On February 23rd and 24th we traveled to San Francisco for Launch Conference, an event that showcases new and existing startups and products. We headed to the event as part of the Launch Pad, an expo area where existing companies can demo their technology for anyone passing by. We weren’t eligible for the launch competition because our product had already launched several months earlier. Nevertheless, we ventured out West to meet people, make connections and get our product in front of more eyes. During the first day of Launch Conference we were overwhelmed by the number of people visiting our booth. We talked to a number of investors as well as folks from the other companies. Our conversations ranged from talking about running the Comrades Marathon in South Africa to 3D imaging technology suitable to scanning eyeglasses. We even spoke to one woman who was an actress and had been fitted by someone who worked with Paris Hilton. According to the woman, Paris Hilton has size 11 feet.

We hoped we would get selected by the judges during lunch to present on stage but we only talked to one judge and nobody ever came to get us. By the end of the day we were exhausted and needed rest. On the second day, we were determined to get Shoefitr in front of more judges so we got aggressive every time we saw one coming by. At the end of lunch, four judges had checked out Shoefitr and we were hopeful we would get pulled on stage to demo. According to the schedule, the judges were supposed to choose which companies would present on stage around 1:30, and then they would be notified. We waited and waited and never heard anything. At 3:30 we were exhausted and relaxing in some chairs enjoying the snacks the conference provided (the breakfast, lunch, and snacks at the conference were amazing and totally unexpected) when a woman from the staff walked past and asked if I was with Shoefitr. I said yes, and she said “you’re supposed to be on stage, they’re looking for you!” I grabbed my laptop and followed the woman backstage where all the Launch Pad companies were preparing to demo. After 20-30 minutes of watching other companies present, we took the stage and the rest is documented on the Launch Conference videos at Launch.is. Many thanks to Jason Calacanis, Jason Krute, Carolyn Bedgood, and the other staff for hosting a great event!

Nick and Breck at the booth