My Takeaways from Italy's Biggest Tech Conference

For the past three days, I've spent 12 hours a day in the heart of Turin, and I have to say - it's been quite the experience.

The main event is Italian Tech Week, held from September 25th to 27th in Turin.

It was a testament to the fact that Italy's tech ecosystem is growing - fast.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• Over 15,000 attendees

• An incredible lineup of speakers

But beyond the stats, what struck me was the energy. Walking around the event areas, you could feel the buzz.

Every coffee shop and coworking space was packed with inspiring people.

It was one of those rare moments where you can physically sense an ecosystem evolving.

Something is starting.

Something is moving in the right direction.

Meeting with Founders

During my time there, I met over 50 founders and creators.

Some were new connections, while others were familiar faces.

It's funny - the number of people who recognized me from my LinkedIn posts. I felt a bit (but just a bit) famous. 😍

I heard pitches, saw product demos (a few cool ones from the sales tech space), and caught up with old friends.

I'm sorry for those I missed. The event was packed, and I promise we'll catch up soon.

An incredible speaker lineup

Italian Tech Week wasn't just about startups - it featured some of the most influential leaders in the B2B tech world.

From Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, to John Elkann, Benedetto Vigna, the CEO of Ferrari, CEOs of Zalando, Giorgio Chiellini, Doug Leone from Sequoia and many more.

Sam Altman, of course, was the star attraction.

The queue for his session was massive, and in fact, I didn't manage to get in. 🥵

But the fact that he was there - speaking in Turin - is a massive statement about the future of the Italian tech scene.

Another key moment, at least this I managed to get in, was from Ferrari's CEO, who shared the company's six guiding principles for success.

He also said that he often forgets he is Ferrari's CEO and gets down with blue collars and the people of the factory. He explained how important it is to get down the ladder and foster collaboration regardless of who your direct reports are.

I loved that.

A Few Misses

Of course, not every talk hit the mark.

TIM's CEO used his stage time to complain about EU regulations and the telecom sector's financial struggles - not precisely the motivational content we hoped for.

Meanwhile, Philip Morris's VP of Communication tried to position e-cigarettes as part of a "smoke-free future," which felt strange and out of scope for me.

Another downside was the organization around Sam Altam's speech.

There was a long queue and a bit of too much mess. Maybe a ticketing service to get to talks would be great for the future.

Final Thoughts

What excites me most about Italian Tech Week isn't just the event itself but what it represents.

Italy's tech scene is growing rapidly, and these events prove that we're moving in the right direction.

Vento, the team behind the event, deserves a special shoutout.

They pulled off this huge conference and run one of Italy's most successful accelerators for early-stage startups.

As I sit on the train home, I'm feeling excited.

I'm excited about the future of the Italian tech scene and the role we all get to play in it.

Whether you're an early-stage founder just starting to scale or a seasoned entrepreneur looking to expand your reach, there's never been a better time to be part of this community.

Thanks for reading. I'll see you next week.