Startup from 0 to 1: How to get your startup off the ground
- Date
- 2026-02-24
- Location
- Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Host
- Community
About this event
Getting a startup off the ground is exciting right up until the moment you have to turn an idea into real traction. This meetup is built for that exact stage: the messy, high-leverage stretch between having a concept and building something people actually want. If you are thinking about starting, already experimenting, or trying to move from talk to action, this is a room designed to help you make that next step with more clarity. About the Event Startup from 0 to 1: How to get your startup off the ground is an in-person meetup in Lisboa for people who want to understand the early realities of building a startup. The focus is practical: what matters at the beginning, what founders often get wrong, and how to create momentum before you have a big team, a polished brand, or every answer figured out. This is not framed as a vague inspiration session. It is a community-driven event for people who want to talk seriously about early-stage execution: validating ideas, understanding users, making early product decisions, and building the kind of network that can help a young company move faster. Because it is a meetup, expect a more accessible and conversational format than a formal conference. That matters if you want space not only to listen, but also to ask questions, meet peers, and compare notes with people who are working through similar challenges. Lisboa is a strong setting for this kind of gathering. The city continues to attract founders, operators, builders, and internationally minded professionals, which makes an in-person startup event especially useful if you want to connect with the local tech and startup community in a direct, low-friction way. What to Expect You can expect an evening structured around the core question in the title: how do you actually get a startup off the ground? Rather than staying abstract, the conversation will likely center on the early decisions that shape everything that follows, including how to sharpen the problem you are solving, how to think about your first users, and how to avoid wasting time on work that looks productive but does not create learning. A meetup like this typically works best when it combines a few different modes of engagement, including: Big-picture framing on what “0 to 1” really means in a startup context Practical discussion about early-stage priorities and common mistakes Community conversation with people at different points in the founder journey Networking time to meet potential collaborators, peers, and future connections in Lisboa's startup scene Expect the most value to come from both the content and the people in the room. You may hear perspectives from aspiring founders, first-time builders, startup team members, and others who have been close to the earliest stages of company building. That mix is useful because it helps ground startup advice in real questions rather than theory alone. This is also the kind of event where showing up prepared can make a difference. If you have an idea, an early product, a customer problem you are exploring, or even a specific blocker, bring it with you. Conversations tend to be more useful when you can talk concretely about what you are trying to build and what decisions you are struggling with. Why Attend The main reason to attend is simple: early-stage startups are full of uncertainty, and good conversations can reduce wasted motion. When you are at the beginning, a small insight about user needs, positioning, timing, or execution can save weeks of work. This meetup is a chance to get closer to those insights by being in the room with other people who care about building. You should also come if you want to pressure-test your thinking. Startup advice online is endless, but not all of it applies to your stage. An in-person meetup gives you a better chance to ask direct questions, hear how others are approaching similar problems, and leave with a more grounded sense of what to do next. There is also strong value in the community side. Many early startup breakthroughs happen because of who you meet: someone who understands your market, someone who has solved a problem you are facing, someone who becomes a collaborator, or someone who simply gives you honest feedback at the right moment. A focused meetup can create those connections much faster than passive networking. If you are based in Lisboa or spending time in Portugal's tech ecosystem, this event is also a practical way to plug into a local network of people who are actively interested in startups, product building, and entrepreneurship. Even one strong conversation can make the evening worth it. Practical Details This event takes place in person in Lisboa, Portugal on Tuesday, February 24 at 6:30 PM GMT. The in-person format is important: it creates more room for real conversation, easier introductions, and the kind of spontaneous exchange that is hard to replicate online. Because this is an evening meetup, it should fit well for people coming after work, classes, or other daytime commitments. Arriving on time will help you get the most from the event, especially if there is opening context or early networking before deeper conversations begin. A few useful ways to prepare: Bring a clear one-minute introduction about who you are and what you are working on Have one or two real questions ready about your idea, product, users, or next steps Be open to meeting new people across tech, startup, and community backgrounds Plan to stay long enough to talk to others, not just listen and leave If you are curious about startups but have not started yet, you do not need to arrive with everything figured out. If you are already building, come ready to exchange specifics. Either way, this meetup is best approached as an active participant: someone ready to learn, contribute, and use the evening to move one step closer from 0 to 1.
Who should attend
This is for people who want practical early-stage startup conversations, not just startup content from a distance. - You have a startup idea and want to understand what the first real steps should look like before you overbuild, overspend, or lose momentum. - You are actively building an early product and want sharper thinking around validation, users, focus, and what matters most at the beginning. - You are a founder, aspiring founder, or side-project builder who would benefit from meeting others in Lisboa who care about startups, tech, and entrepreneurship. - You work in tech, product, design, engineering, growth, or operations and are curious about joining or helping very early-stage companies. - You are looking for grounded networking: people you can learn from, exchange ideas with, and potentially collaborate with after the event. - You are new to the startup world and want an accessible in-person setting where you can listen, ask smart questions, and get a better sense of how startups actually begin. If you want clearer next steps, stronger connections, and a better feel for how early startup momentum gets created, you will likely feel at home here.