I Started The Startup Café on DEV. Here's the Idea Behind It.
I've just started a new organization on DEV called The Startup Café, and I wanted to share it here while it's still at the very beginning.
Here's the organization: https://dev.to/startupcafe
The idea came from something pretty simple: there's a lot to learn from people who are building things, even when they're working on completely different projects.
Some developers build things for clients. Some work on side projects after their day job. Some are trying to launch a SaaS, while others are still figuring out which idea is worth pursuing.
I've always found that side of building interesting. Not just seeing what someone has launched, but understanding why they started, what they're figuring out, and what they've learned along the way.
I'd like The Startup Café to be a place for those conversations.
What do I have in mind?
I don't want this to be just another place to drop a project link and move on.
I'd like people to share what they're working on, ask for feedback when they're stuck, write about things they've learned, and discover projects they might not have found otherwise.
Maybe you're building your first website. Maybe you're working on a SaaS and trying to find your first users. Maybe you've got an open-source project, or an idea you keep coming back to but haven't started yet.
All of those are worth talking about.
You don't need to have a successful startup or years of experience to take part. Sometimes the most interesting discussions come from people who are still working things out.
I'd also love to see people connect through the organization. You might find someone dealing with the same problem, discover a project you want to contribute to, or meet a developer who's interested in building something similar.
There's no guarantee of where those conversations will lead, but that's part of what makes a community interesting.
It's just getting started
I want to be clear that The Startup Café is brand new. I'm not introducing an established community with a big audience or claiming we've already built something huge.
I'm starting small, and I'd like the people who join to have a say in what this becomes.
What would make it useful? What kinds of posts would you like to see? Would you be interested in sharing your progress, getting feedback, finding collaborators, or learning from other people's experiences?
Those are the kinds of questions I'd like us to figure out together.
Interested in joining?
The Startup Café is a DEV.to organization, and that's where the community will come together.
You can visit the organization here:
I've also built a small website for it. If you'd like to join, you can visit the website to learn more and submit an application:
https://thestartupcafe.vercel.app
If this sounds like something you'd enjoy being part of, I'd be glad to have you check it out.
And even if you're not ready to join, I'd still appreciate hearing your thoughts.
So, what are you building these days?
It can be a startup, a side project, an open-source contribution, or just an idea you're considering. I'd love to hear what you're working on and where you are with it.
Let's start there.