Startup Founders Meetup - March 2025
Tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs and speed networking with other founders, potential cofounders, and investors!
Agenda
Our format is as follows:
18:00 - Arrival & Open Networking (Speed Networking Colour Badges)
Red = Fundraising | Investors | Looking for Funding
Blue = Team Building | Co-founders | Hiring
Green = Community | Opportunities |
19:00-19:05 - Welcome & Intros
19:05-19:20 - Community Shoutouts
A safe space to share what you're working on, recent wins, and any challenges you're facing that you'd love help with
19:20-20:00 - Tactical fireside chat
An informal, hands-on fireside about the tactics and strategies involved in building, shaping and growing a startup. We discuss different topics monthly and invite diverse guests to share their stories!
20:00-20:30 - Open Networking & Drinks
20:30 onwards - Pub Drinks (The Jolly Botanist)
Why should you attend?
You're currently building a startup
You have an idea and are thinking of starting a business
You're looking for a co-founder or potential team members
You're an investor looking for new opportunities
You want to learn from experienced startup operators and success founders
What is a startup?
There are many definitions for a startup, often contradictory. To keep things simple, a startup is a newly established business that aims to develop and sell a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty. Startups are usually founded by entrepreneurs seeking to innovate and disrupt existing markets.
Some key differences between startups and small businesses:
Growth - Startups are focused on rapid growth and scaling their business model. Small businesses are usually more focused on stability and serving an existing market need.
Funding - Startups typically raise, or consider raising outside investor funding through venture capital to fuel their growth rather than through revenue or loans alone. This is a generalisation and there are certainly startups that instead opt for the bootstrapped approach.
Risk profile - Startups tend to be higher risk since they are often pioneering a new product or business model. Small businesses tend to have lower risk profiles.
Culture - Startup cultures tend to emphasise speed, iteration, and disruption. Small business cultures can be more risk-averse.
Impact - Successful startups aim to be high-impact and reach scale quickly. Small businesses have a smaller, more localised impact.
Exit strategy - Many startups aim to eventually be acquired or go public. Small businesses focus on stability and generating profit.
Overall, the key difference is startups are focused on innovation, high growth, and disruption, while small businesses provide existing services to a local market. Of course, there is often a lot of overlap, and startups can eventually evolve into small businesses over time.
If you’re looking to learn about any of the above or sharpen your startup tools, this is the Meetup for you! 😎
Special Thanks
Hosted by serial founders, Rob Gelb of Campfire and Selby Cary of Scaleup Lessons.
Sponsored by Start to Scale, Shepherd and Wedderburn's initiative to supercharge start-ups and scale-ups.
Partnered with the Edinburgh Tech Meetup, Entrepreneurs Social Club and Foras.
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