Tech Week is upon us here in New York City – and coming to other cities, some possibly near you. SF, LA, Miami are in the works and other cities under discussion, including small tech hubs since, during the lockdowns, the tech sector became something of a diaspora, and many founders and investors discovered something that’s not always available in larger metropolises – a quality of life – and they’re not going back.

They’re coming in from all over the world for Tech Week, and there are some rules of thumb that apply to every large gathering like this, that all founders should know.

To give you an idea of the breadth and scope of the NYC event, here’s the full calendar and it is decentralized in terms of the location, so events are all over town and many concurrent. Choose wisely and pace yourself, and the rules that apply to NY Tech Week are the same for SXSW and any expo, sprawling or not.

Do we really need to cover the ABCs? We’re all beyond that at this point, no? So let’s just get down to brass tacks, which we know is very New York of us:

1. All investors, large and small, are on a unicorn hunt, and all founders want a marquis investor on their cap table, even at the pre-seed and seed stage. Many of the marquis funds say that they invest at the earliest stage, but don’t necessarily believe it. They want to see traction. They want to see MOM growth and revenue. If that’s not you, don’t waste your time and energy. They’re the belles of the ball and have their pick and you no doubt have stiffer competition than you would with a smaller fund or with angel investors. Ideally, look for funds who invest in your vertical – and not necessarily ones that have already invested in one of your competitors. They may take a meeting with you for the purpose of gathering intel. Don’t show your hand – or your superpower.
2. As an event host, we will tell you that there are a ton of fund analysts in attendance, but of course you don’t want to waste your time talking to them. You want to get on the radar of the head honcho. Wrong. Do not pass go; do not collect funding. It’s the analysts who vet the decks that hit the fund. They are the ones you definitely want to talk to and create a rapport with, if not for now, it’s a good idea to get to know them for when you are ready to go for funding.
3. Did you notice that there are events covering a host of different topics? Including some that may be imparting information you need to learn or know. Make sure to leave room in your schedule for some of those tracks, too. Especially if you’re looking for employees, advisors or subject matter experts. You’re in the Land of Plenty and this is prime pickings. But do keep meetings brief. Introduce yourself and get to know that person a bit. Do the information swap and assure them that you’ll follow up – or not, in which case, thank them for their time. Not every conversation is with someone who is relevant to what you’re doing but do be respectful of everyone’s time. Everyone’s.
4. Do people carry physical business cards anymore? We always do carry one, in case someone wants to take a picture of it. We swap contact information by using the QR code on LinkedIn (provided that we do want to connect with that person on LinkedIn and do keep in mind that not everyone includes their contact information in their LinkedIn profile) or an e-card app such as HiHello or SelfTact, the latter of which allows you to add selfies to the contact and grabs info on where you met – and will even do follow-up for you. Handy, eh? Gotta love tech.

Speaking of LinkedIn, we have a friend who is a well-known serial entrepreneur and who does have a LinkedIn profile and happily connects with anyone who comes over to him after he has spoken at a conference. And he will accept the connection request. The thing is that if/when you do attempt to send him a follow up email, you’ll get an auto response that says something like, ‘if you’re receiving this message, I probably met you at a conference and didn’t want to be rude when you asked me to connect with you on LinkedIn. I do not respond to this email address, and if we actually do know each other, you know my email. Use that one. And have a good day.’

5. Always carry a small notebook and pen, and jot down a note about someone you’ve met – something that provides context/info on why you want to follow up with that person. You’re going to be meeting a LOT of people and you won’t remember everyone. Notes help.
6. Talk to founders, too, especially ones who’ve had a successful exit – or not. Especially if they’re in your vertical. Ask them a bit about their journey, helpful tips they might want to impart. And if they were less than successful, ask them what they would have done differently, in retrospect. In this case, their 20/20 hindsight might just be a game changer for you.
7. Speak to people who work for companies that might be a potential acquirer of your business/startup. The more senior the better. You might not be acquisition material at this juncture, but things do tend to happen fast in tech, and never hurts to get on their radar.
8. Seriously. Caffeine is one of our favorite drugs, too, but staying hydrated with actual water is important, and make sure to bring your steel water bottle as you’re heading out for the day. We’re sure that some events will provide plastic bottles of water but try to avoid putting even more microplastics into your system. Microplastics are forever, and while we’re on the subject, do stop for meals as well. Business meals are even better if you can manage them, but don’t just grab a slice and call it lunch or dinner. You’ve gotta keep your strength up – it’s going to be a long week.
9. Always leave room for serendipity. If you’re on line for the loo or walking in the same direction as someone who appears to also be attending NY Tech Week as well, strike up a conversation. You never know who that person is, until you ask and they may be someone who can give you insights or introductions you never would have known about or made otherwise. Ask. Networking isn’t strictly for networking events.
10. Take breaks. It’s a hectic week and sometimes you just need to leave a venue and take a walk around the block to clear your head, return some calls, or just breathe in some fresh – ok, fresher -air.
11. Have a break between sessions that you’re looking to attend? Head to a park. There are parks at a lot of major cross streets in New York. Bryant Park at 42^nd Madison Square Park at 23^rd. Washington Square Park in the Village and of course, Central Park, which starts at 59^th Street and stretches from 5^th Avenue to Central Park West. In fact, you might even want to consider taking a little stroll through the Central Park zoo and spend some time with the animals. It’s a lot smaller but certainly a hell of a lot more convenient to get to than the Bronx Zoo, and a good reminder that at the end of the day, tech is tech and despite the tall buildings surrounding you, it’s a jungle out there. Onward and forward.