If you are new to Austin tech, or you have been here a while but you are not plugged in, you have the same challenge. There is a lot happening, and it can feel like everyone else already has their circle.
They do not.
Austin’s tech ecosystem is not a club, it is a community. Communities are not built by watching, they are built by showing up. The good news is that getting started is simple. Pick a lane, meet a few people, then keep coming back.
How to get started in Austin tech
1) Decide what you want out of the community
Before you join anything, get clear on your reason.
-
Are you building a company
-
Are you looking for a job or hiring
-
Are you learning a craft like product, security, or Agile
-
Are you trying to meet peers at your level
-
Are you trying to give back and mentor others
Your “why” will tell you where to start.
2) Pick two groups and attend two events
Most people dabble. The people who thrive pick two places, go twice, and introduce themselves to five people each time. Familiarity is a superpower in a city built on relationships.
3) Volunteer in a small way
Join a committee, help at a check in table, make an introduction, write a recap post, sponsor a meetup, offer a room for a gathering. Austin rewards doers.
4) Become a connector, not a collector
Instead of asking, “What can I get out of this,” ask, “Who can I help.” That is how you build a reputation fast, and the Austin tech community runs on reputation.
Austin tech community organizations
These are broad, community wide groups that connect leaders across sectors, stages, and specialties.
-
The Austin Forum
-
Austin Women in Technology
-
The Austin Chamber
-
Opportunity Austin
- The Rice Alliance
-
Station Austin
Dont see your non profit 501c3 or 501c6 group, let us know and we can add you
Practitioner groups and professional associations
Here is the term you were looking for. These are practitioner groups and professional associations, meaning they are communities built around a craft, a discipline, or a shared way of working.
-
Agile Austin
-
PMI Austin
-
Open Austin
Dont see your non profit 501c3 or 501c6 group, let us know and we can add you
The real secret
You do not need to meet everyone. You just need to meet a few people who become your anchors, and then keep building from there. The Austin tech ecosystem is full of smart, welcoming humans. The door is open.
Show up, introduce yourself, come back. That is how you get started.