A couple of weeks ago, a woman reached out to me on LinkedIn about an invite-only event: leaders from the data and AI world, sitting down for roundtable discussions on data strategy, AI, and where the two are headed.
“Blending peer perspectives with real-world approaches,” the invite promised.
Sounded interesting. Totally up my alley.
I noticed they specifically weren’t inviting salespeople.
Now I know why. 😂
Walking into a room full of strangers and making small talk is not exactly my idea of a good time, so I was hesitant. But the subjects sounded too good to pass up, so I went.
I got seated with two other people, one from Microsoft and one from HP, both at companies about the same size as where I work. We hit it off immediately, mostly by admitting we’d each almost bailed, and then by discovering we all wore Oura rings.
None of us knew what was coming.
There was a stack of papers on the table. It looked like we were supposed to rate something. I didn’t think much of it.
Then it became clear.
Speed dating. Basically.
Except instead of asking what you like to do on weekends, they ask about your data architecture. And instead of deciding on a second date, you’re deciding whether your company needs their software.
Eight vendors. Every 10 to 15 minutes, they rotated from table to table. Pitch their product, ask about our problems, explain how they could fix them.
Yes, I realize this is also known as a sales pitch.
Luckily, the woman from HP had an actual use case, so I mostly sat back and watched vendor after vendor take a swing at solving it.
Ding. Next vendor. Ding. Next vendor. Ding. Next vendor.
This went on for a couple of hours, after a full workday.
Here’s the thing, though. I’d spent all this time before the event wondering if I’d be out of my depth. Would everyone else know more than me? Be more fluent in AI strategy and governance and all the impressive-sounding stuff?
Instead, I noticed something I didn’t expect: we are all trying to figure something out.
People from massive companies were stuck on the same kinds of problems, fishing for the same kinds of answers, sometimes just sitting there letting someone else do the talking, same as me.
That was worth more than anything any vendor pitched.
A bell rang for dinner. I’d made enough professional connections for one evening.
I left.
No dinner, no new software.
Just slightly less impostor syndrome, a funny story to tell at work, and a few new LinkedIn connections.
I’ll take it.
Brain clear 