Trapped on a bus with other geeks building a startup

http://www.startupbus.com/

by GBond • 15 years ago

25 29 15 years ago

mycroftiv• 15 years ago

"You're either on the bus, or off the bus."

This is a really fascinating example of a cultural phenomenon that seems to be brewing. It seems like the same kind of smart and imaginative young people who in 1965 would have been starting rock bands are now trying to create startups. Maybe in a few years from now the time will be right for Codestock Nation.

Swizec• 15 years ago

I have to agree, have been having the same feelings about the current startup scene for the past few months.

Startups are cool!

What loser could possibly want to start a band!.

jhuckestein3• 15 years ago

What's codestock nation?

vobios3• 15 years ago

I am guessing that was a reference to Woodstock Nation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_Nation)

shiftb• 15 years ago

I just bought codestocknation.com. What are we doing with it?

jhuckestein3• 15 years ago

Some more background from quora: http://www.quora.com/StartupBus/What-do-people-think-of-the-...

srepetti• 15 years ago

Crazy cool experience building relationships providing long-term benefit.

keKatie2• 15 years ago

@keKatie will be departing from West Coast. Woot!

fuzzmeister• 15 years ago

Not sure about most people, but I'd get motion sick after looking at a computer screen for more than 15 minutes on a bus. Wouldn't do great things for productivity.

brianwillis• 15 years ago

It's a cute idea, and would probably make good television, but as a programmer I've got to say I'd take my quiet office with it's few distractions over the back seat of a bus any day.

vobios3• 15 years ago

With applications deadlines quickly approaching, you have to submit one soon if you wish to become a part of this experiment.

Dylanlacey• 15 years ago

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you'll likely find the HN community appreciates rational discussion over marketing spiel from accounts with 1 karma, 1 comment and no submissions.

vobios3• 15 years ago

The deadline is indeed approaching. I felt that was a valid clarification. I rephrased the comment to make it more neutral.

jrockway• 15 years ago

1995 tech bubble: spend all your VC on Aeron chairs

2011 tech bubble: spend all your VC on a bus that goes back and forth across the country

ssharp2• 15 years ago

Why?

pmorici• 15 years ago

Does the bus have Internet while it's traveling at 60 mph in the middle of nowhere? If not how would you expect to get anything done w/o extensive planning ahead of time?

rdouble• 15 years ago

It would be cool if Sandra Bullock had to keep the bus going over 60mph or Keanu Reeves's internet would shut off.

justinisaf2• 15 years ago

Just one of the challenges that forces people to get creative. Yes, planning ahead does help, but sometimes you just have to power through and work with what you have...or pull your hair out and finally get that 5 minutes of sleep you haven't had for a while.

ssharp2• 15 years ago

Startups on a Plane.

Who's with me?

sp332• 15 years ago

Should be good! Hackers on a Plane seems to work well, for four years so far. http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/hackers-on-a-plane-... (Seems main site, hackersonaplane.info , is down currently)

incomethax• 15 years ago

Is it just me, or does this sound like the plot line of a B-rate Thriller?

I guess it could also be the basis for a reality t.v. show. Either way, I hope they record at least some of it for some ancillary income - who knows maybe webisodes of this could be popular.

jhuckestein3• 15 years ago

After reading a few comments I feel like there might be need for some clarification. The following is taken from my Quora post in the thread that I already linked to:

---- snip ----

The StartupBus is a powerful filter for people.

Participants are under pressure to communicate and work with a limited toolset and random strangers; most importantly they can't back out and leave. On top of that they must deal with mundane things like overflowing bathrooms, snoring people and all kinds of other muff.

The people that are comfortable with all of the above constraints are almost always interesting, intelligent, successful (in many different ways) and exactly the kind of people that I'd like to work with. The other people don't even bother applying.

Last year all participants got along great and the real value (e.g. this year's bigger, better event) was created only after the bus.

tejaswiy• 15 years ago

Considering that it's only for 48 hours, I wouldn't think any of these factors (snoring, bathrooms, no backout option) would be relevant.

jessor• 15 years ago

Really impressed with how they work on people.

I did a facebook auth and retweet, a couple of minutes later I had two new private followers and a personalized email with "Hey Daniel, I vouched for you to apply for the StartupBus this year. Go here to find out more and definitely apply so my vouching for you isn't wasted."

I know it's all automated but the feeling of being kind of important still stays.

justinisaf2• 15 years ago

Actually, none of it's automated it all comes from a real person :)

johndbritton• 15 years ago

I'll be on the NYC bus.

m0nastic• 15 years ago

I hope in a few years to be able to launch startupboat.

Snark aside, I used to work with a guy who lived on a boat in SF (for him it was cheaper than renting), and once a week or so, a bunch of us would actually work from the boat.

bottlerocket• 15 years ago

We have one in Cleveland, sort of :)

LeanDog has a pretty kick ass office on an old boat anchored in Lake Erie, which used to be a restaurant. They host all sorts of meetups & such (including Cleveland Startup Weekend), they're incredibly active & helpful in the community here.

And no, I don't work there (unfortunately)

http://www.leandog.com/float.html

keKatie2• 15 years ago

@keKatie will be departing from California. Woot!

Trapped on a bus with other geeks building a startup

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