By Mike Magee:

I first heard about Start Weekend from John Secrest when he asked to use our winery banquet facility for the event. Having been a part of several startups in Corvallis over the last thirty years, I found myself curious about what he was trying to do. After a few beers I learned that the goal was to take an idea to a revenue producing company in a weekend. Basically fifty two hours concentrated and focused effort. To top that challenge off, he added that you would be working with people whom you have probably never met.

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind where I keep memories that I am trying to forget, surfaced the “Multiple Listing Service Project”. Somehow it felt like I had been here before….

Corvallis Oregon 1980. My buddy, Wayne Lystra had convinced me to get in the business of competing with McGraw Hill for the MLS of Corvallis, Albany, Lebonan, and Bend. I had been working with my uncle, Vernon Bowlby, to create a company called Evergreen Software that was specializing in mini-computer applications. That is mini-computers not micro-computers! Our two top suppliers were Wang Computers and Texas Instruments. Both have gone the way of past computer dinosaurs and are no longer involved or doing that business. Wayne had the idea that we could create a printing company (Compact Data) combined with our computer experience to revolutionize the real estate industry. What reminded me of this weekend was the circumstances of us obtaining the Bend contract for their MLS books. The plan was that we would pick up the Bend data on Thursday and deliver their next weeks book by the following Thursday. This meant we would write the custom application over the weekend load the data base, print the book, and deliver by the following Thursday. Our first clue that this should a mountain too high to climb was the fact that this book was the size of the Portland phone book.

With blind optimism that only the young possess, my programming team tackled the project. After being up for three days I managed to drive the printouts to Philomath for the printing team to take over. A quick assessment told me that things were not going well with the printing operation. I allowed myself a quick trip home for a three hour nap and then back to Philomath to put my shoulder to the wheel. Somehow by Thursday morning Wayne and I had loaded my uncles Buick station wagon with 600 MLS books and took off for Bend. Upon arriving in Bend almost delirious from lack of sleep, we were informed that we were late and expected to help deliver that catalog. What a blessing it is for the mind to forget pain, but I do remember the rap on the car window by the state trooper at 6am Friday morning. We had somehow managed to get just outside of Sisters before exhaustion overcame us.

Thirty years later, I am being invited to partake in a similar marathon effort. The question drifts through my mind “do I still have one more run in me?”

*****

Friday evening arrived all too soon. Still suffering from the Beaver game in more ways than one, I certainly did feel inspired to a marathon hour weekend. I had been worried that for the first event it would be poorly attended. To my surprise a group of forty individuals began flowing into the room, much more than I expected. Of course what was not a surprise was the fact that most of the crowd were young enough to be my children. Just like my children they were speaking in the language of waves, tweets, twits, blogs, and so on, that are not part of my world. Can I find a team to work with? What will I have to offer? Why am I here? All questions running through my mind. As the evening progresses, I am attracted to a high energy group focused on solving problems presented to them by clients I would consider to be my peers. I picked the group whose product seemed to be the one I would most likely use. The pleasant surprise was how friendly and welcoming they were to anyone with interest in participating. I quickly realized that I had managed to find a highly talented group of individuals with a deep knowledge and experience in their industry. I never mind being the least talented on a team! mm

*****

The evening progresses with intense discussions about outcomes and customers. I am impressed with the groups discipline to stay on task developing their path by discussing their customers needs and creating a successful experience. We are ripping through sheets of paper with ideas free following. Sechrest reminds us that we are to appear at 9am on Saturday morning. I managed to get home by 12:30am. mm