Subscribe
TechCrunch 50 Application FAQs
The TechCrunch50 team is working around the clock and throughout the weekend to notify companies. We apologize for the delay, but want to make sure that each of the one thousand plus applications is given the time and consideration that it deserves. Updated August 15, 2008
Due to the unprecedented quantity and quality of applicants to TechCrunch50, we will not be releasing all notifications till Thursday August 14th, 2008. Updated August 11, 2008
APPLICATIONS
I just found out about TechCrunch50, Can I still apply?
Technically, yes, you may still fill out an application. However, priority will be given to companies who applied on or before our June 27 deadline and we do not guarantee your application will be reviewed.
Please go here for Rules and Qualification.
Where do I go to fill out an application?
You may visit our application site here. You may save your application in draft mode before sending, then later submit and update your application.
I didn’t receive an e-mail confirmation stating TechCrunch received my application, did you get it?
A separate e-mail confirmation was not sent out. There was an electronic confirmation posted after you hit submit.
After submission, can I make changes to your application?
Yes, but the changes should only be to your contact information or you “Demo Login.” Please post demo details at least 1 hour prior to your appointed time.
When will Early Consideration applicants be notified?
We hope to notify Early Consideration applicants by Friday, July 18.
*UPDATED* When will Regular decision applicants be notified?
Due to overwhelming application response, we will notify Regular decision applicants by MONDAY, August 11.
I submitted my company Early Consideration, but got an e-mail saying I’m being moved to Regular Consideration. Why?
Even if you selected “Early Consideration” on your application, if you submitted your application after Saturday, June 14 deadline your application was moved to the Regular decision group.
INTERVIEWS
I’ve submitted my company, what next?
The process of review begins! First, we make sure your company qualifies and fits the TechCrunch50 criteria. (For example not launched, little press coverage, etc.) Next, we invite you for Round 1 interviews. These are 10 minute “Power” Interviews where you demo your unique technology to one of our Reviewers. Those invited to continue to Round 2 will have a second look with a different Reviewer in the same 10 minute format. Round 3 will be a more informal process, where we ask companies which we need more information from, to provide a third demo or ask specific questions. From round 2, and if needed round 3, we select our Finalists for TechCrunch50.
Companies will be group notified of their status periodically during the process. All companies will receive notice by their notification date.
In Round 1, how should I structure my 10 minute demo?
The entire 10 minutes should be used for your demo presentation. If there is additional time, your Reviewer may take a few minutes to ask a few questions before wrapping up. We wish we could spend more time with you but we have HUNDREDS of applications to review, thus we apologize that we simply cannot.
In your interview you may lead the Reviewer verbally through your demo site, guide them via web conference, etc. conference, etc. Please be prepared to show your technology. Have your screenshots, web conference (adobe connect, gotomeeting) or video presentation ready to go when the Reviewer calls. It doesn’t have to be highly produced, just please no “pure” Powerpoint presentations. Powerpoints with screenshots and video demos embedded are acceptable.
Remember, the 10 minutes go by very quickly so practice your demo, cover all your the important parts, and make the best case possible for why you’re the next big thing!
Where do I post my demo information?
Place all demo instructions and current contact information on your Application under the “How to Access your Demo” section. You may login to your application here.
Please DO NOT e-mail us your Demo information! It must be centralized on your application so all Reviewers can access.
How do I contact the interviewer?
You will not contact the Reviewer.
Rather, the Reviewer will be contacting you at the phone number placed on your application at the scheduled time. They will not call you before hand. They may send an e-mail to give you a status update in the event of a time delay or need to reschedule.
I don’t want to be contacted at the phone number on my application? Can the Reviewer contact me on Skype or by cellphone?
If you wish to use an alternative number, skype, conference line or web conference, please set up the account and let us know the login credentials or meeting ID by updating your application under “Demo Login” at App2You. Please post the information no later than 1 hour prior to your appointment.
Is a web conferencing service, like Adobe Connect or gotomeeting required?
No, it is not required but has worked well in the past demos. Whatever service or presentation method you use, please make sure it is both Mac and PC compatible.
Didn’t the interviews used to be 15 minutes?
The demos have always been 10 minutes. We have minimized the Reviewer’s post Q&A so we can get through more demos.
REVIEWER CRITERIA
What are the Reviewers looking for in a company demo?
They will be looking for the next big, disruptive technology idea. They consider things like:
1. How innovative the idea is?
2. How good is the execution?
3. How likely is it that the product and company will succeed?
Our Reviewers and panel are more interested in what unique product or service you bring to the table; and less interested in who you are, where you come from, or who are your financial backers.
7/29/2008 UPDATES
Does everyone receive an interview (assuming you meet the basic criteria - not launched, no press) or is there a subjective review before the interviews?
*UPDATED* If your company has met the basic criteria, and submitted their application on time, you will be interviewed. All Round I invitations will be sent no later than Sunday, August 3.
When does one hear about Round 1 interview? Also, do you inform the companies that did not make it and why?
Companies hear about Round 1 interviews on a rolling basis. We will inform every company as to whether they made it or not, but due to the volume of applications we cannot provide feedback as to why.
From what I understand, if a company wishes to receive early decisions by Friday, July 18…does that mean they have already gone through the three rounds of selection?
All early consideration applicants have been notified as of the week of July 25th, 2008. If you are an early consideration company, and have not heard from a member of the TechCrunch50 staff regarding you application please e-mail schedule@techcrunch50.com
Will all interviews have been conducted by the decision dates (July 18/ Aug 1) or is that when the interviews begin?
