"Startup events are for losers." Why you should skip events and build in public instead.

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Levels’ rant nails the core truth: default-mode networking has terrible signal-to-noise. Shipping in public compounds faster, and the right people find you through the work itself. Still, “never go to events” feels too binary. Some gatherings have a real selection filter, clear theme, high ticket price, curated lists, attendee directory, demos over panels. Those can compress months of DM ping-pong into one afternoon of high-bandwidth conversations.

A quick heuristic I use: set an explicit outcome before saying yes (user interviews, distribution partner, one hard-to-get intro). Check the attendee quality and agenda for proof it’s builder-centric. Put a time cap on site (90 minutes) and a kill switch (leave if you don’t get 1 insight or 1 lead in the first 30). In parallel, keep the build-in-public engine humming...weekly ship notes, screen recordings, tiny changelogs, open metrics. Events become an accelerant, not a substitute. Skip the yappers; curate the rooms and let shipped product do most of the talking.

Totally agree that most startup events end up being more talk than action. Building in public has been far more valuable for me — not only do you get feedback directly from users, but you also attract people who are genuinely interested in what you’re creating.

For example, I’ve been working on a style hub focused on trending hairstyles for 2025. Sharing updates online has led to way more useful conversations than any event I’ve attended. It’s proof that putting real work out there draws the right kind of connections naturally.

Hello, I've never been to one of these events, but I do have to disagree with one of your key assertions.

I'm blind, and I have done a lot of things that scare sighted folk.

For example, I built my first website in 2007 by teaching myself to code html and I wrote my first self-help book on a dare.

Yes, some people don't achieve because they are lazy.

But many don't achieve because they have allowed themselves to be told things are going to be so hard that they shouldn't even try.

They are scared, overwhelmed, and often getting bad advice from the experts. Many of whom charge outrageous fees for their advice.

I wish I could teach people that thing that allows me, you, and many others to just start where they are and keep moving forward.

But I can't teach it. Most days, I can't even distill it down to how I do it.

You did make a really important point about social media and this community.

That being, we really have to choose our online communities carefully and make sure they are continuing to serve our needs.

Thanks for sharing, Maxwell

I went to an event one time. I never did it again because of all the reasons you said.

Interesting take on startup events. While I agree that many events don’t directly translate into results, I think it depends on how you leverage them. For some founders, events can be networking opportunities, but building in public definitely drives long-term trust and visibility.

I’ve written about strategies to grow digital presence without spending on events — focusing on SEO, content, and digital marketing tactics.

I get what you are saying. I've been to a few events to meet people and can't say I found them very useful. But as a person with limited social media presence or following, I've been trying to post in online communities (where I expect my target market to be) and have gotten no responses.

The meetups in my region are overly obsessed by

• B2C apps catered to students

• getting funding

• building the whole thing first before doing anything else

• being unique and finding the next billion dollar idea

• always asking "but what's the thing that differentiates you against the competition?"

These always lead to overly zealous ideas and almost never acting on them.

I met my co-founder at an event and we had an exit a few years later. When we met, we were each building on the side and had realized the need for a co-founder.

Exactly building in public ensures greater impact as it feels more natural and human. When we build in people we are saying we believe in actual relationship building than just selling the product - Which is a good thing.

Focusing on authentic connections rather than just selling makes building in public so powerful; its openness feels human and natural, which ultimately leaves a bigger impact.

Hey I'm a builder really soon launching my first product. I'm building stuff for some years now. Since my first product is on the run now I'm now discovering the step after building. Actually attracting users and becoming visible.

I think events could be interesting, but not before I haven't delivered or gained some actual users and feedback.

I completely agree with the topic. Builders don’t have much time… It’s more interesting going to events linked to our own passion or interest to meet people with similar mindset.

Some startup events are great. But many end up being rooms full of people talking about building — not actually building.

And that energy? It can slow you down.

If you’ve ever walked away from one feeling like it wasn’t the best use of your time, you’re not alone. Builders need momentum, not distraction.

Truth is, the most meaningful connections often happen after you’ve put in the work. When you’re sharing your journey, building in public, showing what you’re working on — that’s when like-minded people find you. Real conversations come from real progress.

So if you’re choosing between going to another event or finishing that next feature, hitting publish, or getting feedback — choose the work.

Because building speaks louder than talking ever could.

There's no replacement for "just do it"

Startup events can be useful, but spending too much time networking instead of building can slow you down. "Building in public" helps you attract real users, get feedback, and gain trust organically. Instead of pitching to other founders, focus on shipping products, sharing progress, and engaging with your audience directly. Results speak louder than handshakes!

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So true. I cannot tell you how accurate this is.

True, startup events can be useful for networking, but they rarely drive real progress. Building in public, on the other hand, helps you get direct user feedback, build trust, and attract early adopters while actually shipping. The best opportunities come from showing, not just talking!

Never looked at the events from this point of view. It is true that you can get caught up with talking about the idea rather than building.

social media is the new way of building real connections. Focusing on yourself and your business will more likely attract the right people to network with rather then seeking them out religiously. This article really hits the nail on the head.

I haven't been to a hackathon in years and I don't think I've ever been to a start-up event. This article was great and puts some great perspective on public events for the community.

Loved this perspective as I've never been to a local startup meetup before but was planning to. Seems like there's at least a small opportunity for innovation here if this is one of the general sentiments in this space.

that is so true, sometimes people just go there to feel that they are belonging to that community of entrepreneurs and builder without building something, like playing startup/entrepreneur instead of being one

I hit up a bunch of events, and honestly, most had zero filtering. At one of them, I straight-up asked the speaker if anyone in the room had ever launched a startup or even failed at one. Crickets. Not a single person. Just goes to show! Good startup events need solid filtering, or else it is just a bunch of theory with no real experience in the room.

This is spot on! Time spent building and engaging with real builders online beats any startup event packed with 'yappers.'

While startup events can be helpful for networking, building in public allows you to connect more authentically with your audience. By sharing your journey, you invite feedback and grow a supportive community. Skip the events and focus on creating something meaningful BetterJoy can guide you on how to amplify your public presence!

I'm launching my real-time data visualization and monitoring service Chirpier (www.chirpier.co) - and would really like to lean into building in public.

What's your advice?

It's true that building in public has some clear advantages. However, I think startup events still have their place. For new founders, these events can be a crash course in the industry. You get to hear from experienced entrepreneurs, learn about the latest trends, and gain insights into what works and what doesn't. It's like a condensed business education.

The sole purpose of startup events is to pass, transfer or ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in souls who are too afraid to take the first step or are stuck somewhere in the startup journey.

I am in favor of student startup events and exclusive startup events where lazy-to-build but active-to-attend startup events guys and yappers are not allowed.

Hosts and moderators of these student/exclusive startup events must be successful and failed founders.

Very interesting piece. I've seen a lot of pushback against #buildinpublic on Twitter/X. One of the points that stuck with me is: unless your socials audience is also your customer base, are you spending time where you shouldn't be?

I definitely see the benefit of BIP as a networking opportunity but what is the trade-off? There are only so many marketing hours in a day...better to build a professional network or a customer base? We're doing both ATM but leaning toward the latter.

I think „Startup events are for losers.“ is simplifying things a bit. When I was a student and made my very first steps into the startup world, these events were super helpful, as I could see pitches, talk to founders and also got my first few working student jobs at various startups, where I could try everything from software development to business development to sales. I was exciting for about a year, but then it became repetitive, I started building my own company as CTO, I stopped going to such events and never looked back. So of course I very much agree with the gist of the post :)