Tech events provide many opportunities to connect, pitch, and grow your startup. Yet for many founders, the sheer size and pace of these gatherings can lead to scattered efforts and missed chances.

Walking into an event without a clear plan is like launching a product without understanding your audience. It’s not just about showing up—it’s about showing up with purpose and ensuring your time translates into measurable outcomes.

For early-stage founders, these events can be a goldmine of investor introductions, strategic partnerships, and valuable feedback. But without defined goals, you risk blending into the crowd and leaving empty-handed.

• Founders should prioritize quality conversations and leverage informal meetups or side events to connect more meaningfully with potential investors and partners​.
• By treating large events as structured opportunities to build relationships and share their startup’s story, founders can stand out, make lasting impressions, and accelerate their path to raising capital and scaling their businesses.
• Using tools like CRMs to track progress helps maintain momentum and convert event interactions into valuable opportunities​.

According to Kirin Kalia, founder of Grow Through Story, preparation and specificity separate impactful founders from aimless attendees. As she notes: “If you're going to show up for something, know exactly why you're going to be there, right? And when you go, what do I want to walk away with?”​

Whether you’re pitching on stage or networking one-on-one, the ability to focus on clear objectives makes you memorable. It ensures you leave with tangible results—be it investor follow-ups, customer connections, or insights that refine your strategy.

This guide will show you how to approach events with confidence, starting with defining your goals. By setting measurable outcomes from the start, you position yourself for success and maximize your return on time invested.

Step 1: Define your event goals

Founders attending tech events need a clear purpose to avoid aimless wandering and wasted time. Kirin gives examples of tangible goals: “I want to come away with, for instance, three new prospects. I want to come out from this networking event or this event, maybe it's a bigger tent pole kind of thing, like I've been to those, right?”​ Whether your goal is securing investor meetings, finding partners, or generating leads, specificity is key to delivering results.

For startups in fundraising mode, this clarity transforms a chaotic environment into a strategic opportunity. 

Walking into an event with intent also protects your focus. Founders are often pulled in many directions, but clear objectives help prioritize what matters most—whether it’s attracting venture capital, connecting with potential customers, or gathering market insights.

Step 2: Do your research

Preparation is non-negotiable for founders who want to maximize their event outcomes. Kirin says: “You can see who the speakers are for things. If you know that that person's there, you can imagine if they're a big enough deal they're going to be very hard to get to. But their team might be there, right?”​ Researching attendees, speakers, and exhibitors gives you a strategic edge, allowing you to tailor your conversations to their needs.

Startups seeking venture capital should dig deeper into investor backgrounds, focusing on their portfolios, priorities, and past investments. Kirin shares an example: “We've looked at that one person. Everything that we could understand about that person and what they like and don't like and how they make decisions and how that person knows this founder and what was all the history there, right?”​ This level of preparation ensures that your approach resonates and positions you as a founder who has done the homework.

In addition to formal research, leverage LinkedIn, event apps, or informal connections to identify opportunities. For founders learning how to network, this proactive approach helps prioritize valuable interactions and reduces time wasted on unaligned conversations.

Step 3: Perfect your pitch

Founders must master their pitch to stand out in a sea of startups. Kirin stresses the importance of clarity, advising: “Something I really care about is answering two questions, which is so what and who cares, and if you haven't done that with the materials, we have a problem if it's not flowing well like there's no story here, there's nothing that holds it together that keeps it.”​ Simplifying your message helps investors and customers quickly understand your vision and its value.

Startups in fundraising mode should anticipate and address objections upfront. A well-prepared pitch removes doubt and invites deeper questions from investors—a strong signal that they’re interested.

Different audiences require different approaches, so tailor your pitch accordingly. For investors, highlight the market opportunity and financial upside. For customers, focus on pain points and outcomes. Knowing how to raise capital begins with crafting a narrative that sticks.

Step 4: Network strategically at the event

Networking as a founder isn’t about collecting as many business cards as possible—it’s about making quality connections. Kirin advises: “Attend side events and informal meetups for deeper, more focused conversations.”​ Smaller settings allow you to share your story authentically, making it easier to stand out and build genuine relationships.

For startups, these deeper interactions often yield the most valuable results, from potential partnerships to introductions to venture capital firms. Kirin highlights a founder’s success at Hearst Lab: “She leaned into who she is. She told a very vulnerable story about why she started her company. She wasn't big, she wasn't flashy. But nobody in that room was doing anything but listening to her, right?”​ Authenticity and confidence go a long way in making a lasting impression.

Founders who prepare for different types of conversations—whether with investors, prospects, or peers—are better equipped to navigate events effectively. Knowing how to network means being memorable, intentional, and focused on building relationships that matter.

Step 5: Follow up and track your progress

The work doesn’t stop when the event ends. Thoughtful follow-ups show professionalism and turn casual encounters into valuable opportunities.

For startup fundraising, staying organized is critical. Tools like Foundersuite’s CRM streamline the process by helping track investor interactions, manage progress and schedule next steps. This ensures no lead or conversation slips through the cracks.

Kirin shares a valuable mindset for founders: “I think that the easier you make their job, the more good questions you're going to get, the more of a really dynamic conversation you're going to have, and that, again, gives you more opportunities to showcase the way you think and the way you see this market unfolding.”​ Consistent, meaningful follow-ups not only strengthen relationships but also pave the way for fundraising success.