Surviving, Thriving and Splitting on the StartupBus to SXSW

Startupbus, for those unfamiliar is a competition where 10 cities (11 this year) each have a bus heading towards Austin, TX for SXSW.  The goal is to create a startup in 3 days with complete strangers after getting on the bus.  It’s a hackathon on wheels. Highlights that I’ve experienced thusfar:

1. Vomiting.  This trip is horrible for those with weak stomachs or has motion sickness like me.
2. Complete breakdowns. Teams will join and split faster than the
3. Sleep deprivation.  You’ll learn that sleep is a luxury and something you can’t afford on the bus.
4. Food.  Everyone quickly realizes that the on-board toilet isn’t an option…
5. Burritos.  Founders love burritos, but burritos don’t love us back.  =(
6. Opportunities.  A startup was offered a $10k letter of intent based on an idea & a conversation.
7. Startups aren’t isolated to SF and NYC, cities across the nation and nipping at our heels.
8. Developers.  Being one isn’t enough.  Everyone is realizing that code doesn’t guaranty anything.
9. No developers.  We’re also reminded this bus isn’t going anywhere without developers either.
10. Hustle.  You need to call in every favor from your Aunt Jemima to Santa Clause. Begging is an asset.

I’m on the startup right now and I went through a whirlwind, so far.  My cofounder and I were part of another team, but decided that we wanted to do a different idea.  Some drama ensued, but everyone parted ways happily. We’re working on TaxCast.co (we’re releasing access to the first 25 techli.com readers free) an iOS and Android mobile app that will destroy your receipts, tax worries and save you money!  TaxCast does this by:

1. Helping you retain and record transactions for you to download later (IRS Audit Defense Report)
2. Forecast your income with as little info input as 1 day can be used to project your income
3. We’ll tell you how much taxes you’ll owe right away anytime
4. We’ll compare your expenses to the IRS Database!

Look forward to seeing us win at SXSW on the StartupBus!