Preparing for a startup road trip
Congrats! You’ve been accepted to the StartupBus because you’re probably awesome. Now you need to figure out what the hell you should bring. Here’s a quick guide to help you out.
Be clean and comfortable
You know that guy at the office that smells a bit funny? Now imagine being stuck with him on a bus for 3 days. Not fun. Don’t be that guy.
Clothes Don’t be naked for the whole trip, it gets cold. Bring something you can be comfortable in on the bus, something for when it’s cold, something for when it’s hot, something to go out in public and something to cover you if it’s raining. If you want to be clean, bring enough shirts and underwear for each day. You might be sharing a room with people so bring pajamas. Don’t sleep commando. Just...don’t.
Eyewear Contacts, glasses, sunglasses, gunnar optiks: bring whatever you need to keep your eyes relaxed enough to maintain a steady stare for 3 days.
Toothbrush and toothpaste Also a no-brainer. You’re going to be in close proximity to a lot of people. Talking a lot. Keep your breath fresh. Brush your damn teeth.
Deodorant Kind of a no-brainer. Easiest way to mask your stench is by literally ‘de-stenching’ yourself.
Febreeze/air freshener There are a few long days on the bus and perfume or cologne can be nauseating to others. Sometimes just a quick spritz of Febreeze is enough to hold over the smell. These buses do have toilets…and they sometimes get a little ripe. Be a dear. Spray when you can.
Baby wipes/wet naps The bus moves and so does everything in it. Having a set of these is nice in case you spill anything on yourself or anyone else.
Water bottle Sometimes you might want a break from whatever caffeine, energy drink or “beverage” you’re pumping into your system. Water is a great alternative…
Bring your tech
If you don’t bring a laptop, you don’t understand how a hackathon works. That being said, there are a few other things that you can bring to make your life a lot easier.
Laptop I guess you COULD bring a desktop PC, but that might be a little counter-intuitive.
Power strips While this might be a dancing move, it is also a great way to make friends. People like power, so give them what they want.
Chargers I want to emphasize this: Don’t forget your chargers. Yes there will likely be other people you can borrow power from, but bring your own charger so they can charge their stuff and you can charge yours.
Wifi/Mifi/Tethered device/router You’re going to be driving. Signal can be pretty wonky in spots. Bring a backup internet-connected device if you need it. A router can be helpful if you just need a local connection and don’t need to worry about the interwebs.
Flash drives Once again, the internet can be pretty fickle on the road. Transferring files between devices can be much quicker with a simple flash drive.
Documentation This is something you don’t think about too much, until you’re on the road, with no connection, trying to remember a function call or class name or whatever you might need. I highly recommend looking at Dash. Lets you pick and choose from a gigantic list of APIs and documentation.
Multiple devices Bring an extra phone or iPod or tablet. Last thing you need is the phone you put your demo on to die and you’re left with no alternative.
Other stuff
There are some things that you just need to have on you. Not condoms, but this other stuff. Maybe condoms too.
Funds You will need to pay for stuff so don’t forget cash, cards, bitcoins or gold. Gold always works.
Identification Bring a photo ID just in case you forget who you are or need to tell someone else who you are. If you’re crossing a border, don’t forget your passport. That could suck.
Camera It’s nice capturing the whole experience. You might think you don’t have time, but you’re making memories, so take a few snaps when you can.
Paper/writing utensils Why do I need to travel back to 1997? Trust me, having a pen and paper is pretty helpful to do brainstorming. Plus, you can make paper airplanes…
Dry erase markers Where there are windows...there are whiteboards. It’s a nice quick way to write some stuff down and show a big group. Plus we don’t really wash the inside of the bus once we get going.
Don’t forget your wits
Yes, you’ve made it so you’re probably pretty smart. I’m here to tell you to not get cocky. There are 29 other people on your bus that are just as smart, if not smarter than you, so don’t think you’re better than any of them.
Ideas If you plan on pitching, one of these could be useful. Take note: judges aren’t just looking for an app or a website, they’re looking for a solution to a problem. Think big and be ready for those “where do you see this going” questions.
Flexibility You may have a great idea that you think would crush everyone, but no one wants to do it with you. That’s ok. The point of this trip is to work together with other people to make something great. Find another project that you can be passionate about and roll with it.
Tolerance There is a fine line between being a devil’s advocate and being a dick, so know when to stop and when to push back. I’m not saying to be a wuss, but don’t let arguments stop you from making something awesome.
Camaraderie Sometimes it’s nice to help somebody else out; you never know when you might need some help too. Keep in mind, we’re all in this together.
Fun Ultimately, this is a life-changing experience for anyone who does it, don’t forget that. Sure you might be trying to build the next Facebook or Twitter or something equally ridiculous in 3 days, just remember: have fun.