Women 2.0 Startup Weekend… and the rest is history.
By Tricia Rampe (Founder & CEO, GetArtUp)

The idea for GetArtUp was conceived months ago when I pondered whether art was a market ripe for the collaborative consumption model that has worked well for startup companies like Airbnb and Getaround.

After discussing the idea of renting art on a monthly subscription basis with art industry friends, I received great feedback and was suggested to pitch it at a local hack-a-thon. To pursue the project more seriously and seek co-founders, I attended the Women 2.0 Startup Weekend in 2011 and the rest is history.

After an intense weekend of prototyping and exploring business models, my team and I developed a compelling business model and had strong customer validation. And our business is one that makes money right away, a rare gem among startups! My greatest score of the weekend was no doubt finding technical teammates who have since joined me in the venture.

Check out our site, GetArtUp to learn about the process and sign up.

At GetArtUp, we recommend local contemporary art for you, deliver it, and then swap it out when you are ready for a change. Our solution tackles two major issues that typically lead to bare walls: price, as real art can be expensive to purchase, and then deciding what art to actually put up, which can be quite daunting in of itself. Our approach addresses these barriers to entry by providing personalized recommendations and offering low-risk subscription plans.

Currently we are expanding our customer base beyond office settings to include the home market and a version 2.0 of the site is coming soon with new recommendation features and pricing options.

7 Tips On Starting A Business At Women 2.0 Startup Weekend

1. Come ready with an idea you have vetted, even just talking about it to friends or co-workers.
2. Know who you will need to attract in terms of talent for your team – developers, designers or business co-founders.
3. Research the market and competitors to be familiar with current solutions to your problem.
4. Come up with a business model, although remain open to the fact that it could change or pivot.
5. Although you came up with the idea, be open to your team’s input, this is how you will find potential co-founders who will feel a sense of ownership in the business.
6. Focus less on winning top prize for best demo of the weekend and more on properly vetting your idea and attracting the right talent to help you launch and ship.
7. Stay in contact with people you meet at the weekend, including the mentors and organizers. They can be a great resource to you in moving forward with your new business.

Editor’s note: Got a question for our guest blogger? Leave a message in the comments below.
Photo credit: Marc Picornell.
About the guest blogger: Tricia Rampe is the Founder and CEO of Get Art Up. In 2011, Tricia created a mobile app for discovering and sharing art that is near to you. Artspotting is available in the app store. Before the age of 28 she owned a gallery which is still operating. Along with a co-founder, Tricia started an original content lifestyle blog Limner, making trips all over the country to source our own photos and content. Follow her on Twitter at @triciarampe.