Isn’t every week Tech Week in SF?
Pretty much. But the city by the Bay still loves any reason to mix, mingle, and publicly debate AI doomerism and optimism.
Last month, our team spent a lot of time at in-person events in our HQ city, between SF Tech Week, TechCrunch Disrupt, and other new media gatherings. In-person events are back in a big way, creating more opportunities to promote your business and share your ideas. The key is having something authentic to say: both the media and the audiences they serve value genuine perspectives more than ever.
So, what did we learn in the busiest month in tech’s epicenter?
- The more AI advances, the more valuable the human layer becomes. Across conversations about agents, automation, and autonomy, the differentiator keeps coming back to human judgment, creativity, trust, and expertise. Turns out people still matter. Shocker!
- AI is escaping the screen. The next wave of attention is moving beyond chatbots and software to “physical AI,” where intelligence meets robotics, manufacturing, mobility, and the built world. The story is increasingly about what AI can do, not just what it can generate.
- LinkedIn is becoming less corporate as everything else becomes more automated. Executives seeing the strongest engagement aren’t simply broadcasting company news or expertise. They’re showing personality, taking positions, and sounding recognizably human. Strong POV > polished corporate-speak.
- The newsletter isn’t dead, but the default format is changing. Video and livestreaming are increasingly compelling ways to package expertise for audiences consuming content on their phones. The opportunity isn’t just to publish more, but to make ideas easier to discover, watch, and share.
- LLMs are becoming a media channel in their own right. Being visible in AI search isn’t a standalone SEO exercise. What brands earn in media, publish themselves, and amplify through paid channels increasingly shapes whether, and how, they surface in AI-generated answers.
But don’t just take it from me. Our teammates on the ground shared their perspectives and the biggest themes they noticed this year.
- Seleba Ouattara, Director of Social Strategy: Online content begets IRL connection. It was strangely comforting to hear that professionals everywhere, from founders at the top of their field to coordinators just getting in the door, are still using online spaces to find like-minded people and then looking for a physical room to bring them together. It also signals where social and other new media are headed: these channels should be an extension of the community already forming around a brand or niche, not the destination itself. The brands that get this right will feel more human and approachable in a feed increasingly filled with things that aren’t.
- Seleena Mukbel, Account Executive: The biggest theme I noticed was trust, or really lack of it, in building AI systems. People are trying to make sense of what’s going on in the tech industry, which makes these events so important today. I really enjoyed seeing the connections between attendees and the camaraderie among media professionals in tech as our industry changes so quickly. From hearing insight from CNBC’s Megan Morrone on a panel to meeting reporters in person instead of in their inbox, it was a good reminder of the value of in-person connections that ultimately make our industry work, even as technology moves faster than ever!
- Veronica Richardson, Vice President: Alex Konrad’s Agents, Automation & Ambition had several founders talking about treating AI agents more like colleagues than tools, including how they assign them work, evaluate performance, and even think about hiring. It’s an interesting shift in how we think about AI at work, beyond just productivity.
- Sofia de la Vega, Account Executive: I enjoyed the “Hype v. Hesitancy” discussion about why people use AI more but trust it less. Standards or certifications, which aren’t yet common across AI tools, could help people understand what a tool has actually been tested to do and where its limits are. It’s a nice reminder that the best part of using AI at work is feeling confident in how we manage it and knowing what information we’re feeding it.
As you start plotting your 2027 event calendar, hit us up. We can help figure out where to show up, how to stand out, and how to turn a few days in the room into momentum that lasts well beyond it.
