I think this was probably the most significant and impactful Italian Tech Week of all time.
Not just because I ran a masterclass (we'll get to that later), but because of the incredible agenda, the record-breaking attendance, the seamless organisation, and the brilliant theme of "The Wave Ahead," coined by the Vento team.
I know the people behind Vento.
I know how hard the ITW team works.
And honestly - I'm blown away.
Blown away by the fact that a small team of volunteers, interns, and a handful of full-timers managed to run Italy's, and probably Europe's, biggest tech event.
All for free.
Yes, free.
Even with this year's lineup that included Jeff Bezos, Ursula von der Leyen, and many others, attendance remained completely free.
That's insane.
One thing I really liked this year was the new upper-tier premium tickets.
Alongside the free standard passes, premium tickets offered priority access to high-demand talks and a quiet, catered area to work and recharge.
As someone who spent three intense days there, that space was gold.
Couches, food, and a bit of peace in the chaos - worth every euro.
One of the best panels I've seen came from Augusto Marietti, founder of Kong Inc.
He shared how he went from a Milan garage to 900+ employees in San Francisco, building what became an entirely new category for APIs.
His story had everything: near bankruptcy, his mother's cancer, and the grind of building an API company before APIs were even a thing.
One quote that stuck with me:
"Startups don't die. Founders quit."
Simple. Brutal. True.
Now, about the "giants" - Bezos, Kevin Scott, and others.
Let's be real: they're not the reason I attend.
They repeat the same soundbites you hear in every podcast and interview.
I still respect them, of course, but the real value for me comes from the hidden gems - the founders and builders you've never heard of, who tell raw, unfiltered stories.
That's where the learning happens.
Every year, TIM's CEO Pietro Labriola takes the stage.
People think I have something against him, but I don't. He's just not... inspiring.
This year, his big AI story was how ChatGPT helped him prepare for a board meeting.
That's it.
The CEO of Italy's largest telco stood on stage at ITW and shared an AI use case my mom could pull off, too.
The rest of the speech was him blaming the government for not speeding up the AI transition.
That says a lot about how far we still have to go in corporate Italy.
What I loved most about this year's ITW was the energy.
You could feel deals happening in real time.
Investors pitching founders. Founders pitching back.
Last year, I felt like I knew half the people in the room.
This year? New faces everywhere - and not just Italian ones.
The event felt more international, more alive.
But as Dealroom's founder reminded everyone, we still have a long way to go.
Italy remains mid-pack in Europe for VC investment, behind Spain and far behind France.
We need to do more.
More founders. More capital. More flywheels like ITW.
Still, I've never felt prouder to be Italian and to live in Italy.
And yes - I was part of the lineup too.
On October 2nd, I ran one of the first paid masterclasses at ITW, focused on how to build your first winning sales team.
I'll admit it - I was nervous.
Paid ticket. Lunch slot. What if nobody showed up?
But they did.
Twenty people filled the room, and for 80 minutes, we talked deep into sales frameworks, hiring, and how to turn early chaos into a repeatable sales machine.
It was electric. Thank you to those who came. 🙏
So yes - this was the best Italian Tech Week yet.
Bigger, sharper, and a glimpse of what Italy's startup future can really become.
Thanks for reading this far, see you all next week.
