dress codes aren't just for the met gala

I was wildly, embarrassingly underdressed yesterday.

It was the Bloom Burton Healthtech Investor Conference. I got a free ticket by calling myself “media” via my podcast (more on podcasting as a networking strategy in a future newsletter).

What I failed to realize is that this was not your standard tech conference. In retrospect, it should have been obvious… tickets were as much as $1200. But I never clued in. So I showed up in the most casual of business casual to what turned out to be just below a black tie event. I’ve never been in such a rich room - 1500 investors, most of whom spend my entire net worth on their quarterly vacation.

The day changed for me when I decided to lean in - of course the “media” guy isn’t going to be wearing a suit. One of the exhibitor tables had free pens and notebooks, so I put a pen behind my ear and carried a notebook.

It worked! I managed to talk to Brian Bloom himself, and there’s an outside chance he’s going to come on my podcast. I got a free ice cream bar. I learned a lot about how heathtech investors think and talk, and made some connections that should lead to follow-up conversations with a few successful startup founders.

Lesson #1 - if you’re going to a conference, research the conference ahead of time

Lesson #2 - if you don’t fit in, find a way to stand out

Lesson #3 - rich conferences have better food

— Clark