It would be helpful if the initiators of Appsterdam worked on gathering information relevant for startups. What makes Amsterdam better than Berlin, Vienna... basically any other city.
What are the legal conditions in the Netherlands - especially in regard to founding a company and getting accepted as an immigrant, what other companies are already situated there (foremost what their experiences are), and how the living conditions and foremost prices are there for example. I'm from Europe, but that doesn't mean I have extensive knowledge on cross border work laws, just like Americans won't have that.
And of course what Appsterdam actually is...who is the driving force behind it right now, and what kind of force that is =
What do you want to do? Organize a few social meetings between founders of startup companies? Is that the extent of Appsterdam? I think it's awesome, I just also think you should be clearer about your intent. Just stating "I want to be the next Google / Silicon Valley / Ipod, doesn't really uniquely identify you :)
I'm one of the volunteers in Appsterdam and I can tell you we will do all of it, and more ;) A quick list:
- Creation of a community with meetings and drinks.
- Weekly lectures about technology that will also give speaker training.
- Provide legal and local information to people that will move here, like immigration policies and the like.
- Arranging of venues to work in and be around with other developer: we have the Appsterdam HQ; Igluu and Vodafone will offer a work space for a good price and with facilities like a lab with smartphones for testing; we will locate developer friendly cafes with free wifi.
- Family get togethers in the weekends, so our partners/spouses/children can create a network too.
- The university is interested in creating a course where developers are professors like in (if I'm correct) Berkeley.
- The government is interested in giving money for tech projects.
- At the party Mike announced that there will also be a fund for startups (called Appsterfund).
Maybe I'm forgetting something. Soon the video of the keynote will be online.
Check the site http://appsterdam.rs It is going to be much more than an information hub, the aim is to turn it into a movement. Given the enthusiasm of the crowd there yesterday I'm pretty sure it will turn into something big.
That's good feedback and we will have more of that sort of thing in the future, as well as direct help. A lot of this stuff is on my blog, http://mur.mu.rs.
One clarification though, we're not really in the business of stating we want to be the next anything. We just want to get App Makers together in one place, and we'd prefer that place be nice. What other people label us is their problem.
What do you want to do? Organize a few social meetings between founders of startup companies? Is that the extent of Appsterdam? I think it's awesome, I just also think you should be clearer about your intent. Just stating "I want to be the next Google / Silicon Valley / Ipod, doesn't really uniquely identify you :)