This is my third year going to SXSW. This year I am staying through music, which means I have a long time to spend in Austin.

So what am I to do?

Tattoos and BBQ.

Its what SXSW is all about.

And, since there will be plenty of guides to BBQ, let me hand down a bit of tattoo wisdom. Especially if you are planning on getting your first tattoo during SXSW.

The Rules of Your First Tattoo:

1) Whether you are getting a shamrock on your ankle or an intricate custom piece across your back, allot yourself 4 hours for the first sitting.

2) If its going to be highly custom, be ready for two appointments. The first is about the drawing and the art, the second is to actually get tattoo’d.

3) If the piece is big, you might not get it done in a single sitting. You might actually not get it done during SXSW, so dont feel bad if your tattoo is 1/2 done by the time you leave.

It is a general rule that one tattoo artist will not finish another’s tattoo. So, if you are planning something big, also plan another trip to Austin.’

4) Dont get tattoo’d drunk. Beside the stupid decision you will probably make in design selection, your blood will be thin, you will bleed like crazy, and it will be both difficult to care for the tattoo, and the likelihood of mistakes grows.

5) Dont just go to a shop with you friends. Do some research. There are a few shops in Austin that are well known. Ive been tattoo’d at Southside Tattoo, and its a great shop. Golden Apple is supposed to be great, as is Diablo Rojo and True Blue. Do your research.

6) Trust your artist. If s/he says that the tattoo you want needs to be bigger, or will look like a snot rocket on your skin, listen.

7) If its your first tattoo, go with someone who has tattoos that you like. If the only tattoo they have is a yin-yang on their lower back, they are probably not a good choice.  Even if their tattoos are badly designed, look like crap and are cliche images, at least they have been through the process and can give you an idea of what to expect.

8) Tattoo artists are like barbers. They gossip, argue and chat all day long. The only difference is often the death metal being blasted over the speakers. Engage in conversation, become friendly and connected to your artist. The design will be better as will the final product.

9) Make sure to care for your tattoo. There is nothing worse that spending $500 on a tattoo only to see it get ruined because you decided to go on a three day partying binge. Not that I would know anything about that. But, care for your tattoo.

10) Read number 9 carefully. Wash the tattoo several times over the first few days. Get some A&D ointment. Carry it with you. At SXSW, you will find that the tattoo will get dirty fast, especially if you go to the over-packed parties. Here is a great collection of post-tattoo care information.

The golden rule of tattoos: You are getting it for you. If you like it, and its something you are comfortable with having for the rest of your life, then get it. If you have any doubts or you feel pressured into doing it, dont.

I cant wait for SXSW10. Im staying through music and am super excited.

If you are going to be at SXSW, and want to get in touch, just text “micah” to 50500 or use the new contxts iphone app!

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This is not a post on location based services such as Foursquare, Gowalla or location platforms like SimpleGeo. I will leave that up to the experts.

Just want to make sure that you have a chance to bail out early. After all, we all have places to go check into.

The last four startups I have been involved with (including the two I helped found) have been in the state of Colorado. It seems that over the years, I have gone from being slightly ashamed of the fact that my startups werent in New York or the San Francisco Bay Area to being proud of where I currently hang my hat.

I have gotten to the point where the simple suggestion that location matters to the growth of a startup makes me bristle.

Thats right. Location has little to do with the success (or failure) of a startup.

1) What about access to capital?

Most venture firms will invest anywhere. Does that mean if you live in Billings, Montana building an amazing startup that a coastal VC will find you? If you are building interesting technology, and its visible (remember people dont check the physical location of a company prior to using their web services), investors will come knocking.

Do you just have to wait around for investment? Just like anyone, you need to spend time meeting with potential investors, regardless of their physical location. When raising money for Graphic.ly, I had meetings with firms and angels from Boston, LA, NY, SF, London, Boulder and Houston.

Build something interesting and people will be interested. Meet with interesting people and they will be interested.

2) What about access to potential clients and partners?

Living on the coasts definitely helps in this regard. You can run into a potential partner in a coffee shop, or quickly set up a dinner meeting. But, on the flip side, given the heavy workload that a startup piles on, you stop looking for deals that are hard. And sometimes, traveling across the country is hard.

