Albert's thoughts manifested in written form...

I had one of the best weekends in my life last week. I met a lot of great people, worked with a great team, and accomplished something great in just one weekend.

I’m so excited for Startup Weekend Cebu! I even invited some people I met in Manila to join the Cebu event, and some of them have confirmed to come! Even one of my teammates is coming over! Woohoo!!

Alright! Here are some of the key insights I got out of Startup Weekend Manila.

1. I need others - and I’m not just talking about a team.

Startups are not just built by teams. They are also built by ecosystems. I totally agree with the statement from Startup Weekend that goes…

It takes a village to raise a startup

That’s very true. The network of people, mentors, and companies present during Startup Weekend gives you a great boost! A boost that we all need.

2. Feedback from anyone is great, but feedback from those who know better is awesome!

Mentors - you can’t have enough of them. They question your ideas. They question your direction. They question everything. They even make you question yourself. Hahaha! But that’s all good, because it makes you realize even further what your idea really is all about, where you are really headed, and if you really are committed to pursuing it.

But what separates mentors from almost everyone else is because they know what kind of questions to ask - usually the questions that you don’t know the answer to or unsure of. Mentors usually ask the important questions, and that makes all the difference.

3. Less Talk, More Action. Talk and decide on what your MVP  is and get started on it right away.

I know Startup Weekend is all about “No Talk, All Action”, but in reality, you have to talk a bit. Haha! The trick is to try to limit all your “talk” on that Friday night right after you form your team.

It’s also important to establish from the very beginning what is your Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and create an action plan on how to accomplish it during the weekend.

4. Practice makes perfect

After going through my first Startup Weekend, I quickly realized how much better it would have been for me to have joined something like it before I ventured into doing my own startup. It could have taught me several key lessons, and saved me from a lot of pain.

Startup Weekend is the startup life squeezed into one weekend. That being said, I’d like to do it again and again and again. Practice makes perfect, they say.

See you in Startup Weekend Cebu!