All interviews will be conducted by the decision date. We have moved the regular decision date to Monday, August 11 and the early decision announcements were delayed till Tuesday, July 22.
How much warning are interviewees given, so that they can prepare their presentations?
Interviewees select their own interview time, so how much time they have to prepare depends on which slot they pick. This also ensures that the interview is conducted at time that is mutually convenient for both the interviewer and the interviewee. Most companies receive a minimum of 24 hours notice, so please be prepared to select a time and demo at your soonest convenience.
We have been having several questions about the demo. The interviewer will call the interviewee(s) at the appointed hour at the contact phone number given on the application
All Reviewers share the information posted on your Application that is why we have you post your contact and demo information online to your application. Make sure the data is uploaded at least 1 hour prior to the demo.
I want to add an extension number to the phone number I posted on my application, I am having trouble finding the ‘demo login’ section of my application….any suggestions?
For any changes to the contact information provided on your application, please post the changes to your application under “How to Access my Demo” section which is a free form writing area. Again, make sure it is at least one hour before the time that the interview is scheduled for.
How is the demo conducted?
Ideally, your product is feature complete or near feature complete and you can give the interviewer a guided tour, either online, or using Adobe Connect. If Adobe Connect is not working for you, please use WebEx or gotomeeting. If this is not possible, a taped demo, or other walkthrough is acceptable. Remember this is all about the product, so starting with Powerpoint slides describing the market size, corporate background, and founder bios is not necessary for your demo.
Please have a conference call number setup, or a direct landline so we can contact you.
Please be in a quiet location to do your demo, we do not suggest using a mobile phone or speakerphones that echo. We want to be able to hear each of your words clearly!
I am having trouble finding the ‘demo login’ section of my application….any suggestions
The ‘demo login’ is known on the application as: ‘How to access your demo.’
To locate, login to your account at App2You to access your application details. Click ‘edit’ it will be the 3rd section on your application. Place any and all pertinent information in this area: web conference details, preferred contact method or other special instructions.
If notified, when is the final date one can have a 1st round interview? (By or before August 1st, etc…?)
We are closing out the final Round 1 interviews for TechCrunch50’s regular consideration. Final invitations to round I will go out by August 3rd. The last dates for Round I demos is shortly thereafter. We cannot give a hard final deadline for when first round interviews are over, as it depends on our interviews availability.
We have been receiving a lot of questions from companies that were not selected for an interview, even though they have not launched and do not have significant press coverage, asking why they did not get an interview.
There are many basic criteria that our reviewers look at when we are evaluating a TechCrunch50 company– at the very minimum are the no launch, no press tenets. These two are a top priority as the premise of our conference is to launch the very best and most innovative products and companies of the year. Each and every application was reviewed by our panel, at a minimum twice. Moreover, with 1,000 candidates vying for such a limited number it has been difficult for our panel to narrow the field with the number of outstanding submissions we received.
Have more questions? Leave a comment, and we will add them to the FAQs.
July 29th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Can we post a link to a live demo instead of using a powerpoint presentation or a video?
July 30th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
What happens after Round 1? when does one know if we made it to round 2?
What is Round 2 like?
July 31st, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Sameeka,
Answers to your first question and third question are in FAQ. I am copying and pasting the relevant content here.
——————————————————-
Those invited to continue to Round 2 will have a second look with a different Reviewer in the same 10 minute format. Finally, in Round 3 we select our Semi-Finalists. Here we invite you back for a 20 minute in-depth interview where we get to know more about you and your product. From Round 3, we select our Finalists for TechCrunch50.
Companies will be group notified of their status periodically during the process. All companies will receive notice by their notification date.
July 31st, 2008 at 8:12 pm
our we SOL if we have heard nothing back at all ?
August 2nd, 2008 at 12:36 am
There is a confusion…You have mentioned 2 different dates for intimations in FAQs
—————————–
*UPDATED* When will Regular decision applicants be notified?
Due to overwhelming application response, we will notify Regular decision applicants by MONDAY, August 11.
*UPDATED* If your company has met the basic criteria, and submitted their application on time, you will be interviewed. All Round I invitations will be sent no later than Sunday, August 3.
———————————–
does it mean that those who qualify for round 1 will be informed by Aug 3 and those who dont will be informed max by aug 11?
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:29 am
I think if the applicant does not hear from TC by August 3, it means they didn’t pass.
By August 11 they will notify the winners.
August 2nd, 2008 at 7:10 am
The most important thing is to notify the “not chosen for the next round” ASAP (ie, more important than the expediency of notifying accceptances)…Why? Those companies are witholding launches and business plans (and cashflow!), and it’s just a simple common courtesy to not jerk them around and let them get on with business.
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 am
By what date will those who have had a Round 1 Interview be notified if they have been chosen for a Round 2 Interview? Also, will be be notified if we have not been chosen? Thanks
August 4th, 2008 at 7:31 am
The blogs says “if your company has met the basic criteria, and submitted their application on time, you will be interviewed. All Round I invitations will be sent no later than Sunday, August 3″.
So if my company has met the criteria and the application was submitted on time and no Round I invitation email has been received and it is now August 4th what does that mean?
August 4th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Sam, I think you are out of luck, although you might try contacting the TechCrunch staff via email. There was an email address on the app2you application form (info@techcrunch50.com) You might try that.
I can tell you that one of the entrants that I am intimately familiar with got notice on July 25 to schedule a first round interview (for Aug 1), and is waiting to hear how it went as of 8/4 at 1 PM PDT.
