This weekend I am judging at Startup Weekend Sydney. There are more than 120 people here and the atmosphere is electric. We have just done recruitment pitching and I have left the teams for a sleepless weekend building something new.

Recently it has become clear to me that ‘startup’ is the new way to innovate and tonight was more evidence. It was packed. There were people from Asia and people from all over Australia. This was more than the local startup community I have grown to know and love. More than this though. This room included more than 20-something men in Threadless t-shirts. Men and women. Young and old. Biophysicists and fork-lift truck drivers. It was also clear that this has become more than a social opportunity for geeks. There were people here with the clear intent to find a team and start a business.

It was quite inspiring.