The Business of Software conference is about a month away in Boston (October 1st – 3rd). If you write software that exists to make money, you should go – but tickets are almost sold out, so sign up very soon (and get your hotel room, too).

For the last 8 years, I’ve attended Business of Software – it’s been the one constant across 3 different jobs. It’s shocking how much of an impact it’s had on my life. As I wrote after my first BoS, I learned things that I didn’t even know were knowable. That was truly jarring. It changed the way I look at the world, and my life is so much better for that change in perspective.

It was at Business of Software that I learned the difference between building software and building a software business. I learned the actions that tend to correlate with success or failure for software startups (success isn’t as random as I used to think). I learned that the software itself is the easy part – and rarely determines business success.

Meeting one of my heroes

The speakers are always first class – I’ve seen Seth Godin, Jason Cohen, Kathy Sierra, Dharmesh Shah and so many others … this year will have more great speakers, including Bob Moesta, Peldi Guilizzoni, Mikey Trafton … every speaker is “keynote quality.” 

The attendees are as important as the speakers, if not more so. At every break and every meal, you’ll meet someone interesting (and oh, by the way, the food is always really good). Everyone there has something to learn and something to teach. I met Harry and Ted, the founders of Moraware, at Business of Software – I literally wouldn’t have my awesome job if I hadn’t attended (and oh, by the way, we’re hiring!).

short Patrick and tall Patrick

The conference is one track, so you experience it as a collective. It’s not exactly Burning Man, but it develops a genuine sense of community – each year is a unique event with its own character. It’s organized by my friend Mark Littlewood – putting on interesting tech events is his business and his passion (and if you’re lucky enough to attend one of his events, you’ll consider him a friend as well).

Sadly, I have a conflict and won’t be a part of Business of Software this year. Harry and Ted will be there again, as will about 250 other smart software business people. If you write software that makes money, you should be one of them. If you’re unsure if it’s a fit for you, feel free to email me to discuss.