Here’s one of the great things about South by Southwest: Everyone wants to launch a cool new product there. Here’s one of the worst things about South by Southwest: Everyone wants to launch a cool new product there.
That’s why Dalton Caldwell, CEO of App.net, is holding a special App Showcase at Beauty Bar on the afternoon of March 10. In his blog post announcing the event, he writes about how hard it is for any individual startup to stand out:
Why is it getting harder to launch at SXSW? Well, if you happen to attend, the second you step off the plane you are non-stop bombarded with so much information that you enter some kind of zombie state (see also: free beer). You can’t walk 10 feet without hearing about a new sharing app, device, or location-based service. Last year I looked down and even my hotel key had an ad for a social media startup. It’s hard to break through amidst all of this, and as the event gets bigger each year the bombardment will only intensify.
Sure, there’s already a Startup Accelerator where 48 new or new-ish companies will take the stage, but Caldwell tells me there are some key differences — namely, that the App Showcase that is the only startup event that’s “mobile app-specific, not charging folks, and done as a single discrete event.” (And of course it’s also a good way for App.net, which offers landing pages and other app marketing and analytics tools, to connect with mobile developers.)
Three of the six app slots are still open and you can apply whether your app is already available or want launch at the event. Caldwell says he’s particularly interested in seeing apps from outside his Silicon Valley network. You can apply here.