I almost didn’t go to my first tech event.
I kept thinking I wouldn’t fit in. Everyone there would know more than me. I wouldn’t know what to say or how to even start a conversation.
For a moment, I even thought of skipping it. But somehow, I still showed up.
After quitting my job, one thing I did was I started attending tech events. Once I started attending more events, it felt really good.
Every tech event comes with its own perks. Some are good, some are exceptionally well organized. Some provide practical knowledge about tools, while others give deep insights into tech.
What I Thought Tech Events Were
These are mostly community events, either paid or free, where you attend as a participant or a speaker. So far, I have only attended as an attendee. Maybe someday I will attend as a speaker.
What fascinates me the most is seeing speakers with immense knowledge explain complex things in simple ways while keeping the audience engaged.
Most companies organize these events to either share knowledge or promote their products through talks and demos.
I personally feel that smaller, more closed events are more interesting because you get more time to talk to speakers. In larger events, everyone wants to talk to them, so the interaction becomes limited.
Most of the events I attended were offline, which helped me meet new people and learn a lot more. I have also worked as a volunteer in a few events, so I have seen both sides.
Why I Still Decided to Go
1. What I Learned Just by Showing Up
I attend every event with one goal, to learn something new.
This mindset has made every event valuable for me. Every speaker comes with something to share, and picking even one useful idea makes the event worth it.
I always check the agenda beforehand and get excited about topics I want to learn. I keep my notes ready to capture ideas, project thoughts, or anything interesting.
One of the most memorable events for me was an OpenAI event. I got to see and hear Sam Altman. Many startups were built on top of ChatGPT, and founders were discussing real problems with the team.
That was the first time I heard terms like Context Window, RAG, Embeddings, Hallucinations, Model Weights, Temperature, Max Tokens, Vector Databases, and Context Length.
I was completely amazed. That same evening, I came back home and started exploring AI seriously.
2. Talking to People Was the Hardest Part
If you are a student, tech events can open many doors.
You meet people from different universities, exchange ideas, and sometimes even build things together. You can prepare together, practice interviews, or even work on projects that may turn into something bigger.
For working professionals, these events help in finding better opportunities, referrals, or even hiring.
For me, I have not deeply connected with many people yet, but I have had great conversations, learned a lot, and enjoyed interacting with others.
Since I was somewhere in between, having a degree but not working, I sometimes felt I did not fully belong to either side.
3. Learning by Doing Changed Everything
I always look forward to hands-on sessions more than talks.
Learning by doing and breaking things teaches more than just listening. I try to reach early whenever there is limited seating.
Through these sessions, I have learned things like re-ranking, built small MCP servers, explored AI Studio, and even got introduced to tools like Antigravity.
I also got to see demos of tools like Stitch before release, just by attending events.
4. The Unexpected Small Wins
My first event was special because I did not return empty handed. I got stickers and a pin, and it felt amazing.
Since then, every event gives something different. Some I use, some I keep. I have collected a lot of swags, though I don’t put stickers on my laptop, otherwise it would be completely filled.
And yes, almost every event had good food.
5. Seeing the Effort Behind the Scenes
Since I worked as a volunteer in some events, I got to see how things work behind the scenes.
Handling people, organizing sessions, managing chaos so that everything runs smoothly. Most volunteers were developers too, and everyone was helpful and humble.
It gave me a different perspective of how much effort goes into organizing a good event.
6. Why I Kept Going Back
Every event I attend leaves me with motivation. I always come back wanting to build something better, learn more, and improve.
These events give me the push to keep going.
I also have a goal now, someday I want to be on that stage and share my own experiences.
Many of the events I attended required shortlisting. Being unemployed made me feel like I might not get selected. But surprisingly, I got selected for many, and yes, I got rejected from some too.
It feels like luck sometimes, but being there and showing up made a difference.
7. What Changed in Me After Attending Events
I am an introvert. But I challenged myself to talk to people at events. Even when I felt less qualified, I still tried. Talking to people gave me confidence.
I started listening more, observing more, and slowly getting comfortable. I go to events with the intention to learn more and speak less.
I keep my expectations low and stay open to unexpected experiences. And many times, I ended up meeting amazing people who shared valuable insights.
Sometimes Just Showing Up Is Enough
Being at the right place at the right time matters.
I read the article from @maame-codes about getting an internship just by attending a tech event.
That is the kind of unexpected outcome these events can create.
If You Are Thinking About Going, Just Go
If you have never attended a tech event, try attending one. You might not get everything from the first event.
But you will definitely take something back.
Have you attended any tech events? How was your experience?
Top comments (4)
Holly Crab dude, was a nice article. From my side, I've been recently on Next Block Expo Event in Warsaw. I'm also writing my From Zero to Crypto Hero now, just took a break to read your article. I saw you read mine about the event actually, did you enjoy it ?
I agree with you in all cases here, you mentioned. I had actually similiar, problem that I'm basically stupid and will have nothing to say, but I guess you know it, as I typed in in one of my comments. Amazing job dude, also if you want to connect let's do it on Telegram or Signal :D
It is true! I am attending a huge tech event tomorrow. It is a great place for jobs and networking opportunities.
Wow, nice Bejamin. All the best for tomorrow have fun in networking and do tell me your experience.
Thank you! It sound good.