishes, we had the most traffic and it was pretty steady all night. I don’t know why, but I can assume it was because a) we were next to the bar, b) we had our Citysquares.com attire on, c) we were on our toes, hopped up on coffee, and ready for anything, and d) we could answer every question that was tossed our way, with little or no hesitation. Hey, we’re very well put together!

The crowd was largely made up of local techies, but not the IT kind, not the biotech kind, the dot-com kind – and more so, the web 2.0 kind. Hipsters young and older, big thinkers, new entrepreneurs, veteran entrepreneurs, and yes, there were a small handful of service providers (buy they behaved themselves). Having “CEO” clearly printed on my name tag brought an overwhelming amount of attention and quizzing from all of the above. I was peppered long and hard with questions ranging from “what is your business model?” or “how many cities are you in?” or “how many advertisers do you have?” or “so how to you get to critical mass?” to “are you funded?” All questions I enjoyed fielding. Chris and Bob were busy doing the same thing – fielding questions and suggestions from everyone. They were cool, calm and collected, and having a ball.

At about 9:30pm, I was engaged in a conversation with Nabeel Hyatt and a friend of his from Yahoo!, and I looked around and noticed the hotel staff had begun cleaning up the room and we were the only company left! I was shocked! Three straight hours of talking, selling Citysquares.com to the crowd, and no dinner. I was exhausted but also exhilarated.

After the event Chris, Bob and I went to grab a burger and a beer to wind down and try to reflect on the experience. The word “whirlwind” was used many times.

Of all the intensity and excitement of the evening, we walked away with two valuable and intangible results:

1. We received an unbelievable amount of positive feedback and energy from virtually every single person who came by. Across the board, everyone was impressed with what we’ve accomplished with what little we’ve had to work with, and we were reminded just how far we’ve come in the 13 months since we launched. It’s hard to explain how thankless sometimes running a startup can feel – how grueling, and stressful it can be for us as professionals, and in our personal lives. The WebInno reminded us what it’s all about, and just how far we’ve come and how important our mission and vision really is. That is so valuable.
2. Connections connections connections. We met so many people and made so many powerful and valuable connections. I met CEO’s of companies that have been on my radar for many months, investors, service providers, and many entrepreneurs who are confused or struggling to get out of the gates, and entrepreneurs who’ve been-there-and-done-that. Now, two months later, I’ve been able to further many of those relationships along. One of them is blossoming into a new adviser to Citysquares, another is looking like a potential business development partnership, and many others are turning into early friendships based on mutual interests.

Last night I had the pleasure of returning to WebInno, but not as a presenter or side-dish, rather as an attendee. I met up with a few people I had planned to meet there, and with little delay, the whirlwind began again. Prior to the first presentation by GuildCafe, I met up with our PR consultant Matt Ellis. I told him about the event a few weeks ago and he seemed very glad to be in on the secret. After the presentations I was swept back up in the energy of the room and was approached by people I’d met at the last event, and, overwhelmingly, people I hadn’t met at the last event but who’d heard of Citysquares and had questions or comments about the site. Again, the energy was palpable and fun. Last night, the crowd was about 30% more than last time!

The “Main Dish” presenters were as follows:

1. GuildCafe. Presented by Jon Radoff. A very well designed, seemingly very infectious social networking platform for online game players. What I love about GuildCafe is the immensity of the market! No doubt, online gaming is big, and getting bigger. I strongly believe that in 2007 online gaming, especially MMORPGs, will capitivate a worldwide audience and, much like MySpace did two years ago, really shake things up. GuildCafe is poised to leverage this momentum and build a very large, sticky, social network for gamers. I look forward to seeing them blossom! Jon Radoff did a great job presenting – very charismatic and good humored.
2. Punchbowl Software. Presented by Matt Douglas. Mypunchbowl.com is a new web application that provides an easy, comprehensive, and personal way to plan an at-home party. Matt did a nice job presenting this (pardon the comparison) evite on steroids. That’s the only brief way I can word it. It’s a unique twist on the online invitation model, in that it provides quite literally everything you might need at your finger tips to plan a party. I have to say that the use of AJAX was a bit over the top. I like punchbowl, but I wonder if it’s just a little too much? evite did what they did (and continue to) because it’s simple – its easy and it doesn’t require too much thought or time. I have to plan a graduation party for my wife soon, and hey – I just may use punchbowl! So we’ll see if I can deal!
3. Goombah. Presented by Diane Sammer. Goombah is an exciting new product for music discovery, music, promotion, and social networking based on music taste similarities. Goombah is cool, but the first thing that jumps out at me is the word “goombah” – the offensive use of the word. That aside, right now Goombah is entirely dependant on iTunes. I, for one, am not a fan of iTunes and the iPod – for many reasons. Goombah is onto something here though – I like the idea of being able to look at music that other people are listening to, who share my music tastes. I have 18 GB of music on my server here, and sometimes, believe it or not, I get bored. That’s when I use Rhapsody and tune into some channels. I’d love the ability to find others who like the same music that I do and check out some stuff they have that I don’t. If Goombah works with Rhapsody someday, I’ll give it a shot.

The side-dishes were DoodleBoard, Geezeo, MobaTalk, SpotStory, and TrustPlus. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I got swept up in the whirlwind and just didn’t have a chance to talk to any of the side-dishes with the exception of a brief chat with SpotStory at the end of the evening.

Anyway, that’s my long (very long) review of the WebInno event. I definitely plan to keep attending these events. But don’t think I’m going to be this verbose after each event.