MIT delta v 2019 (Full Livestream)

Every year at this time, I get this extreme exhilaration as well as a big knot in my stomach. Why? delta v Demo Day.

delta v is our capstone program at MIT for the best of the best student entrepreneurs, the most committed, the ones that made the most progress during the school year. We take a subset of them, about 100 participants, at MIT and in NYC at our Startup Studio and push them to the max to help they achieve “escape velocity”. We give them space, stipends (in exchange for their commitment to work full time), structure and status. (For a fuller description of the program go here.)

We throw all our resources at them to make them the best entrepreneurs they can be … and it is VERY intense for three months. At the end of that time period, for their graduation, if they achieve sufficient progress, they are invited to present to the MIT student body in the largest auditorium on campus to great fanfare. In addition to the full auditorium and overflow crowd getting the proceedings beamed in next door (over 1,500 people in total on-site), there is an equal number watching via live stream, this year from 10 different countries. It is an amazing production effort which has hundreds of different failure points. When done right, it is magnificent, but there it is an entrepreneurial endeavor so there are lots of new things and it could clearly go very visibly wrong if one thing were to go wrong.

Still, every year, the team led by Trust Center Executive Director Trish Cotter and Tommy Long (head of operations) blows people’s minds with how well it goes. This year, there were 24 teams in the program, 17 at MIT and 7 in NYC, and 23 made it to the finish line which is an outstanding accomplishment. Building a new company is a very intense experience and you need a team with strong relationships and commitments. Just like in real life, such stress can break relationships and teams which is very normal and does not reflect poorly on anyone. In fact, it means they are being honest.

After last year’s extraordinary delta v 2018 Demo Day, we were so proud but we immediately had to worry about how we could meet the new standard we had set. That is the knot in my stomach. An uncomfortable challenge is actually a good thing and that is what we had. This was no “gimme” or easy task in front of us. I am proud to report that not only did Trish and her team meet the challenge, they exceeded the challenge! The teams’ presentations were amazing and the logistics were flawless. The students were inspired so we now have our next cohort starting and the logistics were flawless.

You don’t have to take my word for it, you can see it for yourself and see what the best of the best of MIT student entrepreneurship looks like in this full uncut livestream:

Once cut, the team videos will be available (probably by Sept 10 th ) directly here.

To say I am proud and excited by what the Trust Center team pulled off and how the student teams performed would be an understatement. The levels of dopamine in my blood from this event are at unsafe levels. I feel like Chris Farley in this video.: ​ Still, I have a knot in my stomach as well about how we are going to top this next year.

Oh well, we need to get back to work on that for next year, starting now…