Sounds like they have a lot of work to do between now and the 11th.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
if we did our 1st round interview and still didn’t receive any notification to this moment(8/4 at 11:20 PM PDT) does that mean we didn’t make it to 2nd round? Please let us know what happened so that we can make up our mind about whether to launch or not. This is a torture for us.
August 5th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Roy,
I think your question is mentioned in the faq:
“*UPDATED* When will Regular decision applicants be notified?
Due to overwhelming application response, we will notify Regular decision applicants by MONDAY, August 11.”
So, we’ll hear back by next Monday. Just have to be patient until then - plenty of work to do in the meantime, I sure!
August 5th, 2008 at 1:35 am
@sean
I thought August 11 was the day you get to know whether you are chosen to present at the conference, not the day you get notified whether you qualify for the 2nd round.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:57 am
I do not work for TC50, but my interpretation is that they are trying to do 1st round (10 minute demo), 2nd round (2nd 10 minute demo) and 3rd round (20 minute interview) by 8/11.
I know some first round demos took place on Friday 8/1. I figure that 1st rounders who are invited to the second round would hear by tonight, Tuesday 8/5 9PM PDT, to schedule their 2nd and 3rd rounds. But I am just speculating.
I figure I’ll be nervous today, and figure we didn’t make it if we don’t hear by tonight.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:08 am
I never received an email notification, but logged into my account yesterday and saw a “pick interview time” link in the upper left corner. Make sure to double-check your application - there may be an issue with email notification.
August 5th, 2008 at 8:26 am
@Courtney
Thanks for the heads-up. I did not see any “pick interview time” link in the upper left corner.
But i saw an “email all users” link appear at the bottom of my application page.
Did you have or notice that link as well in the bottom of your page?
Did anyone else have any of these but have not received any email notification as yet ?
August 5th, 2008 at 10:22 am
@Matt
In the same boat here. No timeslot picker, but there’s a link at the bottom of the app. It does not do much though. Of course I had to try
August 5th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I saw the same thing as Courtney. I never received an e-mail but noticed the option to select a time for 2nd round interviews in the application itself.
Check your applications to see if you’re in the 2nd round yet. I also did my first round interview very early — July 22nd — so that could be why I’m seeing it so soon.
August 5th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
@Jerry, ok got that
i just saw this “email all users” link like yesterday and did not see tat earlier.
Did you see the link earlier or was it very recent. It seems to me like its still work in progress n given their schedules , some of us may not have heard back as yet
August 5th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
@matt
to tell you honestly, i haven’t been paying attention to the actual application page, so can’t say when the link appeared. All this reminds me of my application process to grad schools. Waiting, trying to interpret signs… In the end it was all worth it. Best of luck to all of us!
August 6th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Has anyone gotten notice yet of a 2nd demo?
August 7th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Hi,
Have not gotten notice of round 2 but i still hope we are not out..
We submitted on June 27.
I was thinking.. When I have gone into the application and changed the demo instructions, the only way I found to save was buy pressing submit.
I hope this doesn’t change original submission date, and it seems as we submitted late?
On Jason Calacanis Twitter http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis you get some feedback on his demo viewing..
August 7th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Daniel, we got an email from TC50 telling us that this was the correct thing to do (change your app, to include updated demo instructions). So I think you’re ok on that.
These two entries make me think that they have moved on to Round 2 already:
http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis/statuses/877792025 (round 1 on the 4th)
http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis/statuses/879965560 (small number on the 6th)
On the other hand, Jason went through all sorts of troubles with his dog this week (vet emergency room, etc), so maybe things got delayed.
August 7th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Hi all
i know all of us are on oxygen right now.
My questions are:
1] What is the last day for sending out round 2 invitations or rejection letters?
2]Is it possible that an applicant who did round 1, not invited for round 2 nor intimated rejection email, could still make it to the semis?
Funny but valid questions!
Good luck to all!
August 7th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
AJ,
I suspect that they already moved on to Round 2 folks.
I say that because of what Jason said on Twitter:
These two entries make me think that they have moved on to Round 2 already:
twitter.com/JasonCalacanis/statuses/877792025 (round 1 on the 4th)
twitter.com/JasonCalacanis/statuses/879965560 (small number on the 6th)
Sorry I didn’t make them links, but if I make them links, then it seems the message waits in moderation.
I’d guess that the last possible day is next Monday the 11th, if they stick to their revised schedule.
August 7th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
We had our round 1 demo at 9 pm on Aug 4. They told us that they would let us know within ten days. I bet that they are running a bit behind.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Looks like Jason took today off:
twitter.com/JasonCalacanis/statuses/880643743
So who knows.. maybe they’re just moving on to round 2.. after today.
Or maybe we’re all losers!
August 7th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
So who knows.. maybe they’re just moving on to round 2.. after today.
Or maybe we’re all losers!
My guess is that they are still struggling to process the huge first round, pushing the obvious “yes” choices forward while leaving slots available for the best of the remaining companies. I’d guess the longer you go without hearing back, the less likely you made it in.
August 7th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
We’re out.
Thus we can focus 100% on launching and getting customers.
Have fun during the show for all those who are invited.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:46 am
Engago team, were you TOLD you’re out?
Or was that an assumption, or maybe a voluntary withdrawal?
August 8th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
@Ralph
We recieved an email from TC50 (Jason, Heather & Michael) 2 days ago.
Whatever: the above comment generated about 36 visits to our website.
That’s free PR.
Thank you.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
@Engago,
When did you give your 1st round demo? Just curious and wanted to see if they are sending out emails in batches based on the dates of 1st round interview.
August 8th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
We had two interviews but we have no third round yet. We have no hope to get good news ?
