Create. Destroy. Repeat.

These past few days I was able to help TechCrunch (more specifically, TechCrunchTV) with their Disrupt event that was held in San Francisco. Being an avid TechCrunch reader and general enthusiast of tech startups the experience as a whole was a very educational one. Disrupt was my first tech conference and I believe it's one of the tech conferences that I can look forward to happening and hopefully attending.

TechCrunch Disrupt is a tech conference where some of the most influential people in the tech world either take part in a panel, interview, or judging group and discuss and critique the next trends in disruptive technology in the world. It felt like I was working the tech VMAs or something being backstage with all of these tech 'rockstars.'

What is disruptive technology you ask? It's the type of technology that changes the way you live essentially or changes a certain aspect of technology that progresses it forward into the future. An example of disruptive technology is when cell phones eventually replaced home phones. Startups in the Startup Battlefield pitch their products in front of a panel of experts and the winner wins the Disrupt Cup and $50,000 to take home and spend on their ventures.

Amazing Opportunity

Although there was an army of volunteers at Disrupt, I had the privilege of being one of the select few who got to work backstage. I consider myself lucky knowing how to operate video equipment to a certain degree because I got to be in the presence of the likes of investors such as Chris Sacca, CEO's of Digg and Groupon, and the man behind TechCrunch, Michael Arrington (who I overheard was like the Darth Vader of the whole operation.)

These conferences aren't easy to attend at all. Tickets run at least $2,000 dollars up to the $3,000 dollar range for a 3 day pass. Unless you have a press pass or your company is paying you to be there, chances are you won't be able to attend. So, volunteering is your next best bet. Although you need to work most of the time, I had plenty of time to speak to all of the startups in the Startup Alley and Battlefield areas. I had great conversations with different companies from the CEOs, recruiters, and even designers. 

Working Backstage

I had the chance to work with the talented TechCrunch TV team and also with the various TechCrunch writers. All of them were extremely friendly and personable. It was exciting to see how an operation of their magnitude was conducted, and I thought Jon Orlin, Evelyn Rusli, and the rest of the crew made it a great experience. Working backstage wasn't an easy task but as you can see here, I made sure my free labor had some reward in the end:

Why You Should Attend Conferences

Though this was my first conference, it definitely isn't my last. My current boss of my SEO internship has always stressed the fact that conferences is the best way to network. I couldn't agree more as I've expanded my network with a lot of new professionals and other young like-minded individuals who I can hopefully work with in the near future. If you're looking for a job or internship, chances are that this may be your best bet in introducing yourself personally and showing your interest in a personal manner.

That's it for now! Congrats to the Disrupt Cup winner Qwiki (my personal favorites going in) and thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to help and all the TechCrunch staff who made it extremely fun!