Dogpatch Labs

Yesterday, we welcomed Stripe Co-Founder John Collison to Dogpatch Labs, he shared openly about his founder journey, home truths behind startup success, sage advice on company building, and thoughts on navigating through a changing tech landscape. When asked about his evolution from a hands-on founder to the leader of a large organisation, he emphasised the importance of customer centricity and a ‘boots-on-the-ground’ mindset, especially in the early days of a startup. “Listen to your users. Be hands-on as much as possible. Invite honest feedback, and avoid denial. Then you’ll build something people actually want.” Collison noted that the commonality of super-successful tech giants is an obsession with customers.  "Let the market teach you things. Build, pivot, scale.” John talked about how distraction with the next product and internationalisation is the enemy of early-stage startup founders, saying, “Nail the core product. Don’t obsess over the “Act II” product. Keep the main thing the main thing.” What was your key takeaway as an entrepreneur? Tell us in the comments below 👇 #Leadership #Innovation #TechFounders #Stripe #DogpatchLabs #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #FiresideChat #ScalingUp #TechCommunity

Exciting times for Iarnród Éireann as we prepare for our inaugural Corporate Innovation Programme starting on 16th September. The Future Track Programme is a new collaboration between Iarnród Éireann and Dogpatch Labs that uses a startup approach to transform rail transportation in Ireland. Over a 12 week period, Iarnród Éireann colleagues will be immersed into an entrepreneurial community and get to work like startups. Participants will be mentored by entrepreneurs, business leaders and internal Iarnród Eireann experts. Read more about Future Track Iarnród Éireann's Innovation Programme at dogpatchlabs.com/ https://lnkd.in/ePHAKksr Thank you to the incredible team at Dogpatch Labs supporting us in delivering our programme Patrick Walsh, David Power, Elizabeth Fingleton, Jonathan Blayney, Róisín Murphy, Ashley Shak, Eoghan O'Flaherty, Reebu Cherian

It’s Startup of the Week status for our community member Gclinics, featuring in tech media Silicon Republic this week for her biotech startup. From clinical genetics serving rural India, to collaborations with World Health Organization, to founding Gclinics, scientist and genetic engineer Auindrila Das is on a mission to make genetic testing accessible for all. Auindrila was recently selected to become an FCAT Fellow by Dogpatch innovation partner Fidelity Center for Applied Technology®(FCAT), where she’s learning from top experts, and accessing a global network to scale her startup worldwide right here in our space. Read Auindrila’s interview below. Link in the comments section

Want to kickstart your career in an environment where tech startups meet corporate innovation? We’re hiring for an #Innovation Ops Associate at Dogpatch Labs to join our Innovation Team. Perks of the job? - Get into the nitty-gritty of running accelerators and incubators. - Play a supporting role in impactful projects in sustainability, transport, social responsibility, energy and more. - Shape and collaborate innovation ecosystem events (which you’ll get priority access to). You'll also have the unique opportunity to work face-to-face with some of Ireland's leading corporates, including ESB, Fidelity Investments, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, Kerry, Coillte, and more. Plus, you’ll join a powerhouse team at Dogpatch, who can mentor, connect, and help you grow in this thriving tech ecosystem. If you're passionate about innovation and have a knack for operations we want to hear from you! Apply now: 👉 https://lnkd.in/edUrsQY5 #Innovation #Hiring #Operations #DogpatchLabs #Careers

Thanks to John Collison for stopping by this week to meet with young builders, founders and have a fireside chat. It was amazing to hear about Stripe’s story from startup to global powerhouse that processed $1 trillion or 1% of global GDP last year. Some takeaways - Customer Obsession: "Listen to your users, be hands-on, invite honest feedback, and avoid denial. Then you'll build something people truly want." One of the ways Stripe lives this user-first principle by bringing a customer into their company-wide all-hands meeting every single week, even to this day. Act with Immediacy and Do Things That Don’t Scale: In the early days, John and Patrick would personally visit customers to install Stripe rather than simply sending a link—a tactic other founders now call a ‘Collision Installation.’ This approach allowed them to address user pain points in real-time and gain valuable insights on how to iterate the early versions of the product. Maintain a Product Focus: "People often become overly obsessed with finding the 'Act II' product, rather than perfecting the core offering." While expanding into new products can make sense at a certain stage, doing so too early is a common pitfall for many startups. Value Non-Traditional Talent: In the early days, Stripe discovered exceptional talent through unconventional channels, focusing on misfits and doers without polished CVs—some of their best hires were early users of their product. And so much more. Including fixing the bollard situation in Dublin! But you kind of had to be there for that one. Turns out John is pretty funny too. 😂

Another amazing opportunity at Dogpatch Labs! Being able to connect with industry leaders like John Collison is truly mind-blowing 🤯

Building the next generation of young tech entrepreneurs is a key part of what we do at Dogpatch. Patch is a perfect example of this. One week ago today, 36 young builders were gearing up for what was to be the largest Patch Showcase to date. From robot dogs, to biodiversity infringement, to an AI-generated escape room, the projects emerging from the Patch youth accelerator this summer knew no bounds. Six weeks of hacking and building, learning from founders who’s “been there done that” including CoderDojo’s James Whelton, FoodCloud’s Iseult Ward, Intercom’s Des Traynor, plus a host of more star-studded lineup. 11 Patchers pitched to an audience filled with the startup ecosystem’s finest, who packed Dogpatch’s Urban Garden to get a first glimpse at this next generation of entrepreneurs and builders. Missed the Showcase? Our blog tells the full story: https://lnkd.in/eeXeEUUd If you’re a young person bursting with entrepreneurial spirit, or know someone who fits the bill, tell them all about Patch Youth Accelerator: https://lnkd.in/e2vP3ZPy

TECH MEETUP incoming: With a growing demand for experts in blockchain, decentralised applications, and crypto, it’s no wonder #Web3 talent is a hot commodity. Find out how you can keep ahead of the curve to attract and grow those scarce skilled Web3 developers at our upcoming tech meetup in Dogpatch this September 11th. Part of the Blockchain Ireland #Startups + Web3 series, supported by our innovation partner Fidelity Center for Applied Technology®(FCAT). JUST ANNOUNCED: Pete Townsend will be speaking on the night. Full speaker line-up will be announced later this week Registration link in the comments below

Time's running out⌛️ Today is your last day to join TechIreland's National AI Challenge, running Fri 23 - Fri 30 August. Spots are filled for Dogpatch tickets, but there are a few places left in hubs across the country. Get involved in the #AI 'Here for Good' movement ⤵️

Inspired by running the national sustainability #2050Accelerator, and Ireland’s first Founders Talent Accelerator at Dogpatch, our former Dogpatch team member Emily O' Gorman has now launched her own startup Reportd, becoming one of many ‘Dogpatcher-turned-founders’. Emily first explored her idea for a tool to anonymously report sexual harassment at an NDRC Founder Weekend in Dogpatch, where she received advice on developing her platform, pitched the idea to a live audience, and secured interest in the social impact startup. This week, Emily was named ‘Startup of the Week’ by Silicon Republic. Read the full interview with Reportd’s founder in the comments below.