Startup events work only when the goal is clear
conferences can waste time and money when there is no clear goal. In this experience, Causo went through two different kinds of events. At , Causo joined as an official partner, spoke directly with early-stage , learned what problems they were facing, and brought in new users.
A Vercel event worked differently. It was less useful for getting users right away, but it helped with seeing what others were building, learning from other , and meeting a few people. The practical lesson is to decide why you are going before you spend the time.
If the goal is users, the event needs to be where those users already are, and there should be a clear reason to talk to them. If the goal is investors, partners, or broader industry contacts, larger events may help, but the return is harder to measure. Going only because are supposed to can turn into an expensive social outing with little value.
Key points
- events can be low-value if there is no clear reason to attend.
- Causo gained new users at by meeting early-stage directly.
- The Vercel event was more useful for learning, observing other builders, and meeting investor contacts.
- User growth requires going where the right users already gather.
- Large events can help with contacts, but the return on time and money is harder to measure.