The Power of Community-Driven Innovation

Flashback! The Microsoft-SF New Tech Alliance: A Masterclass in Merging Grassroots Enthusiasm with Corporate Vision

This is the story of an unexpected alliance between a tech giant and a grassroots event series, a journey that spanned cities, redefined partnerships, and showcased the power of collaboration in the world of innovation.

“You have an awesome thing going on and it’s great to have been a teeny part of it. Let me know what we could do to keep supporting you.” —- Leonardo, Community Evangelist, Microsoft

Act I?—?The Unlikely Proposition

The year was 2012. In the heart of San Francisco’s thriving startup scene, I was leading SF New Tech ?—?an intimate platform championing the next wave of tech innovators. Then one day, an unexpected call came through from a representative at Hotmail, Microsoft’s email service. They were interested in sponsoring my grassroots SFNT showcases. My initial reaction? Hard pass. Microsoft seemed like a clunky corporate misfit for SFNT’s scrappy, community-driven events.

But Leonardo, Microsoft’s gregarious and tenacious Community Evangelist, was not deterred. Over countless coffees, drinks, and impromptu hangouts with his startup teams, he immersed himself in understanding SFNT’s local community and culture. Despite our differing approaches, Leonardo saw we shared an underlying ambition?—?to empower pioneers.

And so, an unlikely partnership was set in motion. The first milestone was Hotmail signing on to sponsor 10 of my signature SFNT demo nights. In return, we diligently provided premium branding, messaging slots, and stage time for Hotmail to showcase products to my discerning crowd of developers and early adopters.

Over those early events I got to know Marco, an enthusiastic Microsoft engineer who represented them and held court at their branded table in the corner of Mighty, our SF venue. Marco always went above and beyond. At one event, he brought his bulldog Daisy dressed in Outlook swag?—?she became the unofficial SFNT mascot!

But the real game-changer was on the horizon. Shortly after, Microsoft decided to unveil a complete rebrand from Hotmail to Outlook.com . They envisioned making a splash by debuting it to my captive audience of skeptical San Francisco developers. After total stealth mode planning, we found ourselves in the vortex of lavish standing room only launch rooftop event. Picture free-flowing drinks, live music performances, and even up-and-coming band The Lumineers as the headliner!

For weeks, we collaborated in utmost secrecy, strategically revealing Microsoft’s involvement only at the climactic moment at the event when even the staunchest critics were spellbound. It was hard for Matthew M. G. , our partner in crime, from dancing the night away!

Post-event, Clara from Microsoft’s Community Building team was effusive with praise. “Your creative brand integrations exceeded our wildest expectations. This could be an excellent model for our future external partnerships and activations. My team was blown away,” she remarked.

The sentiment was clear?—?together, we had given Microsoft a fresh, edgy presence in the discerning San Francisco tech world.

Act II?—?Expanding Horizons with The New Tech Tour

As our partnership grew, inevitable challenges arose. Microsoft craved deeper insights about SFNT’s coveted audience. Meanwhile, I was wary of any moves that could dilute the community’s intimate, human-centric essence. But Clara, ever the diplomat, had a thoughtful solution. “Let’s customize the event survey questions specifically for the SFNT community,” she proposed. Her nuanced approach was a masterstroke?—?fusing understanding of SFNT’s needs with Microsoft’s business goals. (Spoiler: SFNT attendees didn’t enjoy taking surveys from sponsors!)

Our camaraderie also deepened on a personal level. Our collaboration flourished across Microsoft’s vast product range?—?Hotmail, IE, SkyDrive, Outlook.com , and Xbox?—?and expanded into new geographies. “We couldn’t do this without you,” Clara once confided earnestly.

Our combined networks became force multipliers, mutually amplifying our impact and fortifying connections between entrepreneurs across the West Coast and beyond.

Then in early 2013, an ambitious vision began crystallizing in my mind?—?taking the SFNT model on the road to connect and strengthen ties between emerging startup communities across the entire country. I envisioned a high-octane, rock n’ roll-style “New Tech Tour” hitting multiple cities as a showcase on wheels to export SFNT’s vibrant ethos nationwide.

When I first pitched the blue-sky idea to Leonardo over tacos, he nearly choked on his beer. But then his imagination caught fire and he embraced the concept with his characteristic larger-than-life gusto. We started dreaming of a second leg before we even nailed the details for our first leg! He chimed in with some valid concerns?—?”I’m all for round two, but let’s walk before we run!” We compromised by starting with a limited 3-city tour to prove the concept.

