Human to Human: an old-fashioned business idea in a digital age

Technology often dazzles. The thrill of the new or the lure of the shiny app or communications platform can be hard to ignore. For years now futurists have been predicting the rise of teleconferencing and the death of “face to face” in the business world.

This is something we think about a lot at Web Summit because we believe that people value conferences like the ones we organize for the real-world connections they make above all else. Humanity’s greatest achievements have been made possible through gatherings of people generating the connections and serendipity that accelerate real-world change.

An interesting story emerged from one gathering we organised a couple of years ago. The story was told by Dave Weinberg, the Co-founder and CEO of loop88, who attends significant business conferences on a regular basis. He came to Web Summit in Dublin in 2014, where more than 20,000 investors, startups, speakers, media and other attendees also took part.

The funny thing was - it was not his business knowledge or his tech smarts but his ability to sew that led to him finding a new investor and partner for his growing business. When Shelley Zalis of Ipsos arrived to meet Dave’s investor friend for dinner, a button popped off her jacket and Dave, volunteered to sew it back on.

During this he started talking with Shelley about his company. In the end of their conversation Shelly got so inspired by his idea that she became a business partner to loop88 and Dave’s personal mentor - all because of his skill with a needle and thread.

This illustrates a truth about getting the most out of conferences - being open to meeting new people - whatever may be the circumstance around you.

The desire for human to human interaction is still incredibly powerful. It might seem counterintuitive in the age of the machine, but the need for human to human interaction is felt much more now than ever before. And in business, where trust is always key, the chance to look someone in the eye is vital to building a solid foundation for the right sort of business relationship.

People often complain about technology cutting them off from each other, even as the distances between countries and individuals disappear in this digital world. Though, we are connected more closely in the digital web of Facebook, Weibo, Instagram, Twitter and LINE, it is still fundamentally important to us that we look into each other’s eye, shake hands and introduce ourselves.

Human to human still remains a crucial way for businesses to be conducted and deals done. And that will be the basis for many innovations and entrepreneurial activity way into the future.
(The article is authored by Paddy Cosgrave, CEO and Co-founder Web Summit)
Image credits: karinrammeloo.webklik