Since it's opening in December of 2011, Geekdom has received a tremendous amount of local, regional and national media coverage.  Here's a summary of what's been covered so far.... thank you Nick Longo for your leadership and making this a very special place to make and create something very new.

Geekdom Media Coverage Report -

If you're writing code, it's time to start thing about writing something else in parallel.  

Rev up the band and get them on board with your startup's mission.  Photo shot by me during the King William Parade - Fiesta 2012 - San Antonio.

Write out your vision of what your startup is and could be - with a focus on its mission.

Ask your early users to others to join in your mission.  

Find contributors who could write for you because they want to hear their voices shared amongst others.

Your startup is more that a startup - it's a mission. 

Get your message down, tweak it as needed, and share your mission with others.

Try this:  start writing blog posts as if you were already a really big deal in your space, or the space that does not exisit and you inten to own.

Your startup's blog sets the stage to help build trust, thought leadership and owning the space you're in, or helping to create.  Photo by me shot in Kansas City.

I don't suggest you post these.  

Just create a post and save it for future use.  

You may or not be able to use the exact words or terms as your startup evolves, but you will benefit in one major way:  when you write down what your vision is, often times it can become a self-actualization process.

The more you write this out, the better you get at this.  

It's like any thing that you do over and over.  You'll catch your writing's sea legs.  

Don't Over Complicate It.

Write as you speak.  

Simple, plain wording that explains what you are doing, where you are headed and why you're the platform to bet on.

You never know who's watching and listening to your voice before they decide to partner, invest, buy, or acquire.

Here's some simple and basic "how-to" posts that are part method and part belief sets that will help you in not only gaining media coverage, but in learning how to rise Above The Code.

1.  How To Write Great Content For Your Blog 

2.  How To Be Quotable By The Media

3.  Investors Invest in People Not Companies.  Does Your Startup Have Personal Branding Strategies for the Founders? 

4.  Is Your Startup Positioned Correctly?  Don't Let Others Position it For You.  The Value of Positioning

5.  The Startup Economy is Global.  Do You Have An Export- Oriented Mindset?

Startups are creating a new future, that in many cases are really signals of what's next.

Story telling, and your vision of what's next can be a great insight to the media and your being a source for thought leadership.

If you're seeing something new, share your vision in simple to read English on your startup's blog.

Articulate what you are seeing in a language that's easily sourceable and most of all, quoteable.

Writing content for your startup's blog should be thought of as not just a place to self promote, but to become a trusted source for the media.

Your startup and the data you are collecting has huge value as you gain critical mass.  Share your insights, knowledge and wisdom on your blog.  Photo by me.  Shot on the Santa Monica Pier.

Shifting some of the mindset in this vein makes you a more valuable source for your insights, expertise and thought leadership.

Investors in startups invest in people, not just a company.

Keep that in mind as you shop your startup for deal flow and funding.

External to how smart you may individually and collectively be, what do your personal brands say about you?  How do they attract the right people to your universe of opportunity and deal flow.

One commonality that I find in startups, is that often the founders have known each other for many years.  You may have met in high school, learned to code in a dorm room with the person who is now your lead developer, or just came up with an idea for what could be next while day-dreaming in your MBA classes.

Keep in mind that when investors are looking at your company, they are really looking at you and your co-founders.  Develop a story line on your social profiles that reflect what you're about, what you believe in and where the heart and soul of your company is.

You're not just competing for money.  You're competing for attention.  

Get it with a personal brand that attracts the right universe of people, who'll believe in your vision, your mission, and most of all, invest in the collective of what makes you and your co-founders a great team.

No matter how many mentors, Angels, and consultants you have cheering you on in the process of trying to figure out how to take your startup's team’s big idea and bringing it to market, you still need some type of general framework to guide you along in the process.   

That's what author, Ash Maurya, delivers in O’Reilly Publishing’s Lean Series,“Running Lean.”

Running Lean:  Great reading material for air travel.  Read and re-read as you reiterate.

By its title, I kept thinking of a long distance runner navigating through a jungle of uncertainty, surprises, and even evil creatures (yes, we have them in the startup world) who could eat you for startup-lunch, or throw you off the course of reaching your goal of getting to market.

Maurya does not lecture from the classroom with bullshit theory.   His stuff is real, easy to read and very methodical. Much of the book is based on his own experiences in creating his own startup.

He artfully took his experience and put into a framework that brings discipline and routine to a world that is largely uncertain, unforgiving, and recognizes that being lucky is really ok.

You’d be wise to read and re-read this book two to three times a year as a group exercise, taking stock of where you are, fine tuning your Lean Canvas and increasing your team’s chances of success.

While aimed at startups, corporate America (are you listening?) would be wise to embrace Maurya’s principles and methodologies as they re-tool existing business units or are in the process of creating new ones.

If you’re an investor thinking about investing in an early stage startup, and not quite sure what to do, or which company you like, I would like to recommend that you put away your checkbook and make an initial investment of a different type:  your time.

Just in time for Fiesta, get your own Geekdom sticker.  You too can be king or queen of the world without having to pretend you're royalty.