NOTE: Final notification date has been changed to Monday, August 11.
August 8th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
@techcrunch, we know you guys are watching this. This is not fair for the people who didn’t make it for sure. Come on. You’re abusing your power. Tell us if we’re out.
August 9th, 2008 at 5:34 am
@Ralph
They never invited us for a first round.
Actually we never got any communication from TechCrunch.
Please note: we are located in UK - Even if we would have been invited for a first round demo, it would have costs us $$$.
Still we were amongst the 100 others winners of Red Hat Europe 100 this year.
What is the business model of TechCrunch?
- Selling tickets to their show.
- Do they get a commission on whatever gets funded? (seems not possible)
So how can they optimize selling the tickets?
- Getting companies to present that will attract a big venue.
- Getting companies that will obtain a lot of media coverage, which is an investment for next year.
Whatever:
- For all those invited: have a good time
- For all those not invited: get paying customers or revenue streams.
August 9th, 2008 at 7:08 am
@ted: They’re not sitting around letting you sweat it out. They obviously have a pool of companies that are worthy of consideration and are still in the process of finishing interviews and gaining acceptances (not everyone will accept a demo pit invitation). It may be a good sign that you haven’t heard back after your interviews.
@Engago: Some constructive criticism… looking at your website I can see why you didn’t receive an interview. I would recommend hiring a copy-writer as the wording needs improvement. Additionally, the design and information architecture is poor, I would recommend hiring a designer or using existing templates. Your website should convey the professionalism and quality of service that I’m sure you provide.
August 9th, 2008 at 9:15 am
@CommonSense, @Engago: We face the same issue: good product (we hope) but our website isn’t up to professional standards.
Since we’re bootstrapping, we don’t have any money to spend on copywriting or design for our site and have to decide between working on our product or investing time in our site, knowing that we might not be able to do as good a job as a professional copywriter or designer.
Investing time in our product we hope we’ll soon be able to attract customers and pay for redesign or copywriting for our site. But if we had a more professional looking site we might attract customers earlier. Catch-22 ?
On the other hand: we as professional tech-geeks see that our site might be better and looks rather amateurish. But what really matters: do our potential customers see this ?
August 9th, 2008 at 11:23 am
- For all those invited: have a good time
- For all those not invited: get paying customers or revenue streams.
Ha - let’s hope the second parts are not mutually exclusive!
August 11th, 2008 at 4:49 am
Guys,
I am sat here nervously waiting for news on our project. I guess that I am not alone.
We are based in the UK so the waiting will be a real stretch.
All the best to everyone who has entered, whether you are invited to TC50 or not,
it is great to see so many like minded individuals out there.
Best Wishes
August 11th, 2008 at 5:03 am
“D” DAY IS HERE! GOOD LUCK TO ALL.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:23 am
We are based in the Tokyo. The date changes soon (Now 11th, at 22:22). We really hope to get a ticket..
August 11th, 2008 at 9:46 am
We did our first and only interview 12 days ago and I have been checking my mailbox every hour since then.
Are they finished today, have they done all the second and third interviews now?
When will we get notified that we are out?
Please!
August 11th, 2008 at 10:25 am
@CommonSense and @Michael: we use a cms (with a many of features) with a template, but not a copywriter.
Thanks for the advice of getting a copywriter: if anyone can suggest one: welcome.
Just wondering if our typical customer cares about a flashy web 2.0 website or not.
Most of our competitors don’t have this.
Whatever: it doesn’t stop us from getting a good number of visitors (rank 904,916 on Alexa
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details/leadsexplorer.com)
Good luck to all those who are invited.
Just curious who will be elected for B2B web services.
August 11th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Anyone heard anything yet (good or bad)?
August 11th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
EngagoTeam, and others who need a good copy writer or editor:
I have had good experiences with a tech-Savvy copy writing woman: Jessica Mousseau. jessicamousseau.com. Very sharp, very professional. j.mousseau@hotmail.com
August 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Steve - similar situation here. I’m guessing they are wrapping up all the finalists today and avoided saying “no” to during that process since things change rapidly in this space.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
We also did our demo 12 days ago and not a word from TC since. I’ve assumed for a few days that we were out.
That’s fine, but it would have been nice to be told.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Anyone heard they got in yet?
August 11th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Ive spoke to a TC rep this am. They said they would need 24more hrs to get out all email responses. They also told me that having 1-2, or 3 interviews, wouldn’t determine your standing in the Conference. I guess, it all depends on “who interviewed” each company. Hmmm ? Im Xrossin’ my fingers, too.
=)
August 11th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Tara! Now I’m nervous again. First interview seemed great with positive feedback and I already know we have a great project going, but after no word back for weeks I have assumed we were out. In fact I still think so because they’d be foolish not to second interview all 50. I’m guessing if you didn’t have a third interview you are … toast.com
But, it’s all good. This is a fine venue but ultimately the company has got to stand on it’s own. In fact some of the valley projects seem to have imploded for the very reason that they had so much early attention and funding….
Oh, and please pass some more sour grapes this way ….
August 11th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I’ll tell you one thing:”Good News Do Not Travel By Email”.
If you did not get a 2nd or 3rd interview I bet you are tossed.
If you made it you will most likely get a ring.
So relax, go play tennis, golf, racketball or whatever it is you play, because refreshing Gmail or checking your phone is not going to get things done any quicker.
Salut
August 12th, 2008 at 2:55 am
Guys,
We just heard from the Tech Crunch Team today.
The long and the short of it is this:-
They are really busy at the moment. They have had to review over 1000 applicants
originating from 49 different countries.
