I delivered this address about entrepreneurship - and specifically entrepreneurship in Houston - at the opening of Startup Weekend July 27, 2012.

1. Houston, we have liftoff
Bryan Guido Hassin
@guido23

2. I am a global cleantech entrepreneur /
professor of entrepreneurship at Rice
• Founded/led four startups
– Plug-and-play office energy savings
– Web environmental compliance
– Digital social business card
– Mobile/wireless disaster response
• Educated at Rice (computer science) and IMD
(business)

3. Why do we even care about startups?
3

4. Startups drive economic growth
4

5. Startups keep the economy relevant
5

6. Startups are awesome!
6

7. Houston is an awesome place for awesome
startups!
Loads of Low Cost of
Talent Living
Customers Friendly
everywhere Labor Law
7

8. How does Startup Weekend help?
8

9. Large corporations marshal resources around
pre-determined goals . . .
New End
Means 1
2
Means Means
1 3
Starting
Fixed Means
End New End New End
2 3
. . . but successful entrepreneurs start with their means and
imagine new possibilities
Source: Effectual Entrepreneurship 9

10. Startups create new options by expanding their
means
Who I
Market
am Feedback
Experience
Advice /
Mentorship
New
Means
Relationships
Whom What I Knowledge
I know know Brokering
Source: Effectual Entrepreneurship 10

11. Mentors who have been there, done that are
worth $186k to first-time entrepreneurs
Source: Effectual Entrepreneurship 11

12. Startup Weekend catalyzes ventures by
accelerating these development processes
12

13. My challenge to you: create more than just
economic value
Source: Startup Genome Project 13

14. When was Houston’s last epic startup? Swing
for the fences!
14