TECH WEEK by a16z reposted this
Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with the legendary Tom Hammer from a16z speedrun. It has been my first live panel discussion as the Co-Founder and CEO of Genway AI, and I wanted to share a few practical tips for attendees looking to maximize the value they get from this type of events. 1. Show up early and plan to hang around late. Panel discussions are a great opportunity to socialize and meet likeminded individuals. Make it a priority to be on time to maximize mingling opportunities with attendees and panelists. Most often it is easier to have a meaningful discussion ahead of the panel rather than after. I was literally approaching ppl ahead of the panel to initial a conversation, but after the panel security had to ask us to leave before we could finish chatting to everyone. 2. Be crisp and don't try to sell your product/service. The dynamic is such that there are a few dozen attendees per panelist thus be mindful of time when diving into discussions or giving very long and elaborate introduction to yourself. If a founder can pitch his startup in 2 minutes, you should be able to communicate a message in less than that. 3. Language. Do your best to address panelists in the same language the panel was delivered at. It allows other folks around to participate in the discussion. If you and the panelist speak another language, it is great to exchange a few sentences when necessary, but people around might feel excluded if you go beyond that. 4. When connecting via LinkedIn after the panel, add a note mentioning the specific panel and the location of the panel. It will become useful a few years down the line when you are trying to figure out how did you connect with the specific person. Got this tip from Macy Mills and can't emphasize how happy I am about it. Huge thank you to Viren Tellis Co-Founder and CEO of Uthana for participating in the panel discussion and providing a different perspective. TECH WEEK by a16z LA - you have been epic. Can't wait for 2026.