They expect to notify applicants of their status by Thursday night (14/8).
Good luck guys
August 12th, 2008 at 8:19 am
We heard. The email subject indicated that this was the “Final” decision, and we’re out of the 50. We’re still invited to the DemoPit, but I don’t have a sense of whether that is an economically wise decision.
Pretty expensive to go be in the DemoPit. Anyone have any advice?
August 12th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Ralph,
Did you hear today and what is the cost for the DemoPit? My2cents, the discount to the conference is all you’re really getting being in the pit. You wont have any exposure next to 149 other companies.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Has anyone else heard except for Ralph? The thread seems to be fairly quiet for today. (I know they are waiting until Thursday but still)
August 12th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Here’s what I heard:
We were eliminated from the finalists. The invitation for the DemoPit was extended. We have a limited time to accept it (like 3 days). According to another page on this site (click on the DemoPit link in the upper left), they are inviting semi-finalists (i.e. rejects, lol) to be in the DemoPit on a rolling basis (which probably means that they liked SOMETHING of ours that they saw, but not enough to be in the top 50, I suppose.)
For the price of one admission ($2995), we get 2 people admitted, and a 24 inch round table to demo on (0.6 meters). They have indicated that they are aiming for a similar number of DemoPit companies as last year (around 100). And obviously, the exposure to media, VC’s, etc., and mention on TechCrunch and in the program has tremendous value.
Of course, the admission price is just a piece of it. We also have travel costs.
For a 24 inch table. Think about how small that is. That’s enough room for a laptop and a pencil. I’ve paid less for 10ft x 20ft booths.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Ralph,
Thanks for the response. That is a tough choice between the anticipated media/networking value and the $3k + traveling costs. I’d lean more on the “yes” side, but as one commenter posted above - you might get lost in the sea of startups and affiliates.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Thanks Ralph. Did you find out today or where you an early submission company?
August 12th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Do the math:
- 100 Demo Pit companies (50 per day)
- If everybody spends 60 min in the demo pit per day (probably less), that is 1 minute per company.
- So unless you look sexy and have big boobs, I would it is not worth it
August 12th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I was a last-day last-hour submission on the deadline (June 28 at midnight). Founded the company shortly thereafter. Scrambled to build a product in time for the demo. Our team gave a demo on 8/1. Found out when I awoke this morning (was sent late last night).
So now we can take the site live. No need to wait for TC50 to launch, I suppose. We were planning on waiting until the conference…
Yeah, we don’t mess around. ha ha.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Wow, that’s impressive. Nice job. Let us know what your URL is if you don’t participate.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
We submitted 5 days after the deadline and we demoed on Aug 4th late in the evening. I would venture to say that we were the last demo. They told me to give them 10 days. I think that Aug 14th is D-Day.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
We got rejected! (via email this morning…we interviewed on July 25 without a second interview…We did get an invitation to the demo pit)…Like Ralph, we’re internally debating the “value proposition” of spending the $$ to go to Californ-ee. We’re cash poor.
The one advantage demo-pit companies have is that they are not subject to the marketing-communications embargo like the lucky TC50 “winners.” Therefore, you could hype your product all the way to the conference (it’s been hard for me personally to keep my piehole shut these last few weeks).
Also, I was told via email, the estimated number is 150 companies (3 days X 50 per day)…
I just blogged about our experience if you’re interested…
Note: Last year’s demo pit: http://www.techcrunch40.com/2007/demopit.php
August 12th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Likewise, we heard at 8 PDT last night, rejected. To pit or not?
look at it from TC50 pov. they have to fill 50 slots per day X3 days at $3000 per. the pit could kick in an additional $450k for them, but they gotta fill those 24″ tables, and that’s looking like some very pricey real estate in this economy to us.
so how many companies get invited to the pit? the next-best 150? maybe, but many would pass due to tight money vs. perceived value. do they invite the next 500? probably. but what happens if, in a week, they’ve only filled half the tables? Would they let a company in for $1500? or $950? we don’t have money to throw around, we’re building a startup. wonder what they’d take on 8-25? good luck, amigos!
August 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
@Jackson,
When did you finish your 1st round interview and were you called for the 2nd round?
August 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I paid to be in TC’s demopit last year. We got less than 50 hits from it…as I recall it was like 28. And no, I’m not kidding or exaggerating.
$18,000 for DEMO is a lot of money, and no, I wouldn’t pay it. But for those who do, I’m sure it’s at least of some benefit. Demopit, which cost $2,500 last year, is a total waste. Nobody cared about Demopit. All the attention was on stage.
Save your money. Don’t bother with Demopit.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
This is a little frustrating: http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis/statuses/885743485
Seems like Jason is most interested in ruining DEMO instead of picking the best 50 startups from the 900+ applicants that followed the rules.
August 12th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I couldn’t agree more. I was just about to post the same twitter that you’ve posted above. It is insulting to see that on the one hand TC50 has delayed the final answer yet again and on the other they are encouraging more submissions. Complete lack of respect for the TC50 applicants that are delaying their launches while they wait for the final response.
August 12th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Maybe they weren’t able to find the great 50 companies! and they are hoping to find some great companies in DEMO.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Life is too short to be complaining. If you have a great product and you believe in it then not being in the conference is TC50’s loss. No need to talk about what their process is or what their reasons are for doing what they do. Just imagine you didn’t get in, what would you do next?
They are doing us a great service by creating a platform like this. It doesn’t matter if you turned in your application on time, or if you got 2nd or 3rd interview. What matters is, is your product worth it? that’s it. If the TC50 team feels that there are no clear top 50 for this event then they should definitely look outside for companies to put on the stage.
