Startup Communities: 3 Attributes To Be Made Of

I watched Jim Brikman’s keynote at TechHub Riga October meetup the other day. He presented a crush course on design for developers and gave out valuable points on how to make cooler products. The keynote was great. Yet, even greater was the crowd he spoke to. The community. Every person who was a part of the community. This is where I came to think about what were those attributes we were made of. I counted 3.

It’s a common ground that the Latvian startup scene is new. We have a couple of notable stories to rely on, such as infogr.am, Ask.fm, AirDog and Cobook (acquired by FullContact), and we are definitely looking for more. Arguably, this ‘more’ comes from the local communities which show that – even though it’s new – the foundation of the scene is strong and eager to make things better and better. The tone of the communities, may they be a crowd of Python or Ruby developers, designers who gather at The Mill or Java geeks, is clear – it’s we, the people, who take us further.

#1 Attribute: Design

At that very October meetup Jim Brikman said design was the product, and this thought stuck in my mind. When I look at the design of the Latvian startup scene, I cannot help but wonder about its diversity and tendency to be just as modest as completely crazy and proud. From co-working spaces to government loans, from informal events to EU commission visits – our community ‘product’ is filled with both global ambitions and playful mood of having a beer or poker night. And that’s just one side of the story.

Design ensures we’re always flexible. There are 10+ local tech and startup communities that meet regularly, share knowledge and build connections (most of them can be found on meetup.com or Facebook) – even though the faces may seem the same, everyone plays the role of the community ‘ambassador’ who constantly spreads the word. Latvia is small, but that just makes the impact of collaboration bigger.

We keep working together. The joint initiative Start Up The Season, co-hosted by TechHub Riga, The Mill and eegloo, saw more than 1000 people joining 14 events, focused on startups and creative industries, and feeling a true entrepreneurial vibe that declared September the official startup month in Latvia. We keep growing.

#2 Attribute: Level Of Interest

There would be no offer if there were no demand – probably, the interest to put Latvia on the global tech map has never been this high. The success of global giants like Facebook or Google, the desire to walk in the shoes of the Silicon Valley TV drama characters or unlimited (tech) opportunities of doing what you truly love – startups are trendy and technology equals innovation, money and representation, and that is tempting.

Not only startups need developers, they are also looking for marketing gurus, industry key-figures or business development managers. Even more, not only you get a first-hand experience of the startup world in meetups, conferences, bootcamps or pitching sessions, you likewise get a chance to study startup-related programs at universities (the newest one has launched this year). The more you dig, the more you find – the community opportunities are bubbling!

#3 Attribute: Ability To Stay

However, despite the startup popularity seems to be increasing, this scene is not meant for everybody. It’s tough and takes lots of energy and dedication. It’s full of risk and unpredictable future that constantly ask why you are here. Speculatively, one of the strongest attributes of the community members is the ability to stay and continue.

This is where passion and motivation play a major role, as also noted by TechHub Riga members. Community works as a two-way communication that both tests your rigidness and looks for your support in return. You can stay, or you can leave – no questions asked. The experience, though, shows there’s a small portion of people who decide they no longer want to be associated with tech. Once you’ve been there, once you’ve been embedded in the community design, once you’ve shared the interest, you want to stay.

In conclusion – Jim mentions usability testing as an integral part of your product’s success. We’re testing, checking and coming up with new ideas to strengthen the community. The current status of the Latvian tech scene suggests we’re on the right track.

 

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