Here is a look at one of the many success stories out of Startup Weekend KC: 

This past April at KCSW’s 5^th event, Divshot was created. The team at Divshot took their product from KCSW, improved it, and hit the road to Los Angeles this past July. 

Divshot competed with more than 600 startups and won CROWDSTART LA. The team recently moved their operation to a startup accelerator in Santa Monica, CA. 

We spoke with Jake, cofounder of Divshot, about the startup and his experience at KCSW.

What is Divshot?

Divshot is a rapid prototyping tool and interface builder for HTML5 web applications. It combines the simple interface of drag-and-drop mockup tools with the disciplined precision of professionally coded HTML and CSS to create a tool that can be used by everyone from developers to project managers.

What has happened with Divshot since KCSW?

Earlier this summer we redesigned Divshot with a new logo and interface. This month we’re relocating from Kansas City to Santa Monica, California and joining a startup accelerator in Los Angeles. Since announcing Divshot back in April we’ve amassed thousands of beta signups from around the world.

Describe your experience at KCSW in three words.

Intense, Exciting, Epic!

Are you still working with folks you met at KCSW?

Yes, I participated in Kansas City’s first Startup Weekend in 2009 and at the very last moment I got a free ticket to KCSW April 2012 because they desperately needed more designers!

I met my cofounder, Michael, along with his brother at KCSW 2012. Based on our teamwork, performance and goals we knew for certain Divshot was going beyond Startup Weekend.

What advice do you have for folks who will be participating in Startup Weekend for the first time?

Choose your team wisely. Join a small team with a good idea. Join a team that can use your skills and abilities to the fullest extent possible. Stay loyal to that team for the entire weekend. Use the team selection time to figure out if you’ll mesh well with the other people in the group. Figure out their goals and intentions. Make sure they align with yours.

Make the most of it. Do your very best work. Stay up late and push yourself. Learn new things. People will recognize your efforts which will lead to new opportunities after Startup Weekend. Winning the competition is a bonus. Continuing to work on something you love with talented, ambitious people is the greatest reward.

Awesome work, Divshot! Congratulations on your success so far! Your story is what startup weekend is all about. KCSW’s next event is Nov. 16th. If you want in on this intense, exciting, epic weekend JOIN US!