If out of ~1000 companies, 999 were spam sites or sites that weren’t being innovative then should they still have to put those 50 up? If I was organizing a conference that needed to grow and gain recognition then I would look outside for talent.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Was there any company that was invited for a 3rd interview? I have to agree that it’s almost patronizing to be asking companies who submitted for DEMO to test their hand at TC50 this late in the game. What does that say for the 1000 companies from 49 countries that they so boldly advertise.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
This might explain Jason’s twitter:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/11/AR2008081101364.html
August 12th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
It does seem odd that Jason would do that, but it may just be a clever ploy. Remember, the DEMO 2008 participants are under contract to provide an exclusive, and if he can lure one to break the contract, there’s a chance that DEMO will kick them out.
A sneaky ploy perhaps, or a way to ruin someone’s launch plans. Note that he may not be willing to accept a DEMO 2008 participant into TechCrunch50 - he may just be trying to mess up the DEMO conference. In other words, no harm to us, only to that poor unlucky soul who falls for it, and to DEMO.
Remember last year, there was a rumor that one company did just that, and got kicked out of DEMO?
http://valleywag.com/tech/rumormonger/whos-not-coming-to-demo-the-startup-that-got-kicked-out-302716.php
August 13th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Based on twitters and some other info tonight:
150 considered really great
25 of the 50 chosen as of about 3 hours ago
August 13th, 2008 at 12:32 am
My take on the DemoPit experience is the opposite to Dawn’s - We gave over 250 demos last year, and had a fantastic day in terms of the exposure we got. Because we didn’t make the last 40 (but did make the last 60), we decided to postpone the actual launch for a few weeks to let the hoohah die down from the show. The attention we got may have had something to do with the fact that we gave away $1,000 in singles in a perspex briefcase :http://blog.jiglu.com/knowledge/techcrunch40—the-aftermath
It may have been slightly different as we were a UK company trying to reach a North American audience, and so only had one shot at getting it right, having blown the year’s marketing budget to get there. We made sure that every delegate knew who we were, from a flyer on every chair, to a stress ball in every giveaway bag.
I can’t say whether having an extra day this year will dilute the effect too much, but for us, certainly, we gained a lot more in exposure and contacts that we would have otherwise.
Everyone who gets rejected is going to feel sore to one extent or another. We were amazed when we turned up last year to see the slot we would have had (totally clever natural language stuff) being taken by Powerset who, despite the rules, were not actually launching anything, whereas we would have been. But you have to be sanguine about these things. It goes without saying that there was a reason for it (whether we would have agreed with it or not). And no doubt when we all go to the trouble of staging a show of this magnitude ourselves, we’ll have tough choices to make too.
Last year, I reckon I refreshed my e-mail about every 30 seconds for 18 hours a day for several weeks as each deadline for notification passed. This time (yes, I couldn’t resist another crack at it), it’ll arrive when it arrives. Good luck to all entrants, and if you’ve got the DemoPit invite, and you need the exposure (eg you are not in the SF/Seattle areas usually), then it’s as good a way as any to be seen by a lot of useful people.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:40 am
The exact same post (word for word) was posted by Dawn back in April, on this blog: http://guidewiregroup.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/lets-get-real-business-is-not-personal/
I looked far and wide for comments similar to Dawn’s from last year. Most comments were upbeat like Nigel’s, above. It appears there was a “Dawn Douglass” who was with the site myfridj.com (which is currently a “Nothing to See Here” site). Perhaps she’s the Dawn mentioned above. I saw that others claimed that she had come to the site looking for money, with nothing but an idea and a powerpoint presentation.
See her TechCrunch40 profile here: http://www.techcrunch50.com/2007/demopit_company.php?demopit=42
I’m taking her comment with many grains of salt.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:56 am
1 more day until we all know!!!!
August 13th, 2008 at 8:13 am
…so has ANYBODY actually had a round 3 interview or call or anything?
August 13th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Only 2nd round. On Monday, they said they’d let everyone know their application status by Thursday night.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Nigel and, yes, Dawn,
Thanks for recalling your experiences last year…Certainly, will help (or muddle) our decision process! I was actually thinking about randomly emailing some of last year’s pit-participants to see if they saw the value…
So is the demo-pit a Trojan horse payola (thereby TechCrunch50 must die
OR a legitimate platform with clear marketing (or funding) ROI…That is the $3,000 question.
Ed
August 13th, 2008 at 9:18 am
I would like to know if anyone has been told they didn’t make it and also not been invited to the demopit. So far everyone that has been told they didn’t make it seems to be a semi-finalist and was just wondering if they had started notifying people they simply didn’t make the cut at all. just curious.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Trojan horse payola OR legitimate platform with clear marketing (or funding) ROI…
Ed I think this clever query applies to the entire commercial internet, without much of an answer in 90% of the projects under consideration.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Hopeful,
I could be wrong, but my understanding is that the DemoPit is being offered on a rolling basis until it’s sold out, and then that’s it.
So I sense that they prioritized the DemoPit invitees, and probably some number of those folks will turn down the invitation, and then a new group will be invited.
At some point, they will probably open it to anyone (assuming that they don’t sell out).
So I’d expect that NO ONE will hear that they were rejected from the DemoPit - just that it’s sold out (eventually).
All guesses, mind you.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:50 am
@Hopeful.
I hate to say this, but if you did not receive a call, email at this point you can forget about it. I know the tendency is to believe they will call you at the last minute, but they won’t, mate.
