It didn't take long for Luke Beatty to get personal in front of 100 entrepreneurs on Monday night at Entrepreneurs Unplugged.  Silicon Flatirons at CU Boulder organized the jocular discussion between Luke Beatty, Brad Feld and Brad Bernthral on Monday evening.[ibimage==23757==Original==none==self==ibimage_align-center]

The discussion followed a theme of how coincidence and unabashed persistence can lead an entrepreneur to success.

Luke recounted the randomness of his career path and the power of the desperate entrepreneur's mindset, or 'the stalker strategy', that has led him to his position today. Luke described his entry tactics when starting out in Silicon Valley. You may find it assuring knowing that you are not the only one behaving in a similar fashion.

Here are a couple highlights from the conversation:

• When he was just starting out in SV, Luke hung out outside of a company's breakroom and talked to everyone he encountered. Eventually, he made the right contacts in order to pitch his idea.
• Luke traveled on the road through Silicon Valley, and after asking 17 startups if he could work the summer for free, he found a job that he ended up keeping for three years with “people that need a lot of sunscreen if they go outside.”
• Always aim high and go after the exact person you want, and you’ll get the next best.
• We all know board members are for tactical reasons or to strong-arm people for favors. Contact those higher-level professionals who are engrained in the community to provide your startup with some exposure.
• Initially, Associated Content (named in jest) was ridiculed by traditional media as a joke. During the Virginia Tech shootings, janitors were producing real-time content while the traditional media outlets reporters were all in transit. . Luke noted this as the turning point when they began to reinvent real-time content contribution and what a ‘contributor’ could be.

Luke’s background as history teacher primed him for becoming a TechStars mentor, which, he pointed out ,was a mutually beneficial relationship. According to Brad Feld, the best mentor-mentoree relationships grow overtime and are characterized by each person thinking they are getting the greatest return from the relationship. Colorado entrepreneurs are rooted in forming these relationships and these discussions are integral to sustaining intimacy in such a large community.

Check out our Startup Guide for local resources to help you get connected.