100 Startups and Growing Fast!
It has been just over a day since we opened nominations for the Cringely (NOT in Silicon Valley) Startup Tour and already there are more than 100 companies in the system, all six categories are covered, and the level of competition is very high. At this point I am confident we’ll get 500-600 companies in the eight week period, which is what I had hoped.
While all six categories are represented, more than half are IT companies, which isn’t surprising given the orientation of this blog. But the Kauffman Foundation just sent out a press release about the Tour to 11,000 reporters and editors, so I’m guessing the technology base will broaden as some of those people write their stories.
Still, if you are novel enough and tell a good yarn, upi might still fit in.
And don’t forget that I’ll shortly start profiling some of these companies right here.
We’re already learning quite a bit about the new web site, which uses completely new software from a startup that is itself more than 15 years old! This type of application is an entirely new thing and we have the first instantiation of it, anywhere. Look for the product from which the site was derived to be announced later this month.
There have been a few bugs, of course, but most of our problems have been pilot error: I screwed-up the links (now fixed) and some companies have submitted multiple entries (a no-no). If you want to change your entry, I’m afraid, you have to start over. We may work to change that.
Another thing I need to change is how I organize and communicate wth the various experts who will be helping out. the response there, too, is greater than I expected. It even looks like we may be able to help some of these companies find the money they need I could use a bit myself.
Finally, I want to give credit for this whole Startup Tour idea to my young and lovely wife, the little southern woman with big hair in the picture. That’s her Amy Winehouse imitation, minus the stay in rehab.
Please keep visiting the Tour site and tell your friends with startups to get their companies in the system. There is no downside to doing so because publicity is always good.
You said “if you want to change your entry you will have to start over”. If we do that to correct a mistake, won’t it look like a duplicate posting…a no no? I made a mistake by not choosing a category but the software used the default (first) category instead of reminding me to choose. Is there some way to correct it. (I should have chosen IT not Biotech).
I just checked and found it had been recategorized. Thanks to whoever read my subsequnent post on the site and made the correction. Someone made the comment that companies in San Francisco are not allowed due to the location (Silicon Valley). In checking the site it does say “outside Silicon Valley, Seattle, Boston, and other technical hotbeds”. Seems to me there ought to be a list of disallowed zip codes in order to avoid listing the best companies that deliberately located in a “hot bed” as defined by the contest. Keep in mind the people may not have been born in the dissalowed region, but moved there for the good of the company.
Someone also suggested that companies “out of business” should be disqualified. But the only reason some went out of business is the lack a VC in the 2009 economy. Perhaps out of business companies should be allowed in the contest since they are no longer officially located in any hotbed. (They have no current company address.)
Bay Area companies are welcome to apply. My preference is for companies from outlying areas but if needed we’ll definitely back-fill from Silicon Valley, Seattle, etc. My point is to get 24 really incredible startups because that’s a number that will inspire other people to start their own companies.
And even if you don’t make the final 24 there are still plenty of reasons to apply as I’ll be explaining and showing in coming weeks. So sign-up!
Mr. Cringley,
Although the wheels are presently turning, I need a HUGE favor. Is there anyway you can remove PlanetReuse from the start-up list at this time… the company I nominated? I can’t go into details, but such action, if possible, would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Tim
Who knew Bob’s wife is such a cutie?
The Startup Tour is a great idea!
I am a lucky man.
A cutie? He married a bimbo. . .implants and all! Whatever, Bob.
20 years ago I would have agreed with you. But since then, I’ve met so many women even in technical fields who have had or wish they could afford implants, that it looks like they have become the new make-up.
@Derek and Ron – you guys are just jealous.
Mrs. Cringley is young and beautiful, period. Leave her alone.
I posted this request in comments on the previous blog post, but it was so far down I am not sure if you’re going to read it, Bob, so here it is again, just in case:
Will you PLEASE make sure the audio on your podcast goes to both left and right channels!!!! And if you’re not going to record in stereo, at least send the monaural to BOTH channels. It is really, really, really annoying to have to listen to an podcast with only one channel working.
I love listening to you much more than merely reading, and you’re killing my enjoyment with omitting one channel or the other (it’s the right one that is missing in the latest two podcasts).
Mike
I replied. Will-do.
Bob.
Could you add a little copy somewhere that says “Click on the Stars To Vote”? Lots of our clients had a tough time, which is why you saw a few “new” nominations for TalentSoup. We weren’t gaming, just bumping up your UI challenges.
Rad
I’ve passed it on, thanks.
Hey Bob what about companies that are pre-launch and are currently running dark? Any way to nominate someone in that state? If they pop up towards the end of the eight week nomination period will that work against them in terms of voting?
This is a problem because nobody could rate your entry. I am willing to sign NDAs, so I suppose if you think you really have a shot you should contact me offline and we’ll come up with some way to get in consideration without being part of the public display.
I got one of those annoying “your computer is infected and needs to be scanned” types of ad hits when I first clicked to read this article. I had to shut down IE and start again. Even the New York Times had those types of horrible ad-generated browser annoyances for awhile, but this is the first one I’d seen lately. Can’t they be stopped?
I don’t think that’s us but I’ll pass it on to the web developers.
Bob.
Could you change the bit of the header which says “Cringely on Technology” to “Cringely Self Promotion” as the existing header doesn’t seem to be accurate any more.
This is (and always has been) what I do for a living. What’s your problem with that?
“I screwed-up the links…” I can see why: “…upi might still fit in.” Right hand slightly disoriented?
Why don’t you just relax Bob.
I can’t wait to see what comes out of this. Should be interesting.
The search function is a little funky. If you search on more than one word it concatenates them.
Hey kiddies!
This is what Amy Winehouse would like without the drugs! What I notice is that Cringely’s wife looks????? HAPPY…..don’t do drugs – they make you miserable.
John
Carmel Indiana
From the looks of that picture….somebody has been to Silicon Valley.
I’m happy your keeping us a breast of things. It’s are getting real hairy
out there Bob. I could go on……but….. “Theres a Nap for that.”
For the first time ever I had to explain to my wife what I was looking at. I didn’t go into the thing with the naked family in the kitchen.
” It even looks like we may be able to help some of these companies find the money they need I could use a bit myself.”
Hmm looks like a run-on sentence there Bob. Little Freudian Slip there perhaps?
Wayne County boys get all the good looking women!
Bob, you need to black out a tooth or two to get a full-on Winehouse.
Back when Bob went to College of Wooster, COW was the description of the average female student body member.
I can happily say that’s no longer true
I couldn’t leave you a message on the companies site, to ask why there isn’t a category for green technologies . . .
Hi, I had a misfire when submitting my company, Network Integrity Systems under Information Technology. If you notice, there is nothing there but the name. Please delete that entry. I am working on the real one.
Thanks!!
Awesome baby.
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