A Different Type of March Madness

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament starts a week from today (OK, OK, it really starts March 18 with the so-called play-in games but the real fun starts March 20).

Everyone will start making their bracket picks Sunday night, after the Selection Sunday show realizes how the 68 teams are seeded. Some people, like Shelby Mast, have been doing bracket projections for many months (after doing many weekly updates, Mast started daily updates in January).

Of course, there are even contests—including the new one this year that boasts $1 billion as a prize—for picking the correct brackets. But let’s face it. Most people’s brackets will be busted by 10 p.m. March 20. They’ll slog on watching the upsets and buzzer-beaters for three weekends straight. But there is a more productive way to spend your time this March, at least if you’re an entrepreneur. Sign up for, prep for and then participate in New Jersey Startup Weekend March 28-30. The event is organized by staff from Juice Tank and the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship at Fairleigh Dickinson University, plus Zion Kim and Peter Chmiel.

Here is a description from the event’s website:

“All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams organically form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and then it’s a 54 hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekends culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback. Whether entrepreneurs found companies, find a cofounder, meet someone new, or learn a skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups.”

These events are quite valuable for entrepreneurs, and a lot of fun. Check out the website newjersey.startupweekend.org for more details and info on how to register.

It’s a much better bet than trying to win $1 billion in a brackets challenge.