While we’d like to delude ourselves into thinking that we’re the hottest startup around, it’s simply not true. Being in Austin means that we’re surrounded by troves of talented and genuinely awesome startups with unique histories, cultures and products. If this were high school, every startup here would be the valedictorian (or Zac Efron). Here’s Part I of our favorite Austin startups (other than ourselves).
If you’ve never heard of Capital Factory, here’s the scoop: It’s the Austin business incubator program that essentially reared us. Capital Factory is one of the reasons why SpareFoot exists today, which is why we were pretty stoked to hear that President Obama would be dropping by our first real “home” (across the street from our current office) during his stop in Austin. (We weren’t so stoked about the closed streets and massive police presence, though).
Welcome back to Austin, President Obama. We know you’ve been here before, and we know you’ll probably come back again. We know you’re coming here this time to promote economic growth and job creation; in our not-so-humble opinion, you couldn’t have come to a better place to kick off your “Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity” tour.
It’s a Tuesday night and you’re eating a TV dinner alone. It’s been a long time since you’ve gone out into that world, and you’re a little worried your skills have gotten rusty over the months. What will people think of me? What do I wear? What do I talk about? You can’t stop thinking about the networking get-together your friend told you about days ago. You know the one: the meetup that the startup you’ve been crushing on is going to be at.
[ by Amanda Hopkins, CORT ]
Your startup may have all the potential in the world, but if it isn’t able to operate well on a day-to-day basis, things can go downhill pretty fast. This doesn’t apply just to startups, however. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a member of a Fortune 500 company, your business needs to run as smoothly as possible every day.
Every year during South by Southwest, our co-founders Chuck and Mario rent out their apartment on Airbnb and solicit the generous hearts of various SpareFoot employees for lodging, in an event they dub “Host Chario.” The two rapscallions stay with a different SpareFooter every night for the length of SXSW, offering their culinary skills and good company in exchange for a warm bed at night–and tape their misadventures along the way. This is the true story of two co-founders picked to live in a house, cook together and have their lives taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite…and start getting real. This is Host Chario 2013:
Being productive and efficient is more than just an admirable quality for startups; it’s an absolute must, especially when most don’t have as many resources or employees as the bigger guys. But with all of the free beer, open office layouts and distractions from emails, social media and co-workers, how can a startup stay constantly productive? I asked the highly prolific employees of SpareFoot to share some of their tips and strategies for staying focused even when the email notifications just don’t stop and the Solo cup runneth over.
Interviews at startups are pretty tricky situations if you think about it: how do you present yourself as a professional and qualified candidate when everything you’ve read and heard about startups is that they’re fun, casual and love beer? It’s a dangerous balance–how can you make yourself seem like a serious potential employee, while still coming across as a cool person and someone the company could see themselves hanging out with?
[ by Amanda Hopkins, CORT Furniture ]
Even if you haven’t heard of Herman Miller, you’ve probably seen some of the company’s handiwork. Since the early 20th century, Herman Miller has been making modern furniture with the help and influence of major designers, and is behind the production of some of the most iconic industrial furniture. The minds at Herman Miller are responsible for such famous furnishings as the Aeron chair, the Eames Lounge Chair, and the Nelson Marshmallow Sofa, to name a few.
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