startup

GigCity and beyond: Adelaide’s high speed, startup revolution

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GigCity and beyond: Adelaide’s high speed, startup revolution

Terry Gold, Techstars Adelaide

 

While Silicon Valley was known as the only place where startup dreams were made, gone are the days when being based in the Bay Area – or even the United States – is necessary to become a successful tech company. Now, location is no longer number one. Getting a startup up and running is more about having a great team, a unique idea, the right contacts, and a high-speed internet connection.

Adelaide is lucky to be a place where you can find all of those things. It’s undergoing a transformation. In the last six months alone, the South Australian government has announced that it plans on creating a digital gaming development fund, has established a giant lithium-ion battery in partnership with Elon Musk, and this week announced that its GigCity project has had 16 new innovation precincts added to it – one of which I’m excited to say is Techstars Adelaide.

GigCity makes Adelaide one of the most connected cities in the Southern Hemisphere. The first of its kind outside the United States, the $7.6 million fibre network is connecting key innovation hubs to internet speeds 100 times faster than the national average. Where the Federal Government’s National Broadband Network has encountered challenges and changes to its speed and delivery, GigCIty is already enabling South Australian businesses to develop new ideas, products and services and bring them to the world through the fibre optic Australian Broadband Research and Education Network (SABRENet).

Just before I moved to Adelaide in 2016, I was living in Longmont, Colorado. The city was in the midst of a gigabit fibre network install for businesses and homes. The network was Fibre to the Premises, and cost $US49 per month for a Gigabit for downloads and uploads. On my first visit to Adelaide, I was shocked to see download speeds of just 1.6 megabits per second.

But, even as a massive consumer of data, I gladly made the move to Adelaide, because I believed that the city had the potential to be a regional startup capital. It’s Australia’s leading smart city, recognised for its enviable infrastructure projects and technology, and is also home to the nation’s first Internet of Things innovation hub – Adelaide Smart City Studio. And it’s a beautiful city with friendly people!

The week I arrived here, the city announced its intentions to become the first GigCity in Australia. Initially connected to 14 innovation sites including Tonsley, TechInSA, and Hub Adelaide, applications opened late last year to join these great spaces in the second round of sign-ups. I was so excited to be told last week that Techstars Adelaide’s application had been accepted and that we’d be joining 15 other connection points in the next stage of the rollout.

So what does it mean for Techstars Adelaide? As a global network, having a smooth internet connection is vital for what we do. Our last accelerator attracted applications from startups in 49 countries. These startups wanted to come to Adelaide to take their products to the next level. They need to be plugged into the world, and that means fast internet. Being able to match upload and downloads speeds at a global level is going to be of huge benefit to us and the people we work with. It makes Adelaide an even better place to base your startup.

It’s a necessity for our future Australian companies of to succeed, and if they don’t get it here, they will go somewhere else.  Australia needs to keep investing in the future, and the Gig City project is a great first step towards that. Having fast internet is not about streaming Netflix movies, it’s about enabling new technology businesses and keeping them from having to move elsewhere to get the infrastructure they need.  Adelaide and South Australia have made a vital step forward to making this an even better place to live and create new businesses.

 

Life after Gold Systems

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“Launch

I've been done with Gold Systems for just over a year now.  The one year aniversary passed, and I thought that maybe it was time to tell the story, but really I've been looking forward much more than backwards so I'm going to save it a while longer.  I will say that when I do look back, I think mostly about the great people who worked at Gold Systems.  I've started a new company and not a day goes by where I don't think of the people I've worked with, the lessons I've learned and I'm reminded how much they helped me over the years.

Late last year I was asked to join a new venture firm as an operating partner.  The founders were people I had known for years and I have great respect for them, and I wanted to be a part of whatever they were doing.  They were the founders of a great company in Longmont, Colorado so it was natural that we would look for space for the new venture in Longmont.  One of our first meetings was with the Longmont City Manager, the Assistant City Manager and members of the Longmont Area Economic Council.  I was so impressed by how supportive everyone was and how much they were committed to making Longmont a great place for people and businesses.  As I've spent time in Longmont I've realized it is a community of wonderful people and they've quickly adopted me and become friends.

