Bappy Golder

Where to get some Startup Inspiration

by Bappy Golder

So, you have some creative juices flowing or have watched some awesome TED videos to get some inspiration? A year later, you and I are still at where we were when we started! How can we keep ourselves motivated to take action?

Attending local Startup events like Startup Tasmania

What works for me, among other things, is attending local Startup events. I am not a Startup yet. About a dozen of us meet once a month and casually catch up over a drink. We talk about our ideas and projects. Surrounding ourselves with people who are doing great stuff can be an awesome source of inspiration. If there is none in your area, why not start one yourself? Meetup is a great place to find or start new meet-ups.

One such event in my area is Startup Tasmania. It takes place once a month at the Manhattan Wine Bar in Launceston. Feel free to pop in and say hello if you are in the area. 

Not being fooled by the size

It is easy to value a big group or a brand and ignore small initiatives. New projects show us the failures we cannot see in big businesses. Participating in small events as much as possible, and learning from small and new Startup events can be very educational. 

Listening to some good talks

Listening to TED talks and similar idea platforms is a great way to find inspiration. I also enjoy listening to small shows by: Jonathan Fields, Bryan Elliott and YCombinator. I subscribe to some of these YouTube channels. I enjoy listening to people who talk about their challenges and failures as well as  their success. 

Limiting involvements

I don’t know about you, but I often find it easier to get started than to finish. What I learnt is that if I do not limit how many projects I am involved in, I never get anything done. Thus, sadly, we sometimes have to say no to some things to get the more important ones done. I like what Derik Severs said:
“No more yes. It's either HELL YEAH! or no”.

Getting some unpopular friends

What I really mean here, is getting some true friends not just making friends with popular people. Some of my good friends do not write blogs, nor are they very active in the social media. However these friends are amazingly creative and inspirational. It is hard to make true relationships with busy people. I am as guilty of this as anyone else. I find the best piece of advice or honest criticism for my ideas comes from these friends. I am so grateful for these people.

Listening to some good books

There is no alternative for reading or listening to a good book. I often listen to one while I am doing some something around the house or driving. Here are a couple of books that have inspired me lately:

Reading some good blogs

There are tons of people on the web who talk about writing blogs, Startup, entrepreneurship and similar topics. Here are some websites I visit from time to time for insight.
There are many more blogs to choose from. See which ones you like and let me know if you have some recommendations. 

Well, these are my thought on where to get some Startup inspiration. What are yours? Let me know your thoughts through any of my social media pages. Facebook, Twitter or Google+. 

Last Updated: 7 Jun 2014

FIRST PUBLISHED: 7 Jun 2014

TOPIC/TAGS: STARTUPS, INSPIARATIONS, BLOGS, TASMANIA