Jens Ingelstedt
Founder & CEO @ BuilderBase
Timeline
10+ years running innovation projects -> Organized 200+ hackathons and 25+ accelerators -> Struggled to find a proper event management system -> Built BuilderBase to solve his own problem -> Launched BuilderBase as the infrastructure for builder events
"The infrastructure layer for builder events, built on learnings from 500+ builder events with OpenAI, Anthropic, ElevenLabs, and more."
Startup Description BuilderBase is the infrastructure layer for builder events, built on learnings from 500+ builder events with for ex OpenAI, Anthropic, ElevenLabs, UNICEF, and more.
Founder Journey After 10+ years running innovation projects, 200+ hackathons and 25+ accelerator programs for Meta, Google, Techstars, and SoftBank to name a few, I kept trying to buy a proper system to manage these events. Nothing existed. Everyone was stitching together spreadsheets, Notion, Luma, and Discord. So I built the tool I had been trying to buy for years. BuilderBase is the infrastructure layer for builder events, built on learnings from 500+ builder events.
Biggest Challenge Faced You always have a small team, a small budget, and limited time, but high ambitions for output. The hardest part was going from running events inside other companies and building "embryos" of the product for years to actually making the leap and building the real thing. And then once you launch, the challenge shifts to distribution: you have maybe a one-year window to become the known infrastructure before others catch up.
Advice for Young Builders It's all about moving faster. The difference between someone who really uses new tools to the fullest and someone who doesn't is getting wider every day. The notion that anyone from anywhere can do anything is now real. Roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and produce something tangible. Don't just consume, build. And stay close to the action, close to top talent, because that's where the best opportunities come from.
Timeline
10+ years running innovation projects -> Organized 200+ hackathons and 25+ accelerators -> Struggled to find a proper event management system -> Built BuilderBase to solve his own problem -> Launched BuilderBase as the infrastructure for builder events
Top Advice
It's all about moving faster. Roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and produce something tangible. Don't just consume, build. Stay close to the action and top talent.
Wish I Knew Earlier
The hardest part is making the leap from building 'embryos' to building the real thing. Once launched, you have a short window to master distribution before others catch up.