 If you really want to get what the heck is going on at with these companies or what is going on at Geekdom, the best R.O.I. on your money might be something that I call R.O.H.O. – better known as Return on Hanging Out.

Over the last 4 months, I’ve been observing some very compelling companies as they come to life through the TechStars Cloud program that were housed at Geekdom. 

While they may be categorized as “tech” companies, the reality of what they are doing has nothing to do with technology in the literal sense, but rather the application and integration of technology to create new forms of products and services that are changing the way we are, or will be doing business in the Cloud.  GigaOm's Stacey Higgenbothom really nailed it in her story here highlighting the companies.  (Great job, Stacey). 

In order to really understand what these companies are doing, you need to spend time with them.  And that means hanging out, spending time with the founders, sharing some of your wisdom in business and learning about the disruption and opportunities.

Forget the Companies, Ignore the Technology:  You’re Investing in People and Teams

One company may be sexier than the next and the next and the next.  But rather than investing in a sexy company, chances are they will pivot (nerdo-speak for change their business model) and even greater chances are they will fail.

So rather than investing in what you think (or what you have been told) is the next best and biggest thing, think about investing in the people you are hoping into techbed with.  Even if the company fails, maybe this team could help you build something else, or improve upon something you have your hands in.

I Know The Oil Bidness.  I Know The Land Bidness.   I Know They Syndication Bidness.  But Not The Tech Bidness.

Bidness is, well bidness regardless of what bidness you are in (oh… for the uninformed or the non-Texans reading this post, bidness is Texan for businesses.)  And remember, you’re not investing in a technology company, you’re investing in people.

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Love those Cavaliers outfits, don't you?  Well guess what?  At Geekdom, we got a dress code of our own too!  Spring fashions are in full swing at The Weston Centre, with cut-offs, company t's, and flip-flops.  Far more trendy and a whole lot more comfy wear.  Now that's what's really trending at Geekdom.

 And if you want to try to figure out just what the heck this potential bidness idea is all about, then get your children and your grandchildren involved.  If you’ve supported your kids or if you find them dipping into their trust funds, maybe it’s time to get them involved in one of the startups at Geekdom. 

I’ll bet big money your children and your grandchildren are wired, and some of you may have geeky offspring that could serve as your R&D department.

Ditch Your Membership to the San Antonio Country Club and Join Geekdom

Now, while I am not positive on how much it costs to join, let alone maintain a membership at the San Antonio Country Club, I do know one thing:  $50 per month gets you a basic community membership and an open desk at Geekdom. 

You don't have to come from a good family, and you don't have to had married well to join.  

You just have to be nice, passionate about learning and willing to take part in the community.

Let’s assume it’s a minimum (and I mean a minimum) of $15,000 per year to keep you and your loved ones in the good-old-boy-network at the Country Club, and you spend another $10,000 per year on having fun with you buddies in the Texas Cavaliers, or you could take this money and do something much more interesting, and possibly more profitable.

And Geekdom has a free soda machine, plus free beer to members (over 21 ).

But Wait – There’s More:  Ditch Your Membership To The Argyle Club As Well,  And Really Save Big

Now just to make matters even better, there’s another way to reinvest your money in something that seems like its purpose has run its course in life. 

I know it’s nice to have a private dining club, but come on folks – wouldn’t you rather eat great food from a cool food truck and invest the difference in a startup at Geekdom?  

I’ve been a guest of some members of the Argyle Club and all I can say is that while it’s certainly a charming place to hang out, eat and be seen, you can get equally good (and really much better food) downstairs at Page Barteau’s restaurant in the Weston Centre and bring your viddles upstairs to the 11^th floor where some serious brains are doing the real cook’n around here.  Page not only has great food, but she also does fancy catering, and chances are she’s catered for one of your fundraisers or charity events.

Old Money Is Doing New and Cool Things

Everything I am describing here is nothing new. 

It’s happening everywhere.  Here’s a story in The New York Times entitled Heirs To Old Money Plunge Into Tech.  Read it.  And share it with your friends.  This stuff and this tipping point is real.

Startups As An Asset Class

So what to do?  Take stock of where you are financially, where you are in your life, and what’s important. 

If you own real estate, stocks, oil, commodities and few other things, consider the legacy you want to leave behind to your family. 

Investing in some of these startups may (or may not) work out as your hoped, but like anything, if you diversify and invest in a few assets,  much like gold, oil, or gas, there’s bound to be some real gems that are currently being born on the 11^th floor at Geekdom.

 

3 Day Startup San Antonio is returning to Geekdom at the Weston Center, April 27 - 29.

Catching up with Cristal Glangchai, Ph.D., Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Trinity University and 3 Day Startup San Antonio, she shared details and what's new with the program.  

Cristal Glangchai, Ph.D., Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Trinity University and 3 Day Startup San Antonio

Cristal is looking for more women, entrepreneurs of all ages and people with day jobs or those considering leaving it to get a startup of your own going.  

Being accepted to the program not only looks great on your resume, but you never know who you're going to connect with.  

And something very new....the Geekdom Fund that could be funding your next big idea.

Application Deadline is April 18.  Apply here And Start Something Up!