I Think I’m Turning Into A Cliché: Bikes, Craft Beer & Social Media

Posted on by in life, London, technology | Leave a comment

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One need only take a peek at my Instagram feed to see my undeniable evolution into an East London cliché, eh? Craft beer, vintage bikes and the internet, dude.

Anyways, in the spirit of embracing oneself, here is a wee update in the world of me.

My New Ride

Alright, you blasted London cyclists. I finally get it. I get it. I’m on board. It’s the best freaking way to get around the city. Just took a while for my bus-loving self to get pedalling…but I’m happy I did!

I’m still saving up for a lighter road bike for more hard-core cycling, but I scored this free one that my boyfriend’s mum had lying around the shed – a vintage Raleigh shopper. Needs a bit of TLC but is decent enough for short jaunts around my ‘hood. Will stick to Barclays bikes for longer journeys for now, I think.

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Craft Beer & Social Media….Hello Untappd!

As I become more and more of a “refined” (read: fussier, douchier) beer drinker, I’ve been stoked about trying all the different brews from this wonderful craft beer renaissance making it’s way to the UK. Some of my beer loving cohorts recently suggested that I download the Untappd app, an NYC/LA startup which is making drinking even more social.

With Untappd, I’m able to rate, review & share beer from the app – and the more I check-in, the more data is has to provide me with suggestions for new beers and bars based on my taste. I can also see which beers my friends are drinking and where – which is great if you have friends who are particularly knowledgeable about where to drink in London.

Give it a go!

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Starting out in a Startup: Getting A Startup Gig

Posted on by in startups | Leave a comment

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Last month,  I spoke at NACUE’s brilliant event, “The Startup Career Launchpad“.

I talked about “Starting out in a Startup” – getting your first tech startup job in London. I was nervous and the adrenaline of being in front of a crowd makes me talk at a million miles an hour. I’m positive I didn’t cover all the things I wanted to, so I decided to do a little summary of my advice!

So, if you are like me and don’t ever wanna jump onboard the corporate choo-choo train – here are my tips to dive head first into the London startup world.

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK

London has no shortage of networking events in the startup scene – whether you’re already a founder , a wannabe founder, or someone who wants to collaborate with or work for a startup. Go to these events, make friends, hand our your business cards, listen to people, be genuine, get to know people’s names.

Some great events to meet startups:

The 3beards Events – Silicon Drinkabout, Digital Sizzle, Don’t Pitch Me Bro

TechHub Events – (i.e.) – Demo Night, Founders Secrets

The Varied Events at Google Campus 

The Silicon Roundabout Meetup Group - (I’ve  not gone to this, but it looks good)

Various London Hackathons (if you have any pre-existing coding skills)

Girls in Tech London (if you’re of the female variety)

A great way to keep track of new events and happenings in Tech City is by joining the different online groups:

London Startups Facebook group

London Startup Events Facebook group

(Google) Campus London G+ community 

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

You’re a young, creative thing, aren’t you? Put yourself out of your comfort zone and learn something new. If you feel like you don’t already have a great skillset to offer to a tech startup, it’s a way to dive headfirst into tech.

(You’ll also meet founders and great people along the way who are already building great companies)

There are plenty of opportunities to do this!

Some suggestions:

General Assembly London classes

Makers Academy (become a ruby on rails dev 10 weeks – the world will be your oyster)

Campus EDU (Google Campus Educational Events)

(adding more suggestions continually)

PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE

  • Have an active and healthy social media presence. Link to your work, your blog, your LinkedIn. Use a real picture of yourself.
  • Follow up with people you meet. Tweet them, send them an email.
  • Be bold. Even if someone is not openly hiring for a role, it’s worth presenting yourself and your skills. Tell them what you could positively contribute to their team or their product.

BE REALISTIC

When a company is very small, their team is everything. You have to have the right person. Don’t be offended if you’re not the right person.

Keep smiling, keep networking and eventually you’ll find the right team.

SO YOU GOT A STARTUP GIG?

In my next post, I’ll talk about what to expect from #startuplife….