Tech Ranch | Kevin Koym

Kevin and Tech Ranch Austin Partnering with Concordia University

November 4, 2016 by kkoym Leave a Comment

Kevin was featured in the Community Impact Newspaper for his work with Tech Ranch Austin and Concordia University in partnering to create the Incubator for Innovation & Impact.

“I am excited that the partnership with Concordia provides access to an untapped and fresh talent pool that can provide a new perspective not historically tied to the Austin startup community, creating a new opportunity for growth and impact,” Tech Ranch CEO Kevin Koym said in a news release.

This is a great opportunity for Kevin to collaborate with a new group of entrepreneurs to make the world a better place.

Co-Founder Meet Up Talk – Capital Factory Austin, TX

February 1, 2016 by kkoym Leave a Comment

KevinCapFac On January 19, 2016, Kevin spoke at the Co-Founder Meet-Up hosted at the Capitol Factory in downtown Austin, TX. You can see a video of the presentation on Kevin’s YouTube channel or read an edited version here.

“My name is Kevin Koym. I’m the founder of Tech Ranch. I like to have a really interactive style. We only have a few minutes to talk, so I’m going to try to be brief, but I want to challenge you to a couple different ideas.

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Lemons, meet lemonade

August 1, 2011 by kkoym Leave a Comment

One of the biggest issue that every entrepreneur must face is dealing with the “down” times… times when something (possibly) negative has happened, that distracts him/her from the key objective that they were focused on, to dealing with the unexpected.

The recent Tech Ranch Move, which was unexpected, is exactly that.

Yes, we had a year extension on our lease. We’d negotiated so that it was possible to keep our present location (which was not perfect for us by any means, because of many limitations) for at least a year longer. Then we were told that the group that we were subleasing from had their lease terminated.

It was “tragic” and “distracting” and many other words. It was ill timed. Not what I wanted to focus on. Yet now, on the eve of signing a new lease, I see it as a gift. Perhaps some greater consciousness (or whatever) telling me to “grow the Tech Ranch Austin” up. It was time.

The present location that we’re at was not working for the Tech Ranch Austin for quite a while. We’d have Campfires of 65 people that just did not work at our present location. The AC didn’t work good enough. Everyone was cramped. And it was a hard location to find.

But at this point, before I announce the new location, I can tell you, the process of being forced to focus on something that I really was not ready to focus on has been a net positive. We’re moving, and no matter which of the locations that we pick to move to, we’re going to be moving to a better place. A place that we’re going to be able to handle our mission so much better than before. Each location that is on the top 3 locations is massively better than where we’re at now. What’s so interesting is how blind to how much better it could be that I was.

So as I write this, I say “Lemons, meet lemonade”. Life’s lessons in entrepreneurship have taught me that “change” is not so simple as “good” or “bad”. I am thankful for the help that you’ve all given to me as I’ve looked to finding the next Ranch location. All I can say at this point is that I am excited, for it is looking very good.

It is through the community that the faithless have become the faithful. Thank you for your support! (and thanks for continuing to make our mission possible!)

Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule in 2010

January 3, 2010 by kkoym Leave a Comment

Looking back to 2009 many great things happened with the concepts that I’ve been calling the Enterprise Tribe, with the most exciting being Tech Ranch Austin. 2009 was all about transition, transitioning from a handful of theories to actual startup success at the Ranch. 2010, though, is about growth. That is, taking what we have to a whole new level. While reflecting on 2009 and 2010 with my buddy Damon Clinkscales about how I needed more time to just get stuff done, he pointed out “you need to switch more time to becoming a maker, not just a manager”. Spend more time making things, less time interrupted through out the day managing things. Paul Graham, of Ycombinator wrote a blog post about this- about how its hard to make things if you get interrupted through out the day with meeting after meeting or other interruption:

When you’re operating on the maker’s schedule, meetings are a disaster. A single meeting can blow a whole afternoon, by breaking it into two pieces each too small to do anything hard in. Plus you have to remember to go to the meeting. That’s no problem for someone on the manager’s schedule. There's always something coming on the next hour; the only question is what. But when someone on the maker’s schedule has a meeting, they have to think about it.

What’s happened for me is that as a Founding Partner of the Tech Ranch, I need time both as a Maker (getting things done for the Ranch and our portfolio companies) and a Manager (involved with the Tech Ranch community). Having those moments to work in without interruptions really makes a difference- say to review a spreadsheet, or respond to a strategic plan, or even to just handle email… As Paul points out:

Each type of schedule works fine by itself. Problems arise when they meet. Since most powerful people operate on the manager’s schedule, they’re in a position to make everyone resonate at their frequency if they want to. But the smarter ones restrain themselves, if they know that some of the people working for them need long chunks of time to work in.

This year, as one of my new years resolutions in order to grow the Tech Ranch I am going to have to spend more time on a Maker’s Schedule. I am sure that it will take some time to work out this type of schedule, and at first, I am sure that its going to feel different for some members of our community…. but I see spending more time in a Maker’s Schedule essential for me to build our community. Its not just about building out the Tech Ranch, but about creating situations that end up long term making the community itself stronger through seeing that our companies get to move farther and faster. All I ask, in echoing Paul’s words, is that everyone understand the need that we / I have in spending more time as a Maker. I will still be available for meetings, and am really interested in interacting with the community in depth (as I always have been and always will be). Spending more time on just getting things done is essential for 2010’s growth. In order to create more hours to be a Maker, I’ll be setting up office hours. And I am open to other ideas as well. Please let me know if you have other ideas that I should pursue. Through this I am looking forward to serving our community farther than I could in 2009, and I am hoping that we together can take many of the Tech Ranch companies to a whole new level together.

As I make this transition to setting aside more time as a Maker, I ask for your patience with how I start to manage my schedule, and I hope you see what I am aiming for in bringing our community much farther than before. Thank you for the support in 2009; Its now time to grow and strengthen our community together in 2010.

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