Reflections from the Mobile World Congress 2024: Exploring Beyond the Bright Lights

Exactly a year ago, while riding the metro, I was listening to the Tierra de Hackers podcast. I vividly remember Martin Vigo mentioning his presence at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. At that moment, I imagined how fascinating it would be to attend such a prestigious event, surrounded by innovative technology and inspiring talks. The idea of listening to industry leaders and discovering revolutionary solutions to current problems was simply captivating.

I never thought I would have the opportunity to attend the MWC until my school raffled tickets for the congress and, to my amazement, I turned out to be one of the lucky winners. The excitement of having the chance to attend was indescribable. As soon as I confirmed my identity as part of the process to obtain my ticket, I delved into the event program, exploring talks, conferences, and agendas as if I were a child flipping through a new album of his favorite collectibles.

The first day was filled with excitement, eager to attend all the conferences, but over time, I realized that many of them were heavily focused on commercial aspects. I began to suspect that the most interesting ones might be reserved for those with VIP access or who paid more. Nevertheless, I decided to dedicate myself to exploring the aisles in search of new projects under development, focusing especially on startups. I found some truly interesting projects among the startups, but the large companies seemed more focused on promoting their products, especially in the realm of mobile phones. For example, Google presented the integration of AI in Gmail and Google Lens, which is undoubtedly an improvement, but it led me to question to what extent it was truly necessary. Why not focus on something more ambitious or impactful?

However, the highlight of the large companies was undoubtedly the merchandising. I must admit that some of the offerings were really cool. It's a shame I didn't queue up for them!

Despite everything, the MWC provided me with the opportunity to meet companies from around the world, including some from my own country, which I was completely unaware of. Discovering these new perspectives was truly enriching.

In summary, I have no regrets whatsoever about attending the MWC. Although there were moments when I felt a bit disappointed, the event as a whole inspired me and reminded me of the importance of continuing to explore, learn, and stay up-to-date with the latest innovations in mobile technology.