The Business Model Behind Startup Events – Antti Sonninen

A key component to making a startup a success is knowing who your true customers are. Today, Antti Sonninen, the Japan CEO for Slush, one of the largest startup events in the world lays out the business model for us, and the facts will probably surprise you. Many of our American listeners will not have heard of Slush since they have not yet expanded to North America, but they are a startup event powerhouse in Europe and, increasingly, in Asia. Their recent event in Tokyo had over 4,000 attendees. This week, we take a no-hype look at the business model that supports all the hype. These events do a lot of good for the startup community, but even when everyone has the best of intentions, someone has to pay the bills. Nobody will work for free for long, so it's fascinating to see who are the real stakeholders are and what they get out it. It’s an interesting discussion, and I think you’ll learn a lot. I know I did.