Republic of Work is inviting entrepreneurs and anyone interested in working in the tech development space to a one-day bootcamp designed to turn ideas from concept to reality. The NDRC ‘Startup Sprint’ takes place on Saturday, February 8th and aims to connect founders, creators and anyone eager to develop ideas – their own or others’ – during a day of workshops, fireside chats and networking exercises.
The Startup Sprint event will cover a range of topics from validating and fleshing out a project concept to crafting a compelling pitch and pitch deck to filling gaps in a team’s skillset and understanding customer development. There will also be expert guidance on the startup resources that are available, as well as a wealth of mentoring opportunities to help entrepreneurs formulate an idea and explore the potential for creating a globally scalable business.
NDRC Lead at Republic of Work, Andy Mc Managan, will host the event. He said:
“The Startup Sprint provides vital connections and invaluable insights to entrepreneurs with viable startup ideas and anyone interested in working on a startup team. The event empowers founders to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship with confidence, offering inspiration, fostering collaboration, and maximising engagement through hands-on learning. There are also two awards to recognise achievement on the day – ‘Best Pitch’ and ‘Most Potential Startup’. The recipients in each category will win a three-month hot desking membership at the Republic of Work and, of course, the all-important trophy!”
Jon Harrison, founder of Statrdraft brought his nascent idea for a fantasy football platform to last year’s Startup Sprint and ended up taking home the title for ‘Most Potential Startup’.
He said: “Coming into the Startup Sprint, I thought we weren’t ready. I thought we were miles away, so getting the validation of the award was absolutely massive to our journey so far. It helped us get a place on Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme and get nominated for the National Startup Awards, so this small piece of validation has had a ripple effect that we’re still feeling nearly a year later.
The advice I’d have for someone considering the Startup Sprint is very simple – just do it. Don’t think you’re too early or look for an excuse. Just sign up and dive right in. I have been at plenty of events down the years that were death by Powerpoint but this one is the opposite of that – short, engaging talks, collaborative work and a really great environment for working amongst peers.
Worst case scenario, you’ll meet great people, and just to be in a room around people with similar goals and aspirations is very valuable, as the startup road can be a lonely journey at times. I would recommend anyone to get involved because the contacts and friends you can make on the way are the real wins.”
The NDRC Startup Sprint is a free event, but registration is required at www.ndrc.ie/startup-sprint – the application deadline is Monday, February 3rd. The event takes place on Saturday, February 8th.