They received about 1000 apps. Select(ed/ing) 50. Offering demopits to 450 assuming 1 in 3 will have the 3k, so that lives you in the 2nd half.
Save time and log out of Gmail and revisit your idea. Explain to the next 3 persons in 15 seconds. If what they say is “Interesting” then forget the idea. If what you get anything else then you maybe onto something. Keep working.
And although TC is a great laucnhpad, it does not guarantee success. To prove it go back and visit every single site that made it last year, only 5 are considered a success so far. And about 15-20 have a significant traffic the others are lagging behind with less than 5k uniques a month.
That goes to show you that TC50 gives you a great great great sword, but it does not go to the battle field for you or teach you how to use it. That, mate, is up to you. If you do not use it properly, it will magically disappear and you probably will loose the battle.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:05 am
@ Ralph @Jason
You may be right but where does that leave the 25 finalists who haven’t been selected?
August 13th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
@ Cool
Do you think there is a chance that they will pick one of those 25 out of the group they did not call for a second interview, let alone a third?
It is a 3 step process if you did not make it to the second round it is pretty up KO.
If you made it to the second and still have not had a third interview, you may be lucky, but that would depend on your interview. If the interviewer asked you one million questions, went overtime and critisized your application then you are lucky.
IF all went well and you got ” I like it” “Very interesting” “I can see your aaproach is unique” and the likes, then I think you should not expect anything other than a chance for DemoPit.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Cool-
The 25 finalists who haven’t been selected are probably among 40-50 that are being considered (just guesses!). And probably most or all of them have had 2nd (and maybe 3rd?) interviews.
So they know they are in the running.
If you had 1 interview, and haven’t heard anything, then my bet is that you are below the YES/50, below the Maybe/50, Below the Top No’s /150. So you are in the 201-1000 category. And so the best you can hope for is that lots of people will take Dawn’s advice and skip the DemoPit. Then, when they open it up to all takers, first come-first serve, you will have your chance.
Then again, what do I know!?
By the way, I do disagree with Jason on one point - the value of the DemoPit. Site activity is just one measure of success. Another is funding (it’s only been 11 months since TC40, and some sites just went live recently!)
It seems that 21 companies out of 100 TC40 DemoPit companies got “documented funding” AFTER the event. Perhaps another group got unpublished funding. The amounts on the top 19 range from 1.3M to $12M. So if your objective is to get funding, this may be a good route.
(I am basing this on CrunchBase data, which admittedly is a wiki, so subject to error. And you may not be able to draw a direct cause-and-effect relationship between DemoPit and Funding, but it’s something to consider.)
August 13th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I would agree, you would need at least three interviews or two interviews that included a bunch of questions and overtime. They’re not going to take a risk on a company after one or two quick interviews. They have 1k paying customers and can’t put their brand on the line on an unknown company.
I have to imagine the companies that have yet to hear are in the final consideration pool or are total jokers (you know if you’re a joker or not). Everyone who falls in the middle has already been notified for the Pit.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
@ Ralph, I agree on all points!
August 13th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
@ Ralph.
You are correct, but if your site is a destination, and most were, and you do not get traffic, then you can assume you are not so successful.
Funding I think is not a sign of success. That is why we had the crash. Traffic is more a sign then money. Take TC for example. No funding, plenty traffic, plenty money.
The value of DemoPit and TC50 is that it gives you exposure, but at the end if you have exposure, but your product does not appeal, then it wont matter. The 3k can be a great investment, but it is You the entrepreneur who has to turn the opportunity into success.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I still say that interview 2/3 may not have been practical if you were a late entry. We had our demo on the 4th. I highly doubt that they could get 2 or even 1 more interview while trying to weed down all those people. Then again, we have one day to find out. Our idea is good… new… but good. I am hoping that 10 minutes (one interview) is plenty of time for an interviewer to see that.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
@AJ2, Have you seen Jason’s tweets? He has time
Don’t want to shoot you down but it would be quite a shock if you got an invitation after one interview. What’s more likely is a last minute second interview.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
@Cool.
I did have an awesome interview 1, followed by nice compliments. That’s when i knew they would be no 2, 3, DemoPit, let alone Top 50 :).
August 13th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
@Jason, when was your interview and are you still waiting to hear from them?
August 13th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I’m not sure what’s going on. We had only one interview, but one that was quite in depth and ran well over the 10 minutes allocated. Lots of questions, quite a bit of a drilling into the details.
But, we’ve still not heard a peep and I’d expect to get at least an email that said we’d been unsuccessful. Guess that may come tomorrow.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
We had two interviews and are still waiting to hear. Was there any companies that received an invite to a third interview? I just read this entire thread and not one person confirmed a third round of interviews.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
We had two…
August 13th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
2 for us as well…
August 13th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Just one demo, two weeks ago, but I’m still hoping, have not heard a peep since.
@Jason, why is it not good to get compliments after the demo? I didn’t get any..
But got a thank you for participating in the end after 3 questions, doesn’t sound good I guess?
August 13th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Our interview was on the 28th.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I just noticed, but in the FAQ section it sounds like they changed their minds on doing 3rd round interviews. It appears they only did 3rd round if you are on the border and they needed more indepth info to better understand your company.
We had 2 interviews both within 1 week of each other with the 2nd one the last week of July.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
But we did a demo movie so they could have gone in and watched it again without booking another timeslot with us
August 13th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
@ Steve
They are very polite and they do not want to hurt your feelings, plus they understand that they may be wrong.
So they do not want to waste time, they simply compliment you for what most people in this world lack (courage) and they let you go on with your passion because they know “Passion+ Curiosity” can work some magic.
