Business of Software will run 28th – 30th October 2013 in Boston. The conference will end at lunchtime on the final day.

What is Business of Software all about?

Some people call it, ‘TED for Software’.

We love TED and while some of the sentiment TED has around sharing great ideas is totally aligned with their ideals, Business of Software is very different for two principle reasons: all our talks focus on an important element of growing a software business; our speakers have the time to explain their ideas in proper detail and answer questions the participants might have.

Someone called it ‘Woodstock for geeks’.

We like the caring, sharing, listening, laughing community aspect of that but are probably less keen on the make-shift lavatory, drug-taking, free-love parts. We did however have a really cool house band last year (involving the world’s most rock and roll bagpipe player) and we do hang out in bars sometimes. Don’t come if you want to get drunk at a frat house pool party for 3 days, you’re wasting your money and won’t contribute.

So what do we think it is about?

Business of Software is a safe haven for ISVs who want to talk, listen and learn from each other about growing long-term, sustainable, profitable software businesses. Our attendees run growth businesses and entrepreneurial business units in companies that work in all types of organizations – through enterprise software, web, mobile, SaaS – from around the world. (Half of last year’s participants were from outside the USA).

We think Business of Software is about sharing ideas for building better software businesses.

See what last year’s delegates had to say here.

So who is behind it?

Business of Software is run by Mark Littlewood & the Business Leaders Network and Neil Davidson, founder of Red Gate Software. Neil and Mark have known each other for over 20 years which scares them both as they met at university. Mark’s organization, the Business Leaders Network, runs the UK’s leading technology networking events. He went to Business of Software 2010 and blogged incessantly about the event. With Neil’s commitments to Red Gate Software, to drawing and to keeping his life even slightly balanced, he wanted to share the Business of Software load with someone who could help build Business of Software.

We want to run Business of Software as a conference and a conversation that inspires and teaches people about the business of software. (Clever name huh?).

• Mark Littlewood is the founder of Business Leaders Network | @The_BLN. He’s enthusiastic about technology but his cat can, and frequently does, write better code. He relishes bringing passionate people together to share ideas and learn from each other. You can follow Mark on Twitter at @marklittlewood.

• Neil Davidson is co-founder and joint CEO of Red Gate Software | @redgate. He considers himself a thought-follower in the business of software, hence the conference. You can follow Neil on Twitter at @NeilDavidson.