[Inpycon] Startup Row

[Anand Chitipothu]

> <my opinion>
>
> Before answering all these questions. Let's answer what we precisely are
> trying to achieve. What is in it for a Python company to be a part of the
> Startup row? What do we benefit as a communiity if there are a few startups
> show casing their ware or trying to hire, or find investors? What are the
> real logistics issues which we are worried about?
>
> Let me try answering these questions?
>
> As an entrueprener I have faced difficulties hiring and finding good talent.
> I guess for every startup this could be a challenge. But beyond hiring, any
> kind of recogniztion, a word of encouragement, some sort of feedback takes a
> startup by miles. This I guess is all they can hope for @ Pycon
>
> As a community, we need to keep encourage smaller companies, so that this
> would encourage more people to create startups, thus creating more jobs and
> acceptance for Python in general.
>
> Logistics--  Logistics comes in when you are demanding a fee for making a
> presence. I am off the opinion that 2 registrations  are good enough to be
> at Start Up row. I am not for charging a small fee because that does not
> really make a difference to our bottom lines. Charging something like 20 K
> would keep a real startup ( ie the one without funding) away. Then whom are
> we serving.

I suggested a small amount because it cost some money to rent the
tables, so why not change a small amount to cover it. Thinking again,
it feels like it might be good idea to not charge anything.

> I guess a bench and couple of chairs are the only infrastructure. The
> startup can put a poster or two on their bench. Nothing else comes free, no
> logos on site, no banner, no way are we allowing anyone to hijack the
> conference which would conflict interests of a main sponsor.

Also, we can actually do this in one of the class rooms instead of the
big hall. That way we don't even have headaches of moving chairs and
tables. Each startup can put a poster and a laptop to demo stuff on
the bench. Thats it.

> I would like to see a lot of Python startups there. Yes, we do not want
> services companies. I personally feel that any limitations in terms of
> funding or lack of it also should not be a reason for qualification.
>
> The product the company is driving need to be built on top of Python or
> Pythonic framework. So it can even be an open source project where the
> author is looking at making some side money, a portal built on top Django,
> or a serious product venture which uses zillions of Python code.
>
> It need to have some commercial sense for someone involved. No fun only
> projects, however good it may be.
>
> In such a scenario it does not really matter whether we drive people to a
> specific location or we have it in a hall. If the hall needs to be
> re-arranged, we can also take a word from the startups to help us re-arrange
> the room.
>
> </opinion>

+1

Ramdas, I'm okay to have startup row if you want to take the lead and
make it happen.

Remember, we are already running short of time. We need to get things
moving latest by end of this week.

Anand