While exploring the creation of an accelerator to compliment the venture firm, I realized that there was an even greater need in Longmont.  While Boulder, Denver and Fort Collins have many places for entrepreneurs and startups to work and connect with mentors and like-minded people, Longmont didn't have a single coworking space.  There is TinkerMill, which is the largest maker space in Colorado, but there wasn't a single coworking facility.  That's just changed.

In January we opened the doors to Launch Longmont.  It's a place for entrepreneurs and startups to meet and work together, and to make the random connections that don't happen when you're working out of the spare bedroom at home.  Members can get a desk or a seat on a monthly basis with no long term commitments, and as we build out the space on the second floor they will even be able to get small suites.  Ultimately success for Launch Longmont is that these members will grow out of the space, become successful in the Longmont community and then return as mentors and speakers to help the next generation of startups.

Soon after starting Launch Longmont, I realized that I am not just helping startups, but I am in a startup myself.  I'll be sharing some of the new lessons learned, and talking about the people who have helped to make it happen over on the Launch Longmont blog, and I'll also be posting here about the journey.

If you are an experienced entrepreneur or business expert, you can help me out by visiting and getting involved as a mentor or speaker.  If you are a new entrepreneur, or you just want to get out of the garage and join a community of entrepreneurs you should also check us out.  Email me at terry@launchlongmont.com.  Thanks!

 

Startup Week

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Boulder’s fifth Startup Week is in the history books, and I want to thank everyone involved, especially the founder Andrew Hyde and his great team of hard workers, volunteers and speakers.  This was the first time that I’ve been able to participate fully, and it was just what I needed.  In the past I’ve been too caught up in my own business to spend the week hanging out with other people who were just starting their journeys in the startup world.  I’m sure I would have benefited from the enthusiasm and great ideas being tossed around if I had made time to go in the past, and I expect I’ll spend even more time with the startup community at Boulder Startup Week next year.

During the Keynote (which was not a Keynote) David Cohen, Brad Feld and Andrew Hyde took the stage to talk about not just the startup community, but about the many communities we have right here in Boulder.  They all made it clear that while they love the Boulder community, we need to work with all of the Colorado and even world communities to collaborate to support each other, and to make the world a better place.  In fact when they asked for a show of hands, it looked like half of the people in the audience were from outside of Boulder.  That was so cool and I enjoyed my talks throughout the week with people who had just arrived, were just visiting or were thinking about moving to Boulder.
 
One simple way to participate in the vision of connecting is to just get out and visit one of those other communities.  Although Startup Week started here in Boulder, it has spread along with http://startupweekend.org all over the world.
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I was able to make it up to Fort Collins for the last day of their Startup Week of celebrating and supporting startups.  As part of the work I’m doing for 6kites I was interested in attending the panel discussion they had on Agriculture and the Internet of Things at CSU.  It was a very well done event with three different panel discussions and all taught me something and made me think big thoughts.  With 7 billion people needing to be fed every day, farmers are using technology and looking at the Internet of Things to better monitor, control and produce their crops and animals.
 
Even though Boulder Startup Week is over for another year, it is so easy to get connected to the startup community in Boulder.  I am thankful to have landed here and to be a part of a group of wonderful people who are happy to share and support entrepreneurs.

 

Autism and Robots

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The CDC reports that 1 in 68 children have been diagnosed with Autism, and it is five times more common in boys than girls.   The rate of diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to AutismAction.org, has been increasing by 10 to 17% per year.   Certainly some of that increase comes from better diagnosis, but my understanding is that it is actually increasing in society for as yet not well understood reasons.

