Going to Las Vegas for MicroConf 2019? Here are my best tips on travel, hotels, taxi, and my guide for getting the most out of this conference for bootstrapped entrepreneurs.
Pro tip: add yourself to this Who is coming to MicroConf 2019 list and connect with people ahead of time!
The brainchild of Rob Walling and Mike Taber, this event bucks the startup trend: it’s not for venture-funded companies.
“MicroConf is a great place to meet like-minded people who are self-funding their businesses. It’s one of the best places to make friends with other people in the same situation as you. In fact, it is one of the few places you can do that!”? – Hiten Shah
If you're making a full-time income from a digital product (SaaS, software, other) you should go to Growth. If you're still consulting (or working a day job) and building something on the side, go to Starter.
The “hallway track” refers to hanging out with other attendees outside of the main talks.
This might mean grabbing a coffee with another attendee, joining a table for breakfast at Bacio, or hanging out in the lobby outside the conference room. People often say that this informal hangout time is the best part about MicroConf.
Here are a few things to remember:
Make a plan for who you want meet, and what topics you want to discuss. If you have specific folks you’d like to ask questions of, write a list of their names and what topic you’d like to discuss.
But… also be open to meeting “sleeper attendees.” At any event, there’s always people everyone wants to talk to, and then there are folks who aren’t as well-known. Outside of the bloggers, podcasters, and “internet famous” people you’ve heard of, there are tons of amazing entrepreneurs at MicroConf, with awesome stories to tell.
Rehearse your answer to: “what are you working on?” People at MicroConf are curious! They’ll want to know what you’re working on. Don’t be self-conscious. Just tell them about your main project, or pitch them on your business idea.
One idea is to host a reception in your room during the evenings. Buy some drinks, and give out personal invitations (be sure to invite a wide variety of people!)
Breakfast can be a great opportunity to meet new people. Wander down to the Bacio in the morning, and ask to join a table!
Be vulnerable. You don’t need to pretend at MicroConf. If you’re struggling with something, share it with others! It’s likely other people have been where you’re at now. Be open and honest; no need to fake it.
MicroConf talks are packed with tactics. Want to get the most out of them?
Leave your laptop in your room. It’s way too easy to get distracted during a talk by Slack, your email, and other work that needs to be done. Bring a pen and paper, or write notes on your iPhone.
You don’t need to take photos of each slide. Most speakers make their slides available afterwords, and the talks are also recorded. Kai Davis also writes notes at microconfrecap.com.
Enjoying a talk? Let the speaker know! Quote a notable line on Twitter (use the #microconf hashtag), or tell them afterwards.
MicroConf is unique in that there are keynote talks as well as talks from attendees. Here are some tips for speaking at MicroConf:
"It’s really great, but because of all the like-minded people there are to meet and learn from, not because of the talks. I think it would be even better if they cut down on the speaking and added more structured opportunities for discussions, especially for the introverts." – Adam Wathan
My friend Jimmy Jacobson, of Wedgies, lives in Las Vegas. Here is his advice:
You can use Uber or Lyft at the airport, but just make sure you pay attention to the notice that they will pick you up on level 2M of the parking garage (that’s one level up from passenger pickup).
If you are cool with a taxi, then just follow the signs to the taxi stand. It’s fast and efficient as well.
The Cosmopolitan is reasonably close to Tropicana and has one of the only non chain coffee shops on the strip. It also has some good but reasonably priced eats (for the strip).
"It ranges from ultra-casual to business casual. Be comfortable. But the room is usually chilly, so plan accordingly." – Dave Churchville
You'll see a lot of folks in jeans, t-shirts, button-up shirts. You'll also see some folks who are in shorts!
"You’ll spend most of the time indoors where they keep the A/C cranked, so it gets surprisingly chilly. At night, it also gets cooler than you would think, so I would recommend a sweater or light jacket." – Adam Delong
Starbucks has a stranglehold on the Strip; so if that's your preference your in luck. If you're looking for independent coffee, the closest spot to Tropicana is Sunrise Coffee on the other side of the airport. It's good. Vesta is not close, but it's a great newer coffee roaster in town.
For Starter Edition (March 26-29, 2019), arrive early in the day on Tuesday (March 26), and if you can, check out on Friday (March 29). For Growth Edition (March 24-26), arrive early in the day on Sunday (March 24), and if you can, check out on Wednesday (March 27). Many folks will fly in a day before the conference to hang out and tour around Las Vegas. I always regret it when I arrive to conference right when it’s starting.