When I moved to San Francisco, I was immediately struck by the energy of the startup ecosystem. But I also noticed something: while there were plenty of networking events, there weren't enough spaces for founders to actually show what they were building.
The Inspiration
The concept was simple: create a monthly event where early-stage startups could demo their products to a room full of potential users, investors, and fellow founders. No pitch decks, no lengthy presentations – just live demos and real conversations about the problems being solved.
I'd attended similar events in other cities, but San Francisco had something special. The concentration of talent, capital, and ambition here is unlike anywhere else in the world.
Building from Zero
Starting a community event from scratch in SF is both easier and harder than you might think. Easier because there's no shortage of interested people – harder because there's also no shortage of competing events for their attention.
So what was the format? We settled on 5-minute demos followed by 2 minutes of Q&A, with 30 minutes of networking before and after. The key was keeping things moving – attention spans are short, and we wanted to showcase as many startups as possible.
The Magic of Live Demos
What made our event special was the emphasis on live demos. No slides, no mock-ups – founders had to show their actual product working in real-time. This created an authenticity that you don‘t get from traditional pitch events.
Watching a founder nervously click through their app, or seeing a hardware prototype sputter to life, created moments of genuine connection. Attendees weren't just passive observers; they were engaged participants in the journey of each startup.
Community Building Lessons
Organizing SF Demo Night taught me several key lessons about community building:
- Consistency is everything: People need to know when and where to find you
- Quality over quantity: Better to have 50 engaged attendees than 200 distracted ones
- Give before you get: Focus on providing value to the community first
- Embrace the unexpected: The best moments often happen when things don't go as planned
Becoming a Founding Member of The AI Collective
Being part of The AI Collective's founding team has been incredible. We're working to create the definitive community for AI entrepreneurs, researchers, and enthusiasts. The lessons I learned from organizing Demo Night – about creating authentic connections and providing real value – are directly applicable to this larger mission.
The Ripple Effect
What started as a simple idea to showcase startups has grown into something much bigger. These events had over 200 companies demo, with several going on to raise significant funding. More importantly, we've facilitated countless connections between founders, early employees, advisors, and investors.
The event has also inspired similar demo nights in other cities. Founders who moved away from SF have reached out asking for advice on starting their own versions. There's something deeply satisfying about knowing that a simple idea has sparked community building efforts across the country.
Looking Back and Forward
Organizing SF Demo Night has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entrepreneurial journey. It taught me that sometimes the best way to build your own network is to build something valuable for everyone else first.
As I continue building RoryPlans and contributing to The AI Collective, I carry these lessons with me. Community building isn't just about bringing people together – it's about creating environments where meaningful connections and collaborations can flourish.
If you're thinking about starting your own community event, my advice is simple: start small, stay consistent, and always focus on providing genuine value to your attendees. The rest will follow naturally.