It is the same with VCs. If they ask you 1000 questions and shut your idea down etc, then you are in good shape. That is to show they are interested and all those negatives remarks are to make sure you can pull it off. In others words they want you to prove them that they are not going to make a mistake by giving you money.
Frankly at the end of it. I am glad I got an interview. I got to talk to the TC team without having to burst into Mike’s house with a white suit
. What these guys are doing is noble and if out of the 50 they let 5 guys out of their garage with no funding present, then I am gonna be smiling from ear to ear.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
@Jason
Who interviewed you? Michael, Heather, or Jason?
August 13th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I would like that information private, but I will tell you that my startup was not a web/mobile/application. It is very hard to execute and required a significant investment. I am building a platform to let developers turn content into newspapers/books/magazines/stamps….. automatically.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
@Jason
sorry what I meant to ask was that, both your interviews were with one of the 3 (Michael, Heather, or Jason)? You don’t have to say which, just that yes/no on being interviewed by one of the decision makers.
I feel that anyone who has a chance to get in should have been interviewed by one of those 3. And if your first was with someone outside of them, then you should have had a second one with one of the 3 to at least qualify.
It is totally possible to have been interviewed by one of 3 only once and you are in…
I hope
August 13th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
@A, I would agree. I would think you need an interview with the top three. Our first was outside the three and our second was with one of them.
BTW, this speculation is therapeutic!
August 13th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
My demo was with one of those you mention, but i think that they insisted doing all the interviews themselves and that’s why everything has been so delayed..
August 13th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
@ A. Yes it was with one of them.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Ooooh, Joss Whedon added…Fanboy in me now wants to go, cosplaying as Jane in the demo-pit…
@Joe Duck
True Dat!
@Jason
White Jump Suit with nose bandage…Bottlerocket style…
I couldn’t be happier with this whole process. In the second month of our existence, our first interview ever with anyone was with JC himself. That’s like picking up a basketball for the first time and playing one-on-one with Michael Jor…David Lee.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
We had three interviews - the last of which was early this week (think Mon or Tues). We were interviewed by Heather, Jason, and Michael, in that order.
We were informed by email that final decisions would be announced tomorrow (Thursday) AM PST.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
@HugeSecret
Thanks for the info. I believe you are on the right track for getting in. Which also leads me to believe that 2 interviews with the decision-makers is absolute requirement for getting in.
Oh well..only 25 hours 47 minutes to go…so looong…
August 13th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
@HugeSecret
3 interviews + a letter to inform you that you will get to now tomorrow, sounds great..
They haven’t sent me a letter about anything after the first interview, so i guess they won’t even waste bandwith on telling me “sorry your out”
August 13th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
@Steve
If they send out emails to those who did not make it past the first itnerview, then they will be submerged with emails from participants asking ” Thank you very much, we appreciate…. Can you tell us what were our weakness…..” and they can’t do that. So one gets the rejection email, no need to email back saying thank you.
They know that you are appreciative and you are so concerned with their time that you will simply let them focus on the next step.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Just checked our application on app2you, the “Pick Interview Time” page disappeared. Anyone else? Looks like a bad sign for us.
oh well…moving on to launch.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I love the preemptive dissapointment posts. I am still positive. One interview (not a main three) and we are getting in!
WOO!!! HOOO!!
SAN FRAN, HERE I COME!!!
August 13th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I saw that a good idea gets you past anything. I have always been told that good people with a good idea will get noticed and get funded. That is my approach.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
AJ2
You are enthusiasm and strong believe in what is truly unlikely to make sense is your best companion.
If this is who you really are on a daily basis, then I can guarantee you you are a few steps from your success. Kudos.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
We had our one interview on the 2nd of August and haven’t heard back yet, so I think that means we’ll be cheering from the sidelines
@Cool
You’re right - hanging out here is kinda therapeutic, and it’s great to see that we might be looking at a potential top 50-er in our midst!
@Ed
Completely agree with you, I think we’re in very similar circumstances - around two months in, and one interview with Calacanis. It’s been great getting some feedback either way, and feeling a part of a global community of entrepreneurs gives us the boost and encouragement that makes work exciting.
@Hugesecret
We’re rooting for you!
@all
If you want to read about how our first interview went and compare notes, here tis: http://www.pocketsmith.com/blog/2008/08/04/the-techcrunch-interview/
Good luck, guys
August 13th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Even though TechCrunch would be cool to try to gain venture, it’s something you can still do on your own. No matter if you get in or not, just keep focused.
Had one interview, decent feedback… nothing negative from the girl who made the calls. Interested to see who makes it in the finals. I’ll be interested more so tomorrow if anyone who just had one interview made it in the top 50.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Just got our Final Notice letter, we are out.
Good Luck to everyone else!
August 13th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Notice from Tanya at 5:35 PST.
We join the other 950 *TC LOSERS*. “Invited” to the demo pit.
I’m curious - has anybody rejected NOT been invited to the Demo Pit?
Our project: http://www.RetireUSA.net which will be launching very soon now.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Just found on google blogsearch:
http://www.robblatt.com/random/techcrunch50-regular-decision-final-notice/
August 14th, 2008 at 11:15 am
[...] was really enjoying the discussion/camaraderie going on in the TC50 discussion section of the FAQ. It has been a therapeutic support group where my band of brothers (and sisters) shared [...]
August 15th, 2008 at 12:22 am
[...] it. I have great respect for the other applicants, and we all supported each other on the TechCrunch blog as we agonized through the waiting process. I wish everyone the best of luck, but the [...]