As part of my time off and figuring out what I want to do next, I’ve been hanging out with a lot of entrepreneurs and start up teams.  One that I just have to write about is Jalali Hartman, a Boulder entrepreneur who is trying to help children and adults with Autism, and he’s doing it with a low-cost robot.  I think that is so cool to use technology to help people, and he seems to be getting results.  His company ROBAUTO is getting great press, and it’s not because he’s got a PR machine behind him, it’s because people see what he’s doing and they want to see him succeed.  I know I do.
The first version of the robot from ROBAUTO is named ONE.  It’s already been selected as a 2014 Global IP Champion by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  He was selected, and successfully completed the 2013 HealthBox Florida Accelerator class.  He’s demoed at New Tech Meetup, this year’s Boulder Startup Week, and he’s been written up in UX Magazine, FreeEnterprise.com, Autism Daily Newscast, and most recently there was a great article in Health Source Magazine (page 24-29).  Check out the robauto.co website for even more.
Jalali tells how some people who just can’t interact or even speak, become captivated with robots.  Just interacting with the robot seems to help some of the people, but Jalali even involved them in the design process.  The great thing he says is some of the least expensive devices showed some of the most promise.  Autism can be very expensive and health coverage varies, so a multi-thousand dollar robot would be out of reach for most families even if it could be shown to help their loved ones.  ROBAUTO ONE is expected to come in at the low hundreds price point.
There is a lot of work to be done, but it is wonderful to see someone combining their love of technology with their love of people and a strong desire to help make the world a better place.  Jalali recently moved to Boulder from Florida to be part of our start-up community.  Buy him a cup of coffee and ask him how you can help.  He’ll be the guy in the back of Amante coffee with the robot on the table and a big smile on his face.
I have to also add that Autism has not touched my family directly, but my daughter-in-law Tori Gold works with children with Autism, and I admire her so much for the work she does.  She loves her kidos, and her and my son Christopher have worked hard to to raise awareness of Autism.

ANZ Innovyze Start Summer 2014 Program

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“Innovyz

In July of 2012, I was fortunate to be invited to Adelaide, Australia to be a mentor in the first class of start up entrepreneurs in the ANZ Innovyz START technology acelerator.  I had a great time, made some new friends, and hopefully gave some of my entrepreneur experience to the group.

The program is going strong, and is now taking applications for the next program.  Applications close November 25th, 2013 so get to it if you are at all interested.  There actually is a strong Boulder-to-Adelaide connection with quite a few mentors from Boulder making the trip over, and at least one group from Boulder who was selected and participated in the first program.

Entrepreneurs from all over the world will be considered.

Click here to learn more.

Colorado Entrepreneurial By Nature

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Gold Systems is now over twenty one years old, and our offices are
less than a mile from where it all started here in Boulder.  It's really
hard to imagine starting Gold Systems anywhere but in Colorado, so I'm
happy to lend our name to Colorado Entrepreneurial By Nature.  It's a
grass roots campaign to make sure the world knows that Colorado is a
great place to live and to start a business.  I've benefited so much by
being in a community that supports and encourages entrepreneurs and I'm
happy to give back that support to the new people starting up here in
Colorado.

If you are an entrepreneur in Colorado, lend your name to the effort by going here:  http://www.entrepreneurialbynature.com/

The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time

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My old YPO buddy Verne Harnish has written a new book, and it is available today.  His previous book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits is a favorite of mine.  After you read Built to Last and Good to Great, read Rockefeller Habits to learn how to opererationalize what you've just read.  I'm sure The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time will be fantastic, and the forward is by Jim Collins himself.  Every time I talk to Verne, he teaches me something and helps my business so I'll be ordering the new book first thing in the morning!

Before I got this blog post published, another book arrived in the mail from my other old YPO buddy Brad Feld.  This one is Startup Communities and it is the first in the Startup Revolution series.

 

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Boulder would be a very different environment for entrepreneurs if both Brad and Verne had not come to town and decided we needed a YEO chapter.  (Now EO)  Thank you guys, you've really made a difference in the community and the world, and it has been my pleasure to know you both.  Brad's book is what he's learned about helping communities attract and support start ups, and I just started reading it on my Kindle.  I'm sure it's great too!

A week at Innovyz START in Adelaide, Australia

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In my previous post I talked about my first full day in Adelaide. This post is about my time spent at the ANZ Innovyz START technology accelerator in Adelaide, Australia.

My good friend Jana Matthews has been going to Australia and other parts of the world for years to work with start-ups and fast growing companies. I was thrilled for her when she told me that she was going to be spending the summer in Adelaide, Australia working with a new technology accelerator. When she invited me to come over for a week and work as a mentor to the start up entrepreneurs, I thought, "that should be fun, and I can repay Jana for all she's done for me over the years." After getting home from Adelaide and thinking about my experience there, I realize now I didn't repay anything and I believe I'm now deeper in debt to her!

Jana and I have spent many mornings sitting at Turley's talking about the challenges of leading and growing a business. She's seen me at my worst times and at my best times, and through it all she has given me great advice that I've sometimes listened to. I'm not always the best student, but it is fair to say that without Jana's advice over the years, Gold Systems would not be what it is today.

Boulder, Colorado is home to TechStars, which is the #1 startup accelerator in the world. I was asked to be a mentor in the first year of the Boulder TechStars, and it was a fantastic experience. I learned a lot and I gained a close personal friend in the process. The Innovyz START accelerator in Adelaide is modeling a lot of what they do on TechStars, and they are part of the Global Accelerator Network which the TechStars guys also support. Both David Cohen and Brad Feld have helped get them off on the right foot.

My experience with the people of ANZ Innovyz START was fantastic. I was in the second week's flight of mentors to arrive and we were welcomed with a great dinner put on by Jana, Philip Vafiadis and Jerry Kleeman. I was the only Boulderite in that week's group of mentors, but Sherri Leopard, Catherine Merigold and Lu Cordova were also mentors other weeks. Most of the other mentors were from Australia or other parts of the world, and I really enjoyed getting to know everyone in my group.

Monday morning started with quick introductions and then we jumped into one-on-one's with each company. There were ten start-ups selected to participate in the program, and the founders had all relocated to Adelaide and for the most part seemed to live in their offices. They are working hard to make the most of the program and to be ready for Investor Day on August 17.

I felt for the entrepreneurs, because they had to quickly explain their company, and then process questions and suggestions from mentors that though they had a lot of experience, had just the smallest understanding of the company. As I think about it, that is one of the first lessons you have to learn as a new start-up entrepreneur. How do you to take all the advice people are willing to give you and make sense of it? Often the advice is conflicting and threatens to take your company into an entirely different direction. I did my best to let them know that while I might have an insight or an opinion for them, it could well be wrong and it was ultimately up to them to decide if it was helpful.

New entrepreneurs get a lot of advice on hiring. "You need a strong tech person" or "You need an awesome sales or business development VP." Maybe, but that advice can get a – into trouble. The founders first need to be competent in all areas. Maybe not great, but competent. A founder needs to be a fast learner and willing to dive into things they know nothing about, and then do the job until the company can really afford to bring in the experts. Except for running out of cash, nothing will kill a start up faster than hiring the wrong person at the wrong time. Getting someone who doesn't fit the values and culture that the founders want to create is deadly. Hiring a VP from a big company who "loves the idea of a start-up" but has no idea how to execute without a big staff is killer. I spent a fair amount of my mentor time with the entrepreneurs just reassuring them that they were in fact very capable people who could get the job done. Everyone of them was passionate about their idea, smart, and hard working or else they would not have been selected for the program.

That's the basic idea behind accelerators. Get lots of entrepreneurs to apply, select the very best, and then give them mentoring, introductions and financial help. Do that, and most of the companies will exit the accelerator a few months later and be on their way to success.

I'm happy to have been a part of the first year of ANZ Innovyz START in Adelaide, but I'll bet that next year and the year after will be even better. Adelaide looked like a great place to start a technology company and I hope to get back there again soon. I asked Jana, "How is it possible to miss a place I didn't even know existed a few months ago?" I wish the best of luck and success to ANZ Innovyz START, the entrepreneurs, my new mentor friends and the city of Adelaide!

Saturday is the last day for TechStars applications

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Now is a great time to start a company.  One source for some funding and a lot of great connections and mentoring is TechStars, and Saturday is the last day to get your application in for this year.  You still have time!  If you do start a business, you'll get much less realistic time frames from customers and partners, so as Jim used to say in a slightly different context, "Get used to it."

You can find everything you need at Techstars.org.  And don't forget, they've expanded to Boston too so if you can't stand the idea of spending part of your summer here in Boulder, Colorado then I'm sure the Boston entrepreneur community will welcome you too.  If you do apply and get accepted, give me a call when you get to town.