There are a gazillion general networking events in DC and I don't want to create another one.

Instead, my hope is to keep the DC Lean Startup Circle events focused on the tools, techniques, and experiences of people who are fighting and sweating in the trenches to get startup products launched in lean fashion as described by Eric Ries, Steve Blank, and others.

I just posted a case study on my blog that describes my experiences and lessons learned with ManyWheels, my second startup, over the past year: what worked, what didn't work, and the instances where I totally blew it.

For our inaugural meetup I'll talk about the following topics related to my experiences:

• How the opportunity came together
  
• How I vetted the need with customers
  
• How I got a National Science Foundation SBIR Grant and why it was a great experience
  
• Why I didn't try to raise money, recruit a team
  
• My biggest executional failure and a simple strategy I could have used to avoid it
  
• What worked and didn't work in getting consults to help me build the working prototype product
  
• The most important factor I will look for in starting any future product company
  

So leave the laptops, business cards, and suits at home. Instead, bring your ideas about MVPs, pivots, team dynamics, customer hypothesis development.

If you want to talk to prospective start-ups about your consulting services firm, this isn't the group for you.

But if you're determined to do build something new and want to vet the business opportunity in lean startup style before you quit the day job, I hope you'll consider coming.

Questions? I'm at kevindewalt [[{{AT}}]] kevindewalt dotcomm or @kevindewalt on Twitter