Applying a global/domestic view of potential partnerships removes the benefit of location.

3) What about access to talent?

Good people live everywhere. Telecommuting works. Yes, its great to have an office full of rockstars, and rockstars work for rockstars. Doesnt matter where the gig is located.

4) What about work/life balance?

Ask someone else. My life is balanced squarely on the work side. By choice.

5) Cost of living?

Ramen costs the same everywhere.

6) Um…what about…um…yeah.

Exactly. Todays world removes location as a indicator of the potential success of a company. It heightens the requirement that the founders and employees are truly excellent. In fact, great people can overcome mediocre technology. Location has ceased to be important.

If you want to live in NYC, or Boulder, Austin or LA, do it because you want to. Do it because it puts you in the right frame of mind to be excellent.

Perhaps I can make it a bit more plain: run your fucking company. Stop worrying if you are missing out because you are in Boston or NYC or SF or Boulder.

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Yesterday, I was on the phone with a really interesting cat. Young guy, he and some friends had built a really smart series of summits and conferences as a way to get young entrepreneurs together with people from all kinds of industries to create connection and opportunity.

“Its about dream fulfillment,” he said. “Its about connecting people with ideas. Its about creating opportunities where they didnt exist.”

Then he said, “its about connecting people that would be friends even if they had nothing to offer each other.”

And for some reason, that concept percolated in my brain for the past day.

When I go to a networking event, I look for people that I would love to spend time with regardless of what they could offer me professionally. Obviously, there is always a potential that my company will benefit from the relationship, but its not my primary goal.

My friend Brad Feld never takes a meeting over lunch or coffee. Want to meet with him? Get on his calendar and meet him at his office. His meetings usually last 30 minutes, and he can squeeze in tons of them over a week. The key to a meeting with Brad? Have a purpose. I imagine its the samewith any overly busy person, where they are primarily seen as someone who has something to give (venture funding).

I hate meeting Brad in his office. I hate meeting anyone in my office. But I understand the efficiency of the arrangement. I meet people for coffee, sometimes lunch, rarely dinner. I want to see how people are in an equal setting. One where we are mutually working towards a goal. They might be looking for advice, an introduction, the beginning of a strategic deal, whatever. Im usually looking to determine if an extended relationship makes sense. Are they someone I would do business with? Are they someone I would hang out with? Are they someone I would be willing to recommend to others?

At its basis, all business is relationships.

Does that mean I take less meetings because they tend not to be in my office? No. This week, I have 15 meeting requests that we are squeezing into my calendar. The ones I am most excited about are the ones with people that are both doing interesting things and two have a bit of knowledge about me (I drink tea, not coffee. I dont drink alcohol, so there are no meetings “over drinks”) or are interested in exploring interesting ideas. I think there are 4 this week.

I dont like people. We have established that, and I repeat that. I am trying to do a better job, by spending time with people as often as I can. But, I still cant get over the events where people look first at your name tag and then make a decision how much time they are probably going to spend with you. I cant deal with the events where your value is determined by whom you are talking to, hanging out with, etc. I refuse to wear name tags for that specific reason. Dont know me? Ask. Shake my hand. Ill take time with anyone who is willing to take some time with me.
I spend my life getting to know people. I love the connections I make, especially the ones that grow into real relationships. I can honestly say that I can go to almost any city in the US and spend quality time with someone. That, to me, is an accomplishment to be proud of.

At its basis, life is about relationships.

We cant live in a bubble away from other people. As much as we like to put on headphones and tune out the world. Or sit at home with our pets and watch random teen angst comedies like Bring It On (ok, maybe thats just me), the world is made up of people. We live more solid lives connected to others. We learn, love and grow because of the people that we allow ourselves to connect to.

Life is about connecting to people that would be friends, even if they had nothing to offer professionally. Life is about giving without expectation, qualification or condition. Life is about the other people that fill it.

I guess after that polly-anna statement, I need to adjust my “I hate people” stance. I hate people that care selfishly. I hate people that worry more about what they are getting than what they are providing. I hate people that dont accept that they are part of something larger and work towards making that something larger something greater.

At its basis, people are relationships.

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