There is always a first time

Before you laugh at my two-hour jet lag, I need to explain to you that I am a creature of habit. These habits are not necessarily the good ones that I need to lecture about. But they define me as who I am. And I am a guy who doesn’t particularly enjoy “mingling”, and don’t even get me started with air travel. An aluminum box, flying untethered with constant jumpscares in the shape of turbulence. Ugh!

Despite my apprehensions, I nagged the other founders to consider venturing forth to tech events around the world to create a push on marketing outreach.

So here I am, standing in an overcrowded hallway at the WebSummit Qatar 2024. Excited delegates, exhibitors, and attendees zooming back and forth. I have the floor plan with me but I need to get my bearings straight. I have my hands full of swag I need to offload. And so begins the “networking”.

The thing about these tech events is that everyone is there to sell. You can’t expect to run into an exhibitor and start pitching your offerings. Instead, you need to be the audience - listen in and listen well. Take notes, ask questions, and offer any advice if you can. The next step comes up organically. Share your contact details, connect your LinkedIn, and hand over some swag to remember you by.

Rinse and repeat.

I meet some excellent folks, I learn about the challenges the founders face and I fine-tune my approach.

Three days at the WebSummit, and off we fly to Riyadh for LEAP for another 7. This one is a beast of an event. But with the scale of the event, commuting to the venue became the worst part. Now, whenever I look at a bus, I get PTSD. 4-6 hours of traveling to and from the venue became the highlight.

Now, I am back home. Sitting in my cozy home office writing this and trying hard to think of what more to share. My Google Calendar is reminding me that I need to follow up with a connection I made from the events. Always in relationship-building mode now. Life was simple when I just had to code.

Behind the countless tabs and windows open on my screen, there lurks a list of all the tech events this year. Looking forward to the next one… (not)