Wufoo

NOTE: The application deadline for the August 2011 meeting has passed, but if you're interested in participating in September 2011, please fill out the form at the bottom of the page and we'll try to fit you in.

---Overview---
We're taking applications from local Houston startups to join other startups in a once-a-month, invite-only, support network. The basic idea is that you will sit with 5-6 other startups over dinner to discuss tips, tricks, strategy, techniques, and solutions to problems that each of the participants is facing.

---Meetup Details---
The meetups will be held monthly and will last approximately 1.5 hours. We’ll start with 30 minutes of open networking, after which people will break up into their assigned groups. In each group, two companies will have the spotlight during each meeting (20 minutes each). During this their 20 minutes, each spotlight company can describe a challenge that they are currently facing, share some insight about a success/strategy/failure, or opt to use the time for general discussion around a topic of interest to their startup. The rest of the group will provide ideas, feedback, and discussion. After the spotlight teams are done, the group will have general discussion for another 20 minutes to allow other participants to ask questions or ask for guidance. The spotlight teams will rotate every month. The meeting structure is open to amendment based on feedback from participants.

After the meeting, whoever wants to hang around and network with their group or with other groups is more than welcome. We will also create a mailing list for each team so they can continue the discussion between meetup events. The mailing list can also be used to help prep other participants on the questions you may want to ask during the next meeting.

---How teams are grouped---
We will be grouping startups together with other companies that are in a similar stage of growth. Early-stage startups will be grouped with one another, and growth-stage startups will be grouped separately. This method of grouping will attempt to create balanced groups whose members can provide reciprocal advice for one another.

---Who can participate---
Participation will be restricted to startups that have a product that is live with an active user community. Beta-stage startups are fine so long as there is an active user base. Alpha stage startups will also be considered so long as there are active plans to move into beta or public release reasonably soon. There will be no idea-stage startups admitted, so if all you have is a business plan, mockups, or funding, but you have no product, you won’t be admitted. Likewise, service providers will not be admitted. This means that no lawyers, web-design shops, marketing companies, social-media mavens, accountants, venture capitalists, angel investors, or small business consulting firms will be admitted. There are plenty of networking events and support groups for all of those folks. This group is dedicated to supporting startups and startups alone.

---Cost---
The meetups will always be free to attend. We will never try to charge you for participation in this group. The only cost to you (ever) will be the cost of your own meal if we hold the meetings at a restaurant.

---First Meeting---
We’re planning for a first meeting in mid August, but no date, time, or venue has been selected yet.

---Rules---
There will be no product-pitches unless someone is asking their group to critique their pitch. The focus of the meetups will always be to help each other to grow and improve. There will never be any selling of products or services, there will never be any sponsors or advertisers. If anyone tries to sell you something during the meetup, they will be asked to leave and will not be invited back.

---Commitment---
There is no cost, but there is a commitment you have to make. You (or another representatie from your company) has to show up every month. If you don’t show up for 2 months in a row, your slot will be offered to somebody else.

---About the organizers---
This meetup is being led by Javid Jamae (@javidjamae on Twitter), with help from Marc Nathan (@marc1919) and Grace Rodriguez (@gracerodriguez). If you’ve been to any of the Houston startup events or meetups, you’ve probably met one or more of them.