Let's talk about Slush

I will kick off by saying I think Slush is the best work event/conference/show I have ever been to anywhere in the world! The only contenders I could even throw into the mix would be TNW and Silicon Slopes and both more about the tech than the investors/founders. It was my first time but defo wont be the last!

There were over 13,000 people in attendance and the venue was a stunner! It took some getting used to as its proper dark with lots of funky lighting - think being in a club without being off your head and you are there! I couldn't possibly write about the event without mentioning the fact it was more than a little nippy out there and planning for the weather is a key consideration! -6 but feels like -13 was the slogan of the week!

Absolute standouts for me were the organisation of the event, although having spent a few days in Finland I can see that, that is a cultural thing - organisation and timeliness are staples (expect that sodding taxi who still hasn't shown up from Day 1!!) The platform for meeting people and how the mechanics of all of that happened was down to a tee - there were in excess of 10,000 meetings happening between prospects over the course of the event! Absolutely mind-blowing!

Investor and Founder events are still new to me and I had more exposure to meetings VC's than I have had before - with the exception of a few bro's and 'I only had 1 hours kip and was on the Jager all night' it was manageable, amusing to be honest in most respects.

My fave sessions of the event were Rahul Vohra from Superhuman talking about Building a Brand. I have already banged on about this but he is a cracking speaker, an absolute authority on this subject and very generous with his knowledge and suggestions on where and how to learn more! My Junto Wheel is on order Rahul.

Another favourite was the formidable and super energising Rina Onur Sirinoglu talking all things Managing Co-Founder Relations. This lady was on fire! An absolute ball of energy with a strong message, loads of takeaways and a wealth of knowledge on her subject matter! Well worth a watch for anyone debating a Co-Founder or not!

I had some fascinating meetings with prospects, partners and competitors whilst at the event and enjoyed every second. Boat loads of follow ups kicking off this week starting with a Ukranian professional services company we are likely to onboard to The Grafter this side of Christmas! I was blown away with the passion, capability and age of a lot of the entrepreneurs at the event! I spent a LOT of my time thinking christ I wish I had your focus when I was 25, 26, 27!!!

Final less positive point was that the event felt super boozy and for this sober warrior I found that a little more in my face than I expected. A shout out to the Slush crew that LOTS of us are sober entrepreneurs and factoring that even somewhere in your agenda would be hugely appreciated. We have made massive moves in the world of tech events over the last decade to address this point but it felt that the Investor/Entrepreneur event hadn't yet received the memo.

Already got my name down for 2024 and hoping that I can qualify for a Startup pass next year!