Startup Speedrun

Startup Speedrun: put your idea to the test 🚀

Got a startup idea but no clue if anyone actually needs it? Let’s find out.

Startup Speedrun is UQIES’s one-day founder bootcamp. You’ll team up, pick a problem and speak to potential customers to see whether your assumptions hold up. By the end, you’ll have real feedback and a plan for what to test next.

No idea? No worries. Come curious and we’ll help you find a team and a problem to explore.

How it works

Pick your problem. Bring an idea or explore one with your team. Get clear on who your customer is and what you think they’re struggling with.

Learn to ask better questions. Our Mom Test workshop teaches you how to get useful answers beyond “yeah, sounds cool.”

Talk to real people. Learn how to find potential customers and start conversations through cold calls, LinkedIn and other channels. Then give it a go.

Pitch in one minute. Share what you believed, what you learned and how you’ll test your idea over the next two weeks.

Why you’ll want to be there

Get more comfortable reaching out to people you’ve never met

Learn how to tell useful evidence from polite encouragement

Get feedback from mentors and judges

Meet other students interested in building something

Leave with a clear next step for your idea—even if that means changing it

The details

📅 Saturday 17 October, 9:00 am–4:30 pm

📍 UQ — TBD

👥 Teams of 2–4. Come with friends or come solo and we’ll match you up

🎟️ Ticket $5 until Wed, October 14th. $10 after!

$500 Prizepool! + winner gets an interview with NextGen Ventures

No startup experience, coding skills or finished product needed.

You don’t have to prove your idea is brilliant. You just have to be willing to find out.

Bring your curiosity. Leave with a plan. ⚡