IRL Events are more important than you realize and here’s why

Most of us have been on a long hiatus from live events but they are back. Despite many prognostications that gathering in large groups will transition permanently to virtual events our primal social instincts seem to be too powerful.?

This reality is where the crux of my position lies.?Making connections in real life leads to exponentially more value in every way.

I and the team are attending a ton of events this year and are super excited to do so because:

1. Learning: going to sessions live is an investment that IMHO leads to greater focus and therefore more effective learning.?Not to mention the spontaneous conversations that often come after leading to reinforcement and creative thought.
2. Relationships: meeting new and reconnecting with folks is natural and organic in person while most often doesn’t really happen virtually or is done in some kind of awkward or contrived way online
3. Value:?this one is big and often hard to measure.?Obviously, there are leads that turn into deals quickly and are easily quantifiable.?However, sometimes it’s the first touchpoint that turns into a huge deal a year or two down the road or the first conversation that leads to a major partnership.

Breadcrumbs only exists today because of a serendipitous meeting at SaaStock between Armando Biondi and me.?The previous year at the same event I met Lee Gladish, someone who has become a great friend, and my investment in his startup generated 4X returns. SaaStock has actually been a huge creator of value in my life including relationships with Alex Theuma, Patrick Campbell, and many others that I truly?VALUE.?Needless to say, going back to IRL events is something that I’m super excited about and I think you should be too!