Like everyone else, I enjoy attending conferences. They're a chance to get out of the office, take a break from regular work, and meet lots of exciting like-minded people. At startup conferences , you hang out with founders and investors and swap war stories. If you are an entrepreneur, you can let your hair down and complain about how hostile the funding environment is , and how unsupportive investors are . If you are a funder, you can gripe about the immaturity of founders, and how unrealistic their expectations about their valuations are . It's great to hang out with people who understand the volatility of a startup system is, and who can empathise with your ups and downs