For months, I held countless calls with enthusiastic venues, partners, and promoters in each Tour market while also brainstorming with Leonardo on how to best translate SFNT’s participatory magic remotely. “The Tour is designed to recreate SFNT’s signature inclusive, energetic ‘vibe’?—?fun, non-threatening, and easily-accessible for any wide-eyed soul interested in new tech,” I explained to Clara.

In April 2013, along with my co-pilot, Greg Viloria -San, who documented the entire journey, we hit the road and one-way’d it to San Diego on Southwest and the maiden voyage of the New Tech Tour finally kicked off.

Our first stop: under the neon lights of The Belly Up, a legendary San Diego-area music hall and staple in the city’s arts scene.

As expected, the atmosphere was electric right from the start. Attendance exceeded even my most optimistic projections as local founders demoed their latest innovations while mingling with local techies as well as a gaggle of visiting SFNT regulars. The buzz in the room was palpable?—?this Tour concept clearly had immense potential to strengthen connections coast-to-coast.

At the bar, I overheard someone say, “Why did it take a guy from San Francisco to come down here to shine a light in all our local tech talent?” and it made my night. And seeing SF New Tech posted up on the famous marquee of the Belly Up was the absolute best!

Our next stops at Salt Lake City’s chic The State Room venue and downtown Las Vegas’ futuristic Innevation Center incubator also attracted highly engaged crowds, eager to put their communities on the innovation map and soak up SFNT’s grand slam approach.

But not every Tour date went off without a hitch?—?when cranky A/V equipment glitched right before demo time in Salt Lake, we scrambled like madmen behind the scenes to resolve the situation and avoid a mini-revolt. It was trial by fire, but we survived just in the nick of time.

Most rewarding was the thrill of facilitating these new connections first-hand and seeing the Tour catalyze local momentum. While the initial kinks took some work to smooth out, the New Tech Tour’s potential to strengthen the nationwide startup ecosystem was infinite.

Come Tour’s finale in Vegas, we were absolutely exhausted but also energized by the ripples created and the wide-open possibilities still ahead. What started as a wild-eyed vision had become an undeniably promising reality.

In the end, the inaugural New Tech Tour taught us volumes about expanding ambitiously but also strategically. It reaffirmed that the broader tech community, though fragmented geographically, yearns to engage beyond their regional bubbles and learn from one another.

After returning home completely depleted, Leonardo and I booked a long lunch to review the Tour’s ups and downs and distill key lessons learned. Each obstacle provided hard-won insights to help thoughtfully scale and maximize impact.

Act III?—?Partnership Yields Synergy

Our journey with Microsoft, from initial wariness to profound alliance, taught me volumes about dismissing assumptions and seeking shared purpose. Despite mismatched styles, beneath the surface we were united by a passion for community and empowering innovators. Once united by common cause, our distinctive strengths became complementary?—?yin and yang propelling us both forward.

As the holiday season of 2013 approached, Microsoft came on board to sponsor SFNT’s upcoming holiday party alongside MacWorld/i World, always our most elaborate event of the year. We planned an “Old SF, New Tech” motif befitting of San Francisco’s storied past.

Microsoft eagerly signed on to support the glitzy soiree which would unfold at one of the city’s oldest pubs, known for its lively happy hours.

On the big night, Microsoft provided co-branded step-and-repeat backdrops for photo ops along with giveaways like SkyDrive storage cards and an Xbox One raffle to help promote their products. To fuel the speakeasy ambiance, we secured bottomless oysters and swung to retro jazz tunes.

Folks from SFNT and Microsoft mingled amiably in their finest prohibition-era garb. “Though our roles differed, our shared enthusiasm united us,” I remarked to Clara amidst the convivial atmosphere.

On this festive eve, tribal lines blurred under strings of pearls and fedoras. Microsoft’s sponsorship helped create a memorable bash bringing together SFNT and the local tech community we cherished.

Navigating the delicate dance of maintaining integrity amidst outside pressures, however, required practice. True collaboration is not transactional but transformational. When two entities commit to shared objectives and values while also caring for each other’s success, bonds transcending business are forged. Partners become stewards in each other’s journeys.

To all those out there wondering whether to take a leap with an unlikely ally, remember: progress takes patient persistence. But with open minds and hearts, unexpected synergies await. The future we’ve imagined is ours to shape?—?together.

Our relationship lasted over two years and it was magical. If only SFNT’s passionate legion had embraced Microsoft’s surveys with the same fervor they showed at our events, perhaps our New Tech Tour would still be lighting up cities across the nation. But as the curtain falls on this chapter, we’re left with memories, milestones, and the tantalizing thought of what could have been. ????

Disclaimer: For confidentiality reasons, certain names in this article have been changed.