PIRATE Summit Moments 2022

And the secret ingredient to create meaningful connections

In this edition, you find the PIRATE Summit 2022 video and the secret ingredient to create meaningful connections. Enjoy!

At a glance

• Relationships over Transactions

• Check the PIRATE Summit 2022 video and tell us about your highlights of the event

•  Nobody likes to connect with fake - the secret ingredient to creating meaningful connections

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Relationships over Transactions

Naïveté can be an incredible enabler of action. It certainly was for PIRATE Summit.

When we first started Pirate Summit in 2010, we didn’t have any event experience. Because there were no cool startup events to attend at the time, we decided that we’d just create the one we wanted to exist. If we had known what we were getting ourselves into, we would never have started in the first place.

We just did what seemed the right thing to do at the time. How naive. 

More than twelve years later, we still do what we set out to do. We create a space that is designed for building lasting relationships, not just transactions. It’s a place to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

Meaningful connections that become a part of your journey and help you navigate the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. Knowing that although it’s often a lonely journey, you are not alone.

This message I received after the last PIRATE Summit sums up very well why we do what we do.

Thank you once again for this amazing event, it was without any doubt very motivational for me, as during the pandemic and after it, my company has been inactive and its barely surviving, so I’ve been thinking to stop this “torture” of myself and my finances; so Pirate Summit was kind of a “last voyage” for me as a representative of my company, but honestly attending it fulfilled me with such positive energies that I changed my mind, I don’t want to stop building what I started and I don’t want to leave the purpose, why I started it; so I encourage you to keep on doing what you’re doing because it’s genius!

Your event is some kind of a statement that there are people around the world who are your “soulmates”, who feel and think the same way despite where they live and what they do and how much money they have, they all share the same thoughts and emotions and after all we are all the same equal human beings with the same ups and downs and everything is possible if we stand together and become one friendly business world of Pirates!

This is just one of many similar messages we receive after each edition. It’s good to know that what we do has impact.

You can read similar voices and stories on the PIRATE Summit website.

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Relive PIRATE Summit 2022

One of our biggest misses over the years was that we only had very few recap videos of the events themselves.

One video we still share is the one from 2015. It’s made by our friends at Interactive Pioneers. It captures the atmosphere of the event well.

In 2022, it was time for an update. We asked Interactive Pioneers to once again capture the essence of PIRATE Summit. The people, experiences, venue and vibe of the event.

Luckily they agreed. The result speaks for itself.

The biggest of ARRRs to Interactive Pioneers. The digital brand studio has been developing digital brands and products for +25 years. They are known for creative innovations like their video chatbot. Make sure to check them out.

If you have been to PIRATE Summit 2022, now is the time to reminisce.

If you missed it, here is a glimpse of what to expect this year.

Does the video spark fond memories?

What was your highlight from PIRATE Summit 2022?

Anything you want us to bring back in 2023?

I’d love to know.

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Nobody likes to connect with fake

Our mission with PIRATE Summit since 2011 is to create meaningful connections.

These days, I read similar missions or value propositions from many events. It’s something that is easily said.

But how can you actually engineer meaningful connections?

The typical answer is matchmaking sessions, a good event app, etc. While these methods work to a certain extent, they have limitations.

Our take since the start has been to engineer the context. The assumption being: Pick an extraordinary venue and gather the right people with the right mindset. Magic will then happen almost by itself!

☑️ With Odonien we found an outstanding venue. 

☑️ The right people we found through our network and strong curation.

❓ The right mindset… 🤔

The last part is actually quite difficult. How can we make sure that participants have the right mindset for the experience we want to create?

The thing is, if you are serious about creating meaningful connections, you have to create a place where people are authentic and can be themselves. Nobody likes to connect with fake.

But you cannot just ask people to be authentic. That’s not actionable.

Our solution, and the (not so) secret ingredient of PIRATE Summit, are our house rules. They might seem trivial, but they are essential to set the tone and create a unique atmosphere.

The house rules have been guiding principles for us since our first edition in 2011. A few years later we made them explicit.

We had five house rules, but we have since reduced them to four as “First Name” was just too obvious. Here they are.

#1 Everyone is a VIP

For us, what you can contribute is more important than the title on your business card. Therefore, we don’t do VIP areas. After the door, we treat everyone the same.

#2 No BS

Everybody hates bullshit. We do, too. We value authenticity. Be real.

#3 Give Give Give Ask

The first question when meeting someone at PIRATE Summit should always be: “What can I do for you?” (it’s literally the first question right after the opening). The startup ecosystem has a strong pay-it-forward culture. That’s one of the main reasons why we love it. If you participate, we expect you to respect that culture and actively promote it. 

#4 ARRR!

For some, the infamous PIRATE Summit “ARRR” is just a war cry. For many, it’s a sign of unity and belonging. A code shared for entrepreneurs on their journey. For us, it stands for even more: A curious, independent and at times rebellious view of the world. A world with endless possibilities that we can and will actively create and shape. Whether you want to fully dress up like a pirate or just “ARRR” from time to time, we welcome you all. After all, PIRATE Summit is what you make of it.

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That’s it for today. We hope you liked the video as much as we do and are looking forward to PIRATE Summit in June.

Please tell me: What are your fondest memories of PIRATE Summit 2022? What are you looking out for in 2023? Leave a comment on LinkedIn or reply to this mail.

🏴‍☠️

Be safe, be healthy, and be kind. 🙏🏽

Manuel