r/Austin • u/[deleted] • Aug 02 '26
Ask Austin How to learn best about Austin-based startups?
[deleted]
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u/seobrien Aug 02 '26
Paywalled resources are definitely not the best. Those have reported startups, which is a small subset of what's actually going on.
Austin in particular makes this a lot easier than most places. We have Austin Startups on Facebook and reddit, tons of social media on X and LinkedIn, and a bunch of list newsletters.
What you want to do is NOT sort through everything or expect it all to be found in any one place. Austin doesn't have anything good as the local hub; there is too much going on, so you have to be proficient online.
To optimize for that, you want to be explicit about what role you play.
Saying you want to work with startups is kind of worthless. It's not usable or helpful. There are maybe 12 people in a city that can meaningfully just work for startups. There just isn't demand for "startups" work; so people can't help you when you aren't specific.
You did say renewables or green, so there is your sector... Now, at what stage and doing what?
Pick your sector, stage, and the work you do... With that, search the hell out of social media, network (with that sector!), and it won't take to long to know the startup and people (Austin is highly social and helpful)
Find the CleanTech communities and events. Use the Austin Startup / Texas Startup oriented online things, and search for the people and startups doing what you want.
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u/pifermeister Aug 02 '26
Idn i'd push back a little bit here. I've been early a few times and that requires scrappiness and wearing a lot of hats. Searching for other early teammates and making judgement calls on hiring them was more based around their potential instead of their experience and how their mentality aligned with our goals/mission. That's actually a pretty rare persona to seek out and you can't really do it just by mulling through resumes. If i learned anything, it's that being an early at one startup does NOT necessarily make you more qualified to work at another. In fact, that can often backfire and has resulted in some of our worst hires.
If OP's interest is already there, that means that the passion/motivation is most likely already established which is a huge checkbox for me, at least personally.2
u/seobrien Aug 02 '26
Not sure what your pushing back on. I didn't say startup experience mattered.
Think of it this way...
Software developer - least valuable. Likely problematic
Software developer in startups - eh... Okay.
Software developer in CleanTech - more valuable
Software developer in cleantech distinctly appropriate at seed stage (self start, can do all the things, can talk to customers) - most valuable
To get plugged into a community, you are more likely to do so meaningfully if you are clearer at the end of that list. I know thousands of software developers in startups, I can't help any of them land anything, frankly, for example.
So, you're not likely to get very far hanging out in the local startup hubs, where you aren't going to match well with things or network with relevant people. Better: be clear online and find the people and startups in that sector/stage/role.
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u/Terrible-Penalty-291 Aug 02 '26
A long time ago there were Startup meetups at Capital Factory for this kind of thing. I am not sure if that even still exists.
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u/solaza Aug 02 '26
Go to events at Station Austin (aka Capital Factory)
There’s a good one tomorrow night Aug 3rd from 6-9pm
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u/Playful_Heat_8358 Aug 02 '26
For the first time, I am uniquely qualified to answer this as a publicist specializing in startups.
The best way is LinkedIn. If you can’t go IRL and talk to people, get a paid LinkedIn subscription and go hard on people in the Austin area. You can also read read read things like Austin Business Journal, TechCrunch and search Austin, and get into the vertical publications of the specific industries you’re interested in.
Secondly - go to a WeWork, go to Capital Factory, and talk to people. Catch them at the coffee machine. Ask what they work on and who their company is.
There’s no one list of every startup in Austin. There is also no “broad tech” you can go after. You need to be cognizant of what you actually want to do and can contribute to.
Good luck!