My post on "No One Is Going to SXSW. It's too Crowded" caused quite a stir.

I heard all sorts of objections, but no direct contradictions about specific tactics. Here are eight mistakes you will want to avoid.

Don't think it's too crowded.

I recommend going with "Beginner's Mind."

Beginners would go with a sense of innocence and non-jaded-ness. Beginners would just say, "Cool, there's a lot of people."

Focusing on big crowds = problem would be like saying, "I don't wanna launch a website. The Internet is too crowded."

Don't think it's too late.

Ahh, the "it's too late" arguement.

Granted it's true, I did my planning for SXSW right after SXSW last year.... But it isn't too late. Talking to and meeting just 20 people will get you ROI for at least your badge. After that, it's all gravy, right?

Don't hire a mercenary.

In Genghis Khan's time, one committed warrior was worth ten men.

In our current time, one committed warrior is worth 2,000. In the comments, list out examples where teams of CS majors evangelize their own stuff. I can think of one I met at Summit at Stanford. Mark Bao's "Three Words Me."

Using mercenaries at SXSW can actually backfire. For example, a startup paid a mercenary sales promotion force to "own SXSW." It was largely ignored in the best case and retaliated against in the worst. Remember, SXSW ain't the AVN or CES.

Don't spend your relationship capital on free housing.

Homeless people stay homeless because they worry about being homeless. If homeless people embraced homelessness-is-temporary, they'd start a business washing windows.

For example, when you're homeless in Austin, think of it as "Stanford Alternative Spring Break," when a bunch of undergrads go help homeless people. Don't burn your relationship capital asking if you and your co-founders can crash on a hotel floor.

Austin is super homeless-friendly. Plus no one sleeps during Austin City Limits anyway.

Don't ignore Austin's feng shui.

Feng shui is a super-cool Asian thing. My second wife taught that to me. She's Shanghainese. It talks about being at one with the environment around you and fostering all of its bountiful energy.

Think I'm too Norcal fruity?

I might be.... But I'm still right.

For example, Austin's infrastructure is going to be leveraged to the hilt. Solve some of these problems as you promote. I don't need an afterparty with more free beer. I need an afterparty to rest, hydrate, oxygenate, and meet a mentor that takes my startup to the next level.

No one hit the panic button.

You're an entrepreneur now. There no longer is a panic button that you hit. Cover it up and pretend it doesn't exist.

Promoting at SXSW is going to take a strong stomach. It's gonna be imperfect. Yes, there'll be mayhem. The market will reward you after even a semi-successful event.

DON'T fail to have countermeasures.

Have you read Guy Kawasaki's Plan B for Fundraising? It's good.

It's so good that I paid to have a panel on this at SXSW (USING THE SAME EXACT TITLE. THX Guy. Gotta love creative commons :-) ).

Don't say: "I'm not going unless I speak."

Gawd, I hear this from welebrities falling all-the-time.

Remember, if you talked to 20 people in Austin, you spoke. Load up a slideshare and see that action. What I mean is post a slide deck and get your stuff out there. It doesn't have to be perfect.

....just look at my stuff.

Just like what Burt, CEO of Storify , said during Stanford Entrepreneur Week, "Ready, FIRE, (aim)."

Amen brother.

Did you miss Burts preso?! Read about it here.

—  Remmy

Don't miss these other entries by our very own Remmington Oxley V:
What I Wish I Knew Back When I Was a 20-Something VC
No One Is Going to SXSW. It's too Crowded
NO, I Am Not Marc Andreessen
Reverse VC Pitch Franchise
Christmas Confessions from a VC
Let Entrepreneurs Squat
Buy Entrepreneurs Yogurt
Be a Beta Male
How To Source Deals from Silicon Valley's Gay Mafia
How to Outmanuever Another VC