WebInno Continues to Drive Innovation Frenzy

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

What’s new? What’s hot? What’s free?

It’s these burning questions that keep the bodies coming to #WebInno and last night was no exception.

WebInno25 took over the Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge and played to a packed house – 4+ hours chock full of new technology poised for breakout.

Full disclosure: Conversion Associates was one of the presenting “Side Dishes” for last night’s event so if this post seems skewed, well, I’ll do my best to straddle the middle.

Who’s Hungry?

@Textaurant, a reservation and text scheduling platform for restaurants, is seemingly everywhere. They’re doing a great job getting the word out on this dynamite idea.

Think about this: You’re waiting in the crowded area around the maitre’d hoping your name is called soon since your legs are cramping.

How about waiting for that reservation while browsing your favorite store in a mall environment or, catching a drink at a nearby watering hole and getting texted when your table is ready? That’s a better scenario that #Textaurant is promising its early clients.

I’m already a fan.

Monetize Yourself

Well, at least that’s what @Shortbord is attempting to do.

Dave Nemeskal (@dnemeskal), Founder, explained that essentially, #Shortbord provides the architecture for individuals to present sponsorship opportunities for their social media self.

With companies clamoring to figure out social media value, #Shortbord’s unique value proposition makes it a company worth checking out.

Sage Advice

“One of the most unproductive things new founders do is talk to investors too early… I test all my ideas on the web.”

So says David Cancel, CEO of #Performable.

As is the norm, #WebInno provided a fantastic lineup of thinkers and entrepreneurial visionaries espousing the highs and lows of start-up life.

Cancel’s point was not lost on the group gathered – nor on the venture capitalists trolling the Side Dishes in the other room.

Tom Gerace, CEO of Gather, Inc., elucidated another great point: “We went digging for gold and struck oil.”

In other words, things didn’t go according to plan but their flexibility allowed them to change course and address an opportunity presented – the litmus test for all great start-ups.

Hope to see you all at the next event!

Posted in Boston Start-Ups, WebInno | 3 Comments »