In the game called World of Startup, the main characters are geeks and suits.
PhillyMerge was created to help the two tribes meet on common ground, where developers and entrepreneurs can learn some slick moves from one another. It's a long standing and sometimes contentious relationship characterized by the blog
Whartonite Seeks Code Monkey, in which MBAs are called to task for asking developers to work for peanuts.
The one day conference, held July 15, drew about 50 business types and coders to Huntsman Hall at the
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Organized by Steve Rittler and Adam Tuttle, who met at the
Philadelphia Cold Fusion User Group (CFUG), the event offered an even split of speakers. Chris Stanchak from
TicketLeap told war stories about founding and growing the online event ticketing company, overcoming hiccups and navigating through three successive builds.
Attorney Frank Taney, who practices at
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, addressed legal issues confronting emerging businesses. Jim Caruso of the accounting firm
Fesnak and Associates explained financial forecasts and projections, and helped one attendee understand why his spreadsheets were flawed.
Rittler and Tuttle said PhillyMerge ran like clockwork, with a running commentary on twitter and feedback boards. "People are really happy," said Rittler. "They like the flavor. It's different from what you usually see, where there's not a lot of crossover."
Total cost of the conference was estimated at $3000, and because Tuttle works at Wharton Learning Lab, space that would have doubled the cost was donated gratis. Sponsors included
Adobe,
Chariot Solutions and
Duck Duck Go.
While Tuttle and Rittler did not ask this year's attendees if they played for the geek or suit side, they estimate it was about 70/30 in favor of techies. "That's a lesson learned," said Tuttle, who garnered a wealth of wisdom for planning and running next year's conference. Like a tenet heard often in entrepreneurial circles, PhillyMerge isn't built for exit. It's built for lifestyle.
Source: Steve Rittler, Adam Tuttle, PhillyMerge
Writer: Sue Spolan