Six Days, Two Conferences, Nine Thoughts
Lessons from the Intersection of Tech and Music
Last week, I immersed myself in two very different—but oddly connected—worlds.
From Tuesday to Thursday, I was in Las Vegas for the ServiceNow Sales Kickoff 2025, an intense, high-energy gathering of tech professionals. From Friday to Sunday, I was in Anaheim for NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants), the massive trade show where musicians, instrument makers, and industry pros come together.
Six days. Two major events. Thousands of people. Countless miles walked across convention center carpets.
See my NAMM Video here
And in the process, I noticed a few key patterns that transcended industries—lessons that apply whether you’re building software or crafting music.
1. A-Players Gravitate Toward A-Players
At Sales Kickoff, I watched top sales professionals push each other to be better. At NAMM, I saw legendary musicians seek out fellow musicians who inspire and challenge them. The best want to work with the best.
Steve Jobs talked about this all the time—A-players attract A-players. You see it in high-performing organizations, in creative industries, and in any field where excellence is the standard.
2. People Like to Be Together
We all know remote work is here to stay. But let’s not kid ourselves—people love being together.
At both events, you could see it on people’s faces: the genuine energy that comes from in-person interaction. No Zoom call, Slack message, or email thread can replicate the spontaneous conversations and unplanned connections that happen in real life.
3. The Impact of Hearing Directly from the Source
In an era where most of our information comes through a screen, hearing directly from another human being is powerful.
At Sales Kickoff, I watched speakers command a room with raw energy—something no pre-recorded webinar could match. At NAMM, I held instruments in my hands and talked to the people who built them. No filters. No comment sections. Just real, unedited human expression.
The internet is a great tool, but nothing beats direct experience.
4. Collisions Are Cool
The best part of a conference isn’t the structured sessions—it’s the unplanned moments.
At Sales Kickoff, I bumped into colleagues I usually only see on Zoom, leading to conversations that sparked new ideas. At NAMM, I stepped into an elevator, complimented a guy’s T-shirt, and ended up in a 45-minute conversation in the hotel lobby. Turned out, he was a music industry veteran with incredible stories. That random interaction led to an on-camera interview at the convention center.
These “conference collisions” are where the magic happens—serendipity meets creativity, and new ideas emerge.
5. The Intersection of Art and Technology
I live in two worlds: software and music. And the more time I spend in both, the more I see their commonalities.
Da Vinci was a scientist and an artist.
Bach was a mathematician.
Alan Turing played the violin.
At Sales Kickoff, I saw artistic creativity in the way people presented their ideas and built strategies. At NAMM, I saw deeply technical minds engineering instruments with precision. The best innovations happen at the intersection of art and science.
6. The Differences Between Tech and Music People
A quick, humorous observation:
People in the music industry go to bed early. They travel on a budget. They neatly put their garbage outside their hotel rooms.
People in tech? Let’s just say they tend to be more like swashbuckling pirates.
Take from that what you will.
7. The Scale of These Industries
A fascinating data point:
ServiceNow’s annual revenue (2024) = $10.4 billion
The entire global music industry = $14 billion
One enterprise software company is nearly as large as an entire industry that has shaped culture for generations. It’s a reminder of just how massive the tech world has become.
8. Conferences Are the Ultimate Idea Mixers
Call them conventions, trade shows, summits—at their core, they’re all about face-to-face conversations in an immersive setting.
It doesn’t matter if you’re in tech, music, or even construction. The real magic isn’t in the scheduled sessions—it’s in the casual hallway chats, the unexpected encounters, the mix of people exchanging ideas over coffee.
Conferences aren’t just events. They’re an ecosystem for creativity.
9. The Power of Direct Communication
We live in an era of algorithm-driven content, where everything we see is curated and filtered. But at a conference, when you speak directly to a vendor, a colleague, or a creator, you get unfiltered reality.
There’s no algorithm shaping the conversation, no internet echo chamber reinforcing your biases. Just real, direct, human communication.
And that’s something we should all seek out more often.
Final Thought: The Human Element Always Wins
Tech evolves. Business changes. Industries shift.
But what remains constant is human connection—the energy we get from being around others, exchanging ideas, and learning firsthand.
That’s what I took away from my six days, two conferences, and countless conversations. Whether you’re in tech, music, or any other field, there’s no substitute for showing up, engaging, and colliding with new ideas.
What’s a conference or event that left a real impact on you? Let me know—I’d love to hear your story.