'Go for the speakers. Re-go for the audience'

We’re sometimes a bit guilty, here on the BoS site, of focussing on our speakers during the build up to the event, but I’ve been re-reading some of the feedback from 2012, and the truth is, speakers are only part of the story.

This is, after all, an event for peer learning and one of the best things about BoS is learning and exchanging ideas with the other delegates. Whatever your problem, it’s likely someone in the BoS audience has been through the same situation and has some ideas on what does or doesn’t work. From how to get your software used in the White House Situation Room, to what size of mailing list do you need for meaningful split testing, someone in the BoS audience generally knows the answer.

Every year we feel priviledged to work with a group of some of the best informed (and downright nicest) business people there are. Thank you all.

Here’s what you said last year:

• Amazingly well done conference. The talks are outstanding and the people you’ll meet are even better.
• Great speakers and great conversations. An amazing three days, with much learning and inspiration.
• As an early stage founder, Business of Software was a phenomenal opportunity to learn from phenomenal software warriors who’ve been through the paces of a software company. The conference also put things into perspective, allowing me to take a step back from the day to day trenches to see where the business needed to go next.
• It’s like being hit on the head with an anvil forged of startup culture, ideas, and values.  Something that will forever change the way you think about business, software, and organizational architecture.
• A founder-rich environment of entrepreneurial people who want to learn and who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge.
• One of the best places to meet the people who actually make significant revenues in the software industry.
• You are guaranteed to learn something and meet someone that makes the trip worth it on their own. As a bonus you get to go to an awesome software conference.
• Imagine a dream world of full employment, meritocracy, innovation and success, abundance, respect, and happiness. It’s real, and it’s going on all the time in the unbridled world of software, and the Business of Software conference is your window into that world.
• A great conference for great entrepreneurs to exchange great information about building great business focused on making users great.
• Defies summing up.  Brilliance, compassion, excellence and support all around — who else would you want to hang out, learn, and explore with?
• same as #14: It’s rare that I can have an interesting business conversation with any random person next to me – this is one of the few venues where I can pick a person out of the crowd and have a deep meaningful conversation, help them, or learn from them.ce.
• This conference reminded me of being in the classroom with favorite professors.  Clarity, delivery, substance–it was all there!–were the marks of every speaker.  Their collective honesty and vulnerabilty, frankly, made for a rich and open environment where learning can fluorish, far beyond the confines of business or technology.
• It’s good to realize you’re not alone; there are many entrepreneurs facing the very same problems, and they’re just as confused as you are.
• Engaging and enlightening conference that allows you to learn more about the software industry and connect with others.
• Go for the content, re-go for the audience
• It’s like a spa weekend for software entrepreneur geeks – you leave feeling recharged, focused and cetered but also a little bit sore.
• Great place to meet, interact with, listen to, and exchange ideas with like-minded and passionate individuals.
• There is nothing like the Business of Software conference anywhere in the world.  It’s a place where passionate practitioners in the software industry convene to learn and share.  My favorite event of the year.
• Every time I come to BOS I feel like I’ve found my “tribe.”  Fellow techie entrepreneurs who are dying to roll up there sleeves to get a business going.
• BoS is a great venue to meet people, share experiences and learn about how to grow in the (fascinating) business of software. In my opinion, BoS is the best conference for those who are focused in getting their startups on a path to growth through knowledge and shared experiences.
• an awesome collage of people, ideas and information that will help bootstrap your software product company into a BADASS software business with wildly ecstatic customers.
• Business of Software is a place to meet and talk with people going through the same challenges as you, then learn actionable information on how you can improve your business.
• the best mastermind group in the world for startups. most of your tech smb rockstars in one room.
• The most interesting and highest-quality software conference by far. Attendees aren’t too shoddy either.
• A friendly and informal conference with inspiring speakers and attendees. An evangelical church for software entrepreneurs with charismatic ministers and testimonials from members of the congregation..
• Meeting awesome people, the doers, the FOUNDERS.
• Perect opportunity to swap war stories and elevate everyone’s game!
• A college semester’s worth of training in entrepreneurship and working in the software industry, packed into three days with a room full of people who are all smarter than you.
• I was honored to be part of an incredible network of talent actively discussing how best to apply their passions and address software business challenges.
• You dont know what you dont know until you know what others know.
• Some hundred software biz nerds from around the world sharing their learnings.
• BoS is the only place where I feel – professionally – amongst my peers. We’re all working to use technology to build successful and sustainable businesses. I always walk away thinking bigger, thinking clearer, and looking forward to the next time I can be here again.
• As a first timer to BoS, it’s great to meet with like minded people building real business in the areas we are passionate about. That together with the high quality presenters makes this a must see conference. I will defintely be back next year.
• It’s a conference about software but not about code, and one where the presentations are just one-fifth of the real show. And it picked up right where last year left off.
• The BoS experience is the truest and best representative set of what is now and what is next in software from a business perspective.  Nowhere else can you have access to the people actually DOing the innovation in tech, and they are just as passionate as you are about the craft which remains so essential to success in the software business.
• The only place where I can meet so many similar founders and get real answers to my specific business problems.
• Amazing crowd and good content. Down to earth conversations, a good place to come back to
• That line that “the people make the conference?” It’s never more true than at BoS. So many great conversations with great people, all looking to learn from each other.
• Fourth year here, and the caliber of participants is better than ever.
• Hear inspiring content, have amazing conversations, and make fantastic connections!
• A gathering of real entrepreneurs who help each other and build a community
• Smart people. Epic learning.

Warning: the effects of BoS are not always predictable. People have pivoted businesses and left jobs after 3 days at BoS, which may not have been their intention beforehand. Join us at your own discretion!