The messy middle is where real progress happens, tough decisions are made, and leaders are forged. At this year’s Business of Software Conference Europe, we’re discussing frameworks, strategies, and lessons that help you push through uncertainty and come out stronger.
Here’s the full schedule and flow for two days of action-packed learning on 31 March – 1 April 2025 in Cambridge, UK – featuring candid conversations, bold ideas, and the tools to help you build a business that lasts.
Monday, 31 March
AM: Setting the Stage for Hard Conversations and Smarter Decisions
Ryan Singer starts things off with Framing and Hard Conversations, a guide to navigating difficult discussions – an essential skill for founders and leaders.
Networking drinks set the stage for conversations that continue over dinner, where Professor Alex van Someren presents National Security, Technology Innovation, and SMEs, bridging the worlds of business, security, and innovation.
Tuesday, 1 April
AM: The Realities of Building & Selling
Bob Moesta explores JTBD & Hiring, helping businesses align their offerings with customer needs.
Again, No One Talks About the Messy Middle. But We Do.
BoS Europe 2025 isn’t just about the highs and lows – it’s about the messy middle, where real work happens. Expect honest conversations, practical insights, and a network that challenges and supports you. See you at #BoS25
Twice a year, the Business of Software Conference brings together some of the sharpest minds in software, product, and entrepreneurship. But this isn’t just another conference, it’s a place where your assumptions get challenged, your ideas get stretched, and you walk away seeing things in a whole new light.
This year’s BoS Europe presents a group of thinkers, doers, and industry rebels who’ll make you question everything from user activation to AI, hiring, and pricing strategies. Here are the discussions that will shake up your thinking and give you the tools to build and grow a better business..
At Business of Software (BoS), we believe conferences are about building relationships that lead to significant change, not just for insightful conversations. Over the years we have received many accounts of guests who met at BoS and went on to collaborate and create amazing things.
Mark Stephens and Chika Emebo from IDR Solutions, loyal participants in our community, joined us on our first podcast episode, along with Dr. Chris Bell and Jamie Woolf from Creativity Partners, to share about their partnership.
You’ve done a mountain of customer research. There’s a million ways the customer is struggling, and discovery and shaping have helped you define the possibilities. But now you’re stuck with the big question: How do you make sensible decisions about what to do when you have too much information?
This is where Ryan Singer comes in, sparking the discussion, at BoS Europe 2025.
What if the growth you’re seeing isn’t as healthy as it seems? Could there be a ticking bomb in your metrics? Are you sure that your users are truly activated, or are they just going through the motions? These questions are at the core of Diego de Jódar’s talk at BoS Europe 2025.
What if everything you thought you knew about building a software company was wrong?
What if staying small could be more profitable than scaling? What if traditional hiring practices were holding you back? What if ignoring “best practices” led to your biggest breakthroughs?
Mark Stephens, Founder of IDRsolutions, has spent 25 years questioning the rules of software business and he’s ready to challenge your assumptions at BoS Europe 2025.
Remember Lighting Talks? By popular demand… We’re bringing them back for BoS Conference Europe (March 31-April 1). What are Lighting Talks? Why should you consider applying for a Lightning Talk? What makes a great Lightning Talk? How do you apply and how do we select the speakers?
What are Lightning Talks?
Lighting Talks are a difficult, fun, and entertaining opportunity for our attendees to share something they care about with other attendees.
Attendee Lighting Talks follow a fixed format. 15 slides, without animations, that advance automatically every 30 seconds to deliver the nugget of an idea that get people to think.
In just two months, the best conference for software CEOs and senior leaders is happening in Churchill College, Cambridge, UK – BoS Europe.
Why the best?
Because it’s not your typical conference. There are no lobby exhibits, no velvet-rope VIP sections for speakers, and no pay-to-play sponsor slots disguised as keynotes.
Instead, BoS Europe is all about handpicked speakers tackling the real challenges software leaders face. It’s a place where you can casually chat with a speaker in the audience section, and join a community that’s as eager to learn from you as you are from them.
Hey there, software CEOs and leaders. It’s time to block off your calendars because BoS USA 2025 dates are confirmed, and this year, we’re leveling up everything you love about BoS Conf. If you’ve ever thought about how to be better at business like how better you are at coding, this is your moment.
Ah, Black Friday. That one special day of the year when retailers desperately offload their leftovers at “bargain” prices you didn’t even know existed (or needed). It’s become the tradition – convincing you to buy stuff you don’t want with money you don’t have while your critical thinking is still in turkey coma.
We could talk all day about how this retail circus has gone global, invading inboxes and spamming your sanity with ALL CAPS DEALS!!! But let’s cut to the chase: Black Friday is bonkers, and we think it sucks.
We’re exploring the heart of business growth—the messy middle. It’s that unpredictable, often chaotic phase between the excitement of starting up and the satisfaction of exiting a business. This is where the real challenges and opportunities lie. It’s not just about launching or planning your exit; it’s about navigating the complexities of scaling, optimizing, and sustaining your business in an ever-evolving landscape.
BoS Conference’s main focus is addressing this crucial stage, providing you with the tools and insights needed to thrive amidst uncertainty and turn challenges into opportunities. We’re not just discussing theory; we’re providing a roadmap through the messy middle of business growth.
Of course you can. It isn’t common but it can be done and there are some well known ones – Mailchimp for example. Here’s an example of one that you probably haven’t heard of – PDQ.com
Shawn Anderson, co-founder and (ex)CEO of PDQ.com has been to 21 Business of Software Conferences, first time in 2008. I guess he’s learned some good things along the way.
Shawn will be joining us to speak at BoS Conference USA, 23-35 September, Raleigh, NC and will share the story of his 20 year journey from consulting company, through utterly unfundable product business, to growth, acquisition, and his retirement from a $billion business. We’re sharing a little of the story here, part preview, part inspiration, part reminder that it takes work to build a company but there is no single right way.
Who is Shawn Anderson and What is PDQ.com?
Shawn explains who he is and what that company you have never heard of does.
Founding PDQ and the Difficult Transition from Consulting to Product Company
Every software consultancy wants to be a product business. It’s rare to make it. Shawn shares the origins of the company and the moment they decided to go all in on product.
No Venture Everything Gained
VCs are renowned unicorn hunters so looking back, funding should be easy. Shawn explains why VCs refused to invest and the implications of having to build the company without external funding. Turns out, there is a significant upside…
What Will You be Talking About At BoS Conference USA 2024, 23-25 September?
Shawn shares a short preview of some of the insights he wants to share at this year’s conference.
It takes two to tango. In the case of succeeding a company, it takes a lot of crew. Success in today’s fast-paced business world demands a collective effort. It’s overwhelming for one person or a few to get ahead and shoulder the entire weight of keeping a company competitive. One strategic way to uphold is to send your team together in conferences.
As the saying goes, “Learning goes beyond the four corners of the room.” Conferences are one of the those events that people from different corners of the world and varying professions come to. Conferences are designed to welcome individuals as participants in collaborative learning and networking beyond their personal spheres towards expanding horizons, which is really necessary in business-building. While sounds great, events like these are still daunting for some, especially introverts.
Introverts, known for energizing in solitude, may be drained by large crowds. Attending conferences can feel like a challenge despite the potential benefits. Navigating a sea of unfamiliar faces requires unique strategies to ensure they thrive, not just survive, at conferences. Though challenging, these cannot hinder introverts like me from attending conferences. We have the drive to learn and connect. We just need our unique ways to come and show up ourselves to enjoy advantageous conferences at their best. So for introverts like me out there, here are some quiet strategies to conquering conferences.
