As of September 2, Panel Picker voting is closed. You can, however, still leave comments on the proposals you find interesting. We will announce the first set of accepted panels on Thursday, October 2. Stay tuned to the SXSW Interactive Festival website for these announcements, or e-mail us if you have questions.
A harsh reality of start-ups: mistakes happen. If they don't, you're doing something wrong. Make the wrong ones, and you're certainly sunk. Make the right ones, you just might succeed. I'll give real examples on both sides and offer guidance that will apply to any early-stage web company.