This is an open call for 10 San Antonio-based big thinkers to pitch me on your idea for a cloud-based company. If it’s based on OpenStack, you’ll get bonus points. I am not looking for business plans or code. I am looking for big ideas that would transform the world, make tons of money, and focus on advancing the State of The Cloud. From this process, I am hoping to create a few new startups – real gems that we could pitch for new funding at SXSW 2013’s Accelerator Program in March.
Why SXSW?
While SXSW is mostly thought of as a music, film and interactive festival, it also attracts a global ecosystem of the startup community, including investors from around the world. For me, SXSW is a way to gain an insight into what’s next – not in technology per se, but in the human condition, and what could be next in a wired and connected world of billions of people. When you mix film, music and interactive, different forms of code arises that will give us clues of what could be.
Your big idea can be for profit or a non-profit as long as we can replicate and scale globally, with an emphasis on being global.
Why San Antonio…
San Antonio is on the cusp of major change. You see it in our city leadership, the new building and construction going up along lower Broadway and the movement toward urban living spaces.
There’s also an emerging startup scene that is very real. You see it at places like Geekdom and the various meetups around town that bring like-minded people together.
When I’m asked why I live here, my response is “because I live here.” I live here due to family, lots of friends, a great place to work from and be around very smart people. I am fortunate to travel quite a bit, and while I love places like Tel Aviv, London, Portland, New York and even Austin, the lower cost of living, and being in a big small town, keeps me sane and keeps life real.
When I come home from my travels, I am mentally and physically worn out. San Antonio is my refuge where I can re-charge and chill out on my back porch, listening to the cicadas – something you won’t hear in a chi-chi restaurant in Manhattan.
I believe there are at least ten big ideas waiting to bubble up here, get funded, get coded and packaged and pitched at SXSW 2013. The 11th floor at Geekdom is a supply chain of brilliance and innovation where we can get most of this done. I am looking to provide that supply chain with some big ideas we can bring, and pitch next Spring in Austin.
If you have a big idea that you think will change the world, disrupt a market, or solve a fundamental problem that could be used worldwide, reach out: alan@weinkrantz.com or call me – 210-410-3075 and let’s connect?
Alan Weinkrantz is a Technology Public Relations Advisor to U.S. and Israeli Companies.
We are not quite there yet! The majority of entrepreneurs or startups in Geekdom and San Antonio are still not viable. The whole community is still in its infancy. Give it some time! You are correct in your statement of San Antonio being on the cusp of change. However, the entrepreneurs of San Antonio have still not learned how to fully take advantage of the
five key areas –
1. Eagle Ford a. production b. housing c. storage d. drilling e. completion
2. The Rackspace Ecosystem (or the creation of one)
3. Manufacturing a. Toyota Ecosystem b. Solar Mfg
4. Joint military bases a. AETC b. Medical c. Cybersecurity d. training
5. East Kelly Railport
We should not fall into the same superficial rut that Austin is in. They have few locally owned firms compared to national and global companies. Our proximity to Austin should mean that we differentiate ourselves. We should pull talent locally and create new programs to enrich San Antonio communities. Downtown is not and should not be the focus of our attention. It should only serve us as a point of diverse attractions and a place of escape from suburban complacency as well as a tourist destination. Turn to the abandoned buildings, bases and fields for the creation of economic hubs.
On the last comment, I should have said “They have few locally owned firms compared to Silicon Valley, Seattle or Israel which have many national and global companies.