Networking Web site created for tech startups

BOULDER – Boulder’s got talent. Boulder’s got resources. But for startup companies, connecting the two can take chunks of time and money that aren’t easy to come by.

That’s what led Patti Miller to propose an online networking site, specific to the Boulder area, called Boulder TechBootstrap.

“Think Wikipedia for local tech startups,” Miller said.

The site combines a user-added-and-edited wiki with a discussion forum where people can post ideas and get feedback – something Miller said would have been useful for her own startup, Test Common Inc., a software testing company.

“I found myself spending too much time with things like finding legal services,” Miller said.

The legal intricacies of technology startups demand industry-specific knowledge so clients aren’t paying for an attorney’s learning curve, according to Miller.

While Boulder networking meetings provide connections for new business owners, more details are often needed. Boulder TechBootstrap gives startup owners a place to go to find and share such details.

“This kind of fills in a gap between some networking sessions when getting through the nuts and bolts of things,” Miller said.

Miller first mentioned the idea for the networking Web site to Jennifer Ross, her partner on the project, at a Boulder OpenCoffee Club networking meeting.

“Then we were presenting the idea to the group at the next meeting,” Ross said.

Both Miller and Ross view the Web site as a project and community resource rather than a source of revenue right now, but said the site could become a hot spot for everything from locating support people and downloading legal forms to sharing business ideas and connecting with investors.

Boulder.techbootstrap.com could also help build the infrastructure needed for startups to flourish, which isn’t always local or is difficult to find, Miller said.

“We are up and coming, but we still don’t have the community that exists in Silicon Valley to support us,” Miller said. “I believe there is opportunity for attorneys, accountants, marketing, graphics designers, public relations and product consultants to specialize in tech startups, and do more work locally.”

The site, launched Feb. 2, already has attracted hundreds of users, Miller said.

Boulder TechBoostrap would have been a big help to Denver-based Pretheory LLC co-founders – Ben Brinckerhoff and Dan Mayer – when starting their business in April 2007.

“We spent a decent amount of time tracking down a lawyer, an accountant, a bank. All of which really don’t relate to our core business,” Mayer said.

The Pretheory is building a Web site that will aggregate customer reviews from across the Internet onto one page. The site, called seekler.com, aims to provide consumers information on everything from movies to product reviews.

Mayer and Brinckerhoff struggled to find an attorney who understood the tech business.

“We went through five or six who didn’t understand the nature or scale of our business,” Brinckerhoff said.

One early incident at Pretheory highlighted the importance of connecting with a tech-knowledgeable attorney.

“We were on the eve of an important meeting, and we had someone online try to imply that we might be infringing on their trademark,” Mayer said. Fortunately they’d already connected with an attorney who could quickly address the problem.

“With Bootstrap you can have someone early and can avoid (problems later),” Brinckerhoff said.

Brinckerhoff said Boulder TechBootstrap can alert newcomers to resources but also save business owners time and money by allowing them to download premade forms posted on the site or directing them to sites where legal forms are available for free.

“You can save a lot of money by just downloading the form from the Internet, changing it and then having a lawyer look over it to be sure it applies to your Web site,” Brinckerhoff said.

Brinckerhoff said the site could provide exposure for the Boulder-area tech community, and attract fresh talent.

“To some extent, (Boulder) is still underground. I’d love it to be a resource for new people to get a sense of what the opportunities are here,” Brinckerhoff said.

Jason Mendelson, managing director of the venture capital firm The Foundry Group, said the site has the potential to grow into a valuable resource for local entrepreneurs, too.

“I like the idea a lot,” Mendelson said.

Mendelson came to Colorado from the Bay Area 18 months ago.

“It’s just amazing. There is so much talent here, and you don’t know it until you do that networking,” Mendelson said.

While Boulder tech talent is impressive, it’s the area’s collaborative ethos that makes it special.

“It’s Boulder’s absolute unique trait, and I think it plays right into what Jenn and Patti are doing,” Mendelson said. He called Boulder TechBootstrap a “virtual mentor.”

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