Dec 18, 2018
As part of Indiegogo and Ingram Micro’s partnership, we hosted a number of popup events around the US this year. The last popup of 2018 was an e-commerce bootcamp in San Francisco and I thought I’d write a little summary about it in case others see this and want to join us for an event in 2019.
Should I attend? Will I fit in?
Whenever I consider hitting up a new event, I wonder if it’s going to be a good fit for me. So, let me start by giving you an overview of how our popups go. The gathering was packed with entrepreneurs from different industries who got to make introductions and chat over breakfast — from there, it was straight to business. To kick things off, Indiegogo hosted a session called “E-commerce 101.” Making sure everyone shares a foundation of basic information about e-commerce operations ensures that guests can participate throughout the day, which is what we aim for since many entrepreneurs are designers and product inventors vs. logistics experts.
Are there any cool guests?
My favorite part of these gatherings is that veteran crowdfunders are there to drop some knowledge about what life looks like after a successful campaign. Their advice on how to prepare for a successful campaign is really valuable and includes details and nuances that aspiring entrepreneurs often overlook. It’s really helpful to hear someone break down different phases and stages of a new business and explain what’s important and what requires attention at each point.
What else will I learn?
In addition to inspiring entrepreneurial stories, guests get access to some of the most detailed operational advice available to crowdfunders. I got to talk about strategic e-commerce fulfilment (yes, that’s a thing) and the value of delivering an impactful customer experience, which is something I wish I knew more about when I set out to run a small business back in the day. When you start getting into logistics, there’s simply a level of information that’s not known unless you are someone who manages operations on behalf of your company, or someone who works in operations for a logistics provider, and I enjoy getting to share some of this niche knowledge with people who are trying to figure out how everything works (hey, everyone likes to talk about what they know — unfortunately my area of expertise puts friends and family to sleep, so when I get an attentive audience, watch out).
Is that it?
Most of our events include a startup pitch competition and our November one was no exception. As part of the judging panel that day, it was great to see both serial and first-time entrepreneurs pitch their ideas and products. Companies like BrewChime and BodyBoss competed for $20,000 in services from our company and ultimately we awarded the prize to BodyBoss.
Can I come next time?
If you want to join us for an event in the future, email Andrew Kesler and we’ll make sure to drop you an invite.
