VDS 2025: First Day Impressions
On my way to VDS 2025 (Valencia Digital Summit), I caught myself wondering: how do you navigate a conference this big?
With over 3,000 startups, 12,000 professionals from more than 120 countries, 150 corporations, and 800 investors, VDS sets the tone for an event of real impact - one that can help businesses in their quest for growth, launch new startups, connect entrepreneurs with contracts, guide students toward new opportunities, and, at the very least, inspire anyone open enough to listen.
We’ve all been there - attending a major event and, by the end, asking ourselves what went wrong. You see groups leaving excited, full of new ideas and energy, while you’re left feeling unchanged, wondering where you missed the mark.
So what is the difference between those who make the most of it and those who don’t? What drives everyone at these events - investors, founders, contractors, students - and what links them all together?
For me, it all boils down to purpose.
Looking around at VDS, I noticed three kinds of people:
The observers - those who walk slowly, look around, but stay on the sidelines. They want a piece of the pie but are too afraid to take it.
The hesitant go-getters - they put themselves out there but still hold back, restrained by fear or self-doubt. They believe they’re doing the right things - maybe even pitching! - but forget that first impressions matter. People sense confidence before they hear your words. How can you trust someone who doesn’t fully trust themselves or their product?
The purposeful ones - they know exactly why they’re here and move with intention. You can see it in their walk, hear it in their voice. Every action they take has direction. They hunt opportunities, and they’re not afraid to seize them.
Purpose isn’t something you stumble upon - it’s something you prepare before you even step through the conference doors. The people who leave VDS with new partnerships, investments, or collaborations aren’t lucky; they’re clear on their goals, deliberate with their time, and confident in their story.
Before attending any event - especially one as dynamic as VDS - it helps to ask yourself a few key questions:
✅ What’s my mission? What’s the one key outcome I want - a connection, feedback, funding, or learning?
✅ How intentional am I with my time? Even a coffee break can lead to something big.
✅ Do I trust myself and my idea? Confidence always beats perfection.
✅ Am I listening as much as I’m talking? Genuine curiosity opens more doors than self-promotion.
As Day 1 comes to a close, I realize VDS isn’t just about startups, investors, or technology - it’s a mirror. It reflects your own clarity, confidence, and readiness to act. The more purposefully you walk through those halls, the more opportunities seem to find you.
Tomorrow, I plan to walk a little